Burgundy Flashcards
What are the major grape varieties of Burgundy?
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay
What are the major Burgundy wine regions, from north to south?
Chablis, Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais, Beaujolais
Cote d’Or contains the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune
Describe the historical background of Burgundy.
Middle Ages - influence of monastic orders
Fragmentation of vineyard ownership - thousands of tiny vineyards each with many owners, due to progression from church dominance to French Revolution to Code Napoleon (1804) and inheritance laws
Uneven range of quality
Describe the climate and weather of Burgundy.
Continental climate, cold winter and hot summers
Fairly consistent
Chablis is colder, frost can be an issue
Describe the topography and aspect in Burgundy.
Rolling hills
Cote d’Or slope, best vineyards are on hillsides facing east/ southeast at 175m-250m (good weather band)
Describe the soil in Burgundy.
Burgundy - chalk, calcareous clay, marl, and limestone
Limestone amplifies acidity in the Pinots and Chardonnays.
Beaujolais - granite
Granite neutralizes the acidity in the Gamays.
Geology - undersea, 8 layers of limestone, faulted by Alps and other hills and mountains formed in the area
Monks mapped and walled around soil types.
Quality influenced by thickness of topsoil and % of rocks in topsoil
AOC/ AOP Classification
~40 Grand Cru (2% of total production)
~600 Premier Cru / 1er Cru (12%)
Village wines (30%)
Regional appellation/ Bourgogne (56%)
What is the meaning of “Domaine” on a wine label?
Grower/ producer that owns the vineyards from which they produce the wine.
What is the meaning of “Negociant” on a wine label?
Merchants who buy grapes and/or finished wine for blending and bottling under their own label.
What is the meaning of “Clos” on a wine label?
Plot of vineyard land traditionally surrounded by dry-stone walls
What is the meaning of “Monopole” on a wine label?
Parcel of land with single ownership, rare at 1% of Burgundy
What are some examples of Town-Winery rebranding of the town name in the 1850s?
Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanee, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet
Chablis Overview
Location: 80mi north of Cot d’Or, east of Paris
City: Chablis
Area Under Vine: 13,500 acres
Climate: Continental cool, susceptible to late frosts
Geography: Serein River (N-S),
Soil: Kimmeridgian clay and Portlandian limestone
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Vinification: older neutral barrels or stainless steel, ML fermentation (yogurt)
Style: Light-bodied white wine
Color: Pale straw
Tasting notes: Citrus, lime peel, green apple, yellow nectarine, pear, white flowers, lily, lees, mineral, chalk, high acidity, salinity
Age: 5-10yrs
William Fevre
Chablis AOP
Petit Chablis AOP - great value, younger vines on periphery of footprint, Portlandian limestone
$25
Chablis AOP
$30
Chablis Premier Cru AOP - 40 vineyards, some oak-age
Left Bank: Vaillons, Montmains
Right Bank: Montee de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Fourchaume
$60
Chablis Grand Cru AOP - 7 climats, most have south/southwest exposure
Right Bank: Bougros, Les Preuses, Vaudesir, Grenouilles, Valmur, Les Clos, Blanchots
$120
What foods pair well with Chablis?
Oysters and other shellfish, fresh fish, chicken, fresh herbs, rich cheeses, savory green salad
Cote de Nuits Overview
Location: SE of Paris
City: Dijon to north of Beaune
Area Under Vine: acres
Climate: Continental cool, 250m is sweet spot
Geography: Hillsides and ridges, slope to SW, easterly exposure
Soil: Limestone and Marl
Grape: Pinot Noir
Vinification: older neutral barrels or new oak (Grand Cru)
Grape: Pinot Noir
Style: Light-moderate-bodied red wine
Color: Pale ruby
Tasting notes: Red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, red plum, cherry, flowers, hibiscus, rose petal, thyme/ oregano, clove/ nutmeg, mushroom, potting soil, wet stone, tart acid, low tannin
Age:
Cote de Nuits AOP
Bourgogne AOP
Bourgogne Cote de Nuits AOP
Cote de Nuits Village AOP - 9 Villages
Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St. Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Premier (1er) Cru - 130+ vineyards
Gevry-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques, Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux, Morey-St. Denis
Grand Cru - 24 vineyards
Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, Musigny, La Tâche, La Romanée
What foods pair well with Pinot Noir?
Roasted lobster, poached chicken, poulet of breast
Cote de Beaune Overview
Location: SE of Paris
City: North of Beaune to Macon
Area Under Vine: acres
Climate: Continental cool, 250m is sweet spot
Geography: Hillsides and ridges, slope to SW, easterly exposure
Soil: Limestone and marly
Grape: Pinot Noir (70%), Chardonnay (30%)
Vinification: older neutral barrels or new oak (1er or Grand Cru)
Grape: Pinot Noir
Style: Light-bodied red wine
Color: Pale ruby
Tasting notes: Red fruits, cherry, flowers, hibiscus, rose petal, mushroom, potting soil
Age:
Grape: Chardonnay
Style: Medium-bodied white wine
Color: Deep gold
Tasting notes: Golden apple, hazelnut
Age:
Cote de Beaune AOPs
Bourgogne AOP
Cote-de-Beaune-Village AOP - 9 Villages
Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet
Premier (1er) Cru - 100s vineyards
Volnay (PN), Meursault (Ch)
Grand Cru - 8 vineyards
Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Bâtard- Montrachet
Cote Chalonnaisse Overview
Location:
City: Chagny, Chalon-Sur-Saone
Area Under Vine: acres
Climate: Continental
Geography: More flat
Soil: Limestone and marly
Grape: Cremant de Bourgogne, Pinot Noir (60%), Chardonnay (40%), Aligote
Vinification: older neutral barrels
Grape: Pinot Noir
Style: Light-bodied red wine
Color: Pale ruby
Tasting notes: Red fruits, cherry, flowers, hibiscus, rose petal, mushroom, potting soil
Age:
Grape: Chardonnay
Style: Medium-bodied white wine
Color: Medium-gold
Tasting notes: Yellow apple, baked quince, apple blossom, vanilla, truffle
Age:
Cote Chalonnaise AOPs
Bouzeron (Al), Rully, Mercurey (PN), Givry (PN), Montagny (Ch)
Mâconnais Overview
Location: SE of Paris
City: Macon
Area Under Vine: acres
Climate: Continental warm
Geography: More flat
Soil:
Grape: Chardonnay (85%), some Pinot Noir and Gamay
Vinification: Older neutral barrels, some oak in P-F
Style: Medium-bodied white wine
Color: Deep gold
Tasting notes: Tropical, stone fruit
Age: 5-10yr
Macconais AOPs
Macconais-Village AOP
Saint-Veran
Premier (1er) Cru
Pouilly-Fuisse
