Burgundy Flashcards
Chablis climate
Continental- cold winters/ warm summers
Considerable vintage variation
Advantage of Chardonnay in Chablis
Early ripening- cold fall, wet weather rot
Weather hazards of Chablis
Spring frost and hail
Decrease yields
Soils of Chablis
Limestone, clay, Kimmeridgian (fossilized seashells)
Spring frost mitigation
Smudge pots - cause pollution, requires staff in vineyards
Aspersion sprinklers - upfront install cost and maintenance so only realistic for well funded vineyards
Pruning choices- later pruning promotes later bud burst
What rootstocks are most widely used in Chablis and why?
41B - limestone soils have high pH
420A - low vigor and tolerance of high pH
What training system is most used in Chablis and why?
Double Guyot - if one cane fails the other may survive frost
Petit Chablis soil type and location
Higher, cooler vineyards with hard limestone soils - less clay
Predominately flat or gentle slopes - mechanized
Chablis soil type and location
Kimmeridgian soil and mixed aspects
Flat land to rolling hills
Mechanized
Chablis Premier Cru vineyard soil types and location
40 named vineyards
Predominantly on south and south east facing slopes
What is a lieux diet
Specific named plots
What is a climat
A named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation
Chablis Grand Cru sold types and location
I’m be grand cru with 7 named vineyards (climats)
SW facing
Right bank if Serein
Kimmeridgian soil
1% of Chablis production
Consequences of Chablis Grand Cru location
SW facing for best sun exposure
Mid slope for drainage and frost protection
Sheltered by trees from north winds
Wines with greater concentration, body, and capacity to age
Winemaking in Chablis
Chaptalization used in all but warmest years
Fermentation in stainless and protective
MLC common
Lees for texture
Oak for grand and premier
What co-op produces 1/4 of all Chablis?
La Chablisienne
The majority of Chablis is exported or consumed domestically?
2/3 exported
Climate of Côte d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise, and Maconnais
Moderate continental cold winters and warm summers. Short growing season. Maconnais is slightly dryer and warmer.
What protects the Côte d’Or from rainfall?
Morvan hills
Natural influences on potential quality of sites in Burgundy
Aspect
Altitude
Degree of slope
Soils
Due to Burgundies northerly location 47*N what factors are important for yield and quality?
Site selection
Weather
Why are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay particularly susceptible to spring frost?
They are both early budding
Hail damage prevention includes
Netting
Seeding thunder clouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation away from vineyards
Rain in spring affects yields how?
Disruption of flowering and fruit set lowering yields and leading to uneven ripening
Rain during growing season adds what threat to the grapes?
Fungus
Sprays/canopy mgmt
Rain before harvest has what affect?
Dilution of berries
Increase chances of grey rot
What does drought stress do to vines?
Berries shrivel
Vines shut down and halt ripening
The topography in Burgundy determines what about the finished wine?
Style and Quality - and therefore Price
The hills of Côte d’Or are situated in what directions?
Oriented North/ South with side valleys in East/West
The main ridge of Côte d’Or is facing what direction
East but there are varying aspects including SE or S
The best sites in Burgundy are found where on the slope and why?
Mid slope for well draining shallow soils, good sunlight exposure, frost protection, ripening potential
Vineyards at the top of the slope in Burgundy struggle to ripen, why?
Very poor, thin soils and exposure to cold winds
Vineyards at the bottom of the slope in Burgundy are considered lesser quality, why?
Deeper, more fertile soils, vulnerable to frost
Soil in the Côte de Nuits is dominated by
Limestone
Soil in the Côte de Beaune is dominated by clay/ deeper
Chardonnay in Burgundy features and hazards
Feature:
Early ripening in cool region
High yields without loss of quality
Delivers top quality on clay/ limestone soils of B
Hazards:
Early budding- frost
Prone to grey rot and powdery mildew - fall rains = sprays
Vigorous- requires management to avoid excessive yields and shading encouraged by fertile soils
Pinot Noir features and hazards in Burgundy
Features:
Early ripening for cool climate
Hazards:
Early budding- frost
Yields need to be limited for quality
Delicate- prone to mildew, rot, millerandage
Ripens too fast in warm years/ shrivel and sunburn (climate change hazard)
Failure to ripen sufficiently in cold years
Training method in Burgundy
Traditionally Guyot and softer method of Passat’s Guyot to limit pruning wounds to cut down in Esca and aids in canopy mgmt (very skilled vineyard labor)
Some use Cordon de Royat to limit vigor/yields but this leaves old wood that can harbor disease
Ways growers can manage and reduce yields
Winter pruning choices
Debudding (before flowering) - promotes good balance in vine but choices made to limit yield prior to hail/frost/fungus could have extreme influence
Green harvest - reduces catastrophic influence by hail/frost/ fungus as it takes place later in season but can make vine excessively grow remaining bunches and dilute the grapes
Why is organic viticulture not prevalent in Burgundy?
Many vineyards are shared and most organic practices require a minimum area to be implemented
White wine making in Burgundy
-Hand harvest in Côte d’Or then sorted at winery
-Whole bunch pressed to aid in draining must
-No skin contact for aromatics as -Chard is quite neutral and tannins are not desirable
-(De)Acidification and chaptalization (less necessary due to warmer temps and better canopy mgmt) permitted
-must clarified (quality by sedimentation for influence or filtration for lower quality
-hyper oxidation to combat premox
-ambient or cultured yeast (mid temps to avoid banana flavors)inexpensive in stainless or concrete/ quality in barrel
-quality then matured for 8-12 mos in barrel w/fine lees w/stirring to reduce reduction and add creamier texture
-MLC
-filtration
Red wine making in Burgundy
Hand harvest
Sort
Whole bunch or de stemmed (ripe stems for ripe tannins)
Cold soak for color extraction
Ambient yeast
Pigeage/remontage - reduce reduction, avoid acetic acid, extract color/tannin/flavor, regulate temp
Post ferment maceration - longer for quality
Pressed
Racked
Matured in oak ->12mos for inexpensive and 12-20 mos for premium
MLC in spring
Fined/filtered before bottle
What is the classification in Burgundy based upon?
Soil, aspect, microclimate
Terroir
What is the four tier hierarchy in Burgundy?
- Regional or generic- Bourgogne AOC
- Communal or village- Meursault AOC
- Premier cru - Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens
- Grand Cru - Batard Montrachet
In general the classification in the Côte d’Or reflects what?
Location of vineyards including positions on slope
Generic appellations like HCdB and HCdN get flat land above slope and are less protected from weather, have less sunlight exposure, and have fertile soils encouraging vigor - wines are less concentrated and struggle to ripen in cooler years
GC are mid slope with PC surrounding them- poor but adequate soils, good drainage, weather protection, good sun exposure
Village level is lower slope - rich soils encourage vigor, poorer drainage lesser sun exposure
Generic appellation - flatlands
Gevrey Chambertin
Red only
Gvsds include Charmes Chambertin
Morey Saint Denis
Almost exclusively red
GIs include Clos de Tart
Chambolle Musigny
Red only for village
GC include Bonnes Mares
Vougeot
Tiny village appellation for red and white
Large GC Clos de Vougeot
Vosne Romanee
Red only
GIs include Romanee Conti
Nuits Saint Georges
Almost exclusively red
No GCs
PCs include Les Saint Georges
Aloxe Corton
Pernand Vergelesses
Ladoix Serrigny
3 villages around hill of Corton
Mostly red for Village and PC
Corton Charlemagne white only
Corton GC has many lieux dits - can make red or white
Beaune
Predominantly red
No GC
PCs include Le Clos des Mouches
Pommard
Red only
No GC
PCs include Les Rugiens
Pommard
Red only
No GCs
PCs include Les Rugiens
Volnay
Red only
No GCs
PCs include Clos des Chenes
Meursault
Mostly white
No GCs
PCs include Perrieres
Puligny Montrachet
Almost all white
Shares GC Le Montrachet and Batard Montrachet with Chassagne Montrachet
Chassagne Montrachet
Mostly white some red
Shares GCs Le Montrachet and Batard Montrachet with Puligny Montrachet
Saint Aubin
Mostly white
No GCs
PCs include En Remilly
Cotes de Nuits regions for more reasonably priced wines
Marsannay
Fixin
Cotes de Beaune regions for more reasonably priced wines
St Romain - mainly white
Auxey-Duresses - mainly red
Santenay- mainly red
Does the Côte Chalonnaise produce more red or white wine?
Red
Bouzeron
100% Aligote
Rully
More white than red
Important for cremant
Mercurey
More red than white
Givry
Mostly red
Montagny
White wines only
Montagny
White only mostly PC
The Maconnais is known for what wine?
Mostly white
Inexpensive regional wines
Macon
Predominantly red some rose
Macon Villages and Macon plus village (Lugny or Solutre)
White only
Named appellation like Pouilly Fuisse, Saint Veran, Vire Clesse, Poiully Vinzelles, Pouilly Loche
Only separate appellations in Maconnais
Growers in Burgundy
Have vineyard holdings and sell grapes or unfinished wine to negociants
Domaines in Burgundy
Businesses that own vineyards and make wine from them that they sell under their own labels
Negociants in Burgundy
Large businesses that buy grapes and/or wines to finish and bottle under own name
Micro negociants in Burgundy
Small businesses that buy grapes from very good and top quality vineyards to make wine under their own label and sell
Co-ops in Burgundy
Predominantly in Chablis the Maconnais and some in Cote Chalonnaise
Export % in Burgundy
50%
Drivers of price in Burgundy include
Name of Domaine - well regarded Domaines fetch high prices for even village wine
Name of Appellation/single vineyard
