BURGUNDY Flashcards
Just to learn where everything is
What are the 7 wine regions of France?
Champagne
Chablis
Alsace
Loire Valley
Burgundy
Bordeaux
Rhone Valley
Burgundy is comprised of what 5 sections?
- Chablis
- Cote d’Or (Nuits & Beaune)
- Cote Chalonnaise
- Maconnaise
- Beaujolais
Soil types commonly found in Burgundy? Beaujolais?
- Burgundy — chalk, calcareous clay, marl, and limestone
- Beaujolais — granite
What 4 grape variates are found in Burgundy?
- White
– Chardonnay (the main variety)
– Aligoté (small plots) - Red
– Pinot Noir (the main variety)
– Gamay (grown primarily in Beaujolais)
2 normal, 2 weird. one from each category
What are the 4 categories in the french AOP pyramid?
- Grand cru
- Premier Cru
- Village Wines
- Regional Appellations
What is a Clos?
A clos designates a plot of vineyard land traditionally surrounded with drystone walls
Clos Vougeot, a Grand Cru vineyard next to the tiny village of
Vougeot, is the most famous example.
What are the 4 AOP’S for Chablis?
- Chablis AOP
- Petit Chablis AOP
- Chablis Premier Cru AOP (only 40 vineyards)
- Chablis Grand Cru AOP (only 7 vineyards)
– Most have a south/southwest exposure to maximize sunshine
– Les Clos is a top example
Identify the following AOP’s in Burgundy
B-L-VV-L-G
The French word ______ refers to a hillside or slope
côte
The villages and vineyards of the Côte d’Or hug the hillsides. One of the primary
aspects of terroir in this region is the location of the vineyard on the slopes.
Cote D’Or is comprised of which two larger subsets?
- Côte de Nuits to the north
- Côte de Beaune to the south.
Cote de Nuits breakdown
What are the 9 Major Village AOP’s in Cote de Nuits?
– Marsannay
– Fixin
– Gevrey-Chambertin
– Morey-St. Denis
– Chambolle-Musigny
– Vougeot
– Vosne-Romanée
– Flagey-Echézeaux
– Nuits-Saint-Georges
What is the Appellation Hierarchy for Cote de Nuits region? (6)
- Bourgogne AOP
- Bourgogne Cote d’Or AOP
- Cote de Nuits-Villages AOP
- Village AOP (9 major villages)
- Premier or 1er Cru AOP (specific vineyards 130 in Nuits)
- Grand Cru AOP (24/33 in Burgundy are located here)
Note: As this goes 1-6, things get more and more specific to a place.
Côte de Beaune overview
What are the 7 best known Village AOP’s in Cote de Beaune
AC-B-P-V-M-PM-CM
Marsannay AOP Style
Red Wines:
Rosé:
Marsannay AOP
Red Wines: Fresh and approachable, with bright red fruit flavors (cherry, raspberry, cranberry), moderate tannins, and a slight earthiness. Typically lighter in style than other Côte de Nuits wines.
Rosé: The only village in the Côte de Nuits to produce significant rosé, offering fresh red berry flavors and vibrant acidity.
red: fresh and bright, cherries, raspberry and cranberry. Med tannin, some earthiness but a typically light style than other nuits.
Fixin AOP Style
Red Wines:
Fixin AOP
*Red Wines: *Rustic and robust in their youth, with earthy notes, black cherry, and sometimes hints of forest floor or mushrooms. These wines tend to soften and develop finesse with age, revealing more complexity.
red: Rustic, robust, earth forward with black cherries and forest floor/shroom thing. Soften over time but bold up front
Gevrey-Chambertin AOP Style
Red Wines:
Gevrey-Chambertin AOP
*Red Wines: *Bold, structured wines with concentrated black fruit (blackberry, black cherry), earthy undertones (truffle, underbrush), and firm tannins. Often exhibit animalistic or gamey notes with age. Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines like Chambertin and Clos de Bèze are exceptionally powerful, elegant, and long-lived.
Big, Bold and structured, feature darker fruits with earthy undertones. Firm tannins, with a bit of animal/gamey notes when aged.
Note: seeing that earthiness is increasing as we go down from Marsannay - fixin - to gevery
Morey-Saint-Denis AOP Style
Red Wines:
Morey-Saint-Denis AOP
Red Wines: A balance between the power of Gevrey-Chambertin and the elegance of Chambolle-Musigny. Red and dark fruits (cherry, plum) with floral aromas and a hint of spice or minerality. The Grand Crus (e.g., Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays) exhibit exceptional depth and complexity.
Powerful but elegant, both red and dark fruits, with added floral notes, some spice and minerality exist. (you get more of the limestone popping out in this AOP = precision and acidity)
Chambolle-Musigny AOP
Red Wines: Renowned for their elegance, finesse, and silky texture. Predominantly red fruit (strawberry, raspberry) with floral notes (rose, violet) and subtle minerality. The Grand Cru Musigny produces some of the most delicate and ethereal wines in Burgundy.**
Elegant, finesse, silky: lighter red fruits with more floral notes than MSD, minerality takes a step down here from MSD.
Vougeot AOP Style
Red Wines:
White Wines:
Vougeot AOP
Red Wines: Home to the iconic Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which can range in style depending on the producer. Typically shows earthy, structured characteristics with black fruits, firm tannins, and a long aging potential. Slightly less refined compared to neighboring Grand Crus.
White Wines: Rare, but those produced are rich and full-bodied with stone fruit, floral, and nutty notes.
Can vary: earthy, structured with black fruits, firm tannin and huge aging potential. Can tend to be a bit less trustable than other grand cru (B.E.A.T: black fruit.earth.aging potential. tannin)
Vosne-Romanée AOP Style
Red Wines:
Vosne-Romanée AOP
Red Wines: Widely regarded as the pinnacle of Burgundy, these wines are complex, sensual, and harmonious. Flavors include ripe red and black fruits (cherry, blackberry), exotic spices (cinnamon, clove), and a silky texture with a long finish. Iconic Grand Crus include Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Richebourg, Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux
Tends to be the pinacle of burgundy, complex and sensual, the flavors are harmonious. Ripe red and black fruits (cherry, blackberry), exotic spices (clove, cinnamon) silky texture + long finish. pleasant acidity and undertones of toast, tobacco, and vanilla
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOP Style
Red Wines:
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOP
Red Wines: Structured and bold, with darker fruit profiles (blackcurrant, black cherry), earthy and spicy notes (licorice, clove), and firm tannins. Wines from the northern part of the appellation are softer and more elegant, while those from the south are more muscular and robust.
Structure, Bold, Dark fruits, earthy and spice notes (licorice, clove) with firm tannin. Northern styles: softer, Southern: more Muscular and robust
Short compare and contrast of the Cote de nuit AOP’s
- Marsannay and Fixin are almost opposites (bright and vibrant red fruits compared to bold tannins and darker fruits, a hint of spice on the back end these need time to age in bottle)
- Gevery-Chambertin and Chambolle-musigny lay at different ends of the spectrum (Gevery is big and bold, tannic with dark fruits leading the way, anamalie and forest floor are leading components, while Chambolle has finesse, floral notes and is readily approachable, more of a red fruit style)
- Morey-St. Denis: finds itself rightfully between Gevery and Chambolle: finesse and elegance with the tannic structure that aligns more with Gevery, but long finishes and a mix of red and black fruits.
- Vouges: tends to be hit or miss, a bit of its own deal. Black fruits, earthy like Gevery with big aging potential and tannic structure for days.
- Vosne-Romanee: the tip of the spear for burgundy wines: finesse, elegence, with excellent finish and a balanced ripe feel. Some of the most exculsive reds within burgundy.
- Nuit St. George: the northern ones tend to be a bit softer, while the southern ones age better due to stronger tannic structure. You still get cloves, but now Licorice is a leading profile.
Ladoix AOP Styles
White Wines:
Red Wines:
Ladoix AOP
White Wines: Fresh, with vibrant acidity and citrus notes, complemented by minerality and floral nuances, Golden color, plum, ripe apple, fig, spiced pear. Lively but firm. Mellow out with time
Red Wines: Elegant, with red cherry, raspberry, and earthy tones, often lighter in structure compared to other Côte de Beaune reds. nose: strawberry, cherry jam, coffee and cocoa.rounded red wine
white: Vibrant, Citrus, Mineral and floral (VCMF)
red: Red fruits, Elegant, Earthy, Light
(REEL)
Aloxe-Corton Styles
Red Wines:
Aloxe-Corton
Red Wines: Dark color, crimson-garnet, small red fruits (rasp, strawb) + black fruits (blk currant and blk berry), Peony and jasmine florals, brandied fruits, leather, truffle, mushroom and cinnamon. Full bodied but refined, tender and fruity. 3-5 yrs in cellar is peach. Pleasant tannins
Red/Black fruits, Jasmine and Peony, Brandied fruit with earthy leather, mushroom and cinnamon. Full but refined.
R/B. J/P. FT
Beaune AOP Styles
Red:
Beaune AOP Styles
Red: this wine has a striking and vivid colour - a luminous scarlet, introducing aromas of black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry) and red (cherry, gooseberry), as well as humus and underbrush. When older, it is redolent of truffle, leather, and spices. In youth, it charms the palate with the taste of crunchy fresh grape. Firm, upright and full of juice, it evolves with time, revealing a solid and absolutely convincing structure.
White: this wine boasts a silky gold colour, flecked with green. It has a bouquet of almond, dried fruits, bracken, and white flowers. It may be enjoyed either young “on the fruit” or later for its mouth-filling mellowness.
Small differences appear, depending on the exact location. Wines from th
Red: Black/Red fruit aromas, underbrush, young: fresh grape, firm and uptight evolves as it ages. Convincing structure
White: Almond, dried fruits and white flower aroma, mellow as it ages
Pommard AOP Style
Red:
Pommard AOP
Red: Beware of preconceived notions! The fame of Pommard in the 19th century earned it the image of a wine that is both forceful and virile. In reality, time, terroir and methods of vinification have all combined to create a more subtle reality, a wine that is both richer and more sensitive. Its colour is the deep, dark red with mauve highlights which caused Victor Hugo to speak of it as “night in combat with day”. Its aromas are redolent of blackberry, bilberry, or gooseberry, cherry pit and ripe plum. Often, wild and feline notes develop with age. At full maturity, it tends towards leather, chocolate and pepper.
It needs to be given time to open up to its fullest extent and to display its mouth-filling texture, its firm but delicate structure, its fruit-filled mouth, and its chewy tannins, which by then will be properly smoothed down. A “rich” wine ? Certainly.
Deep color: blackberry and gooseberry aromas, ripe plum, anamalie notes, leather and chocolate at full maturity Chewey tannin
Cote Chalonnaise Overview
Cote Chalonnaise AOP’s
BR-MGM
(maire-cuhr-ray)
Are there any Grand Cru’s in Cote Chalonnais?
- No there are many premier cru but not a single grand cru
Are Cote Chalonnais more value wines compared to Cote d’Or AOP’s?
- Yes, less expensive with excellent value.
Grapes produced by each Village in Cote Challonaise
Compare and contrast: Ladoix, Aloxe-corton, Beaune and Pommard
- Ladoix (light ladoix) easy going citrus, minerality forward whites with floral notes (appears to be the theme of Cote de beaune) the reds follow this lighter theme, soft red fruits, elegant and easy going (reminds me or marsannay)
- Aloxe-Corton takes a deeper dive into rich feel, Brandied cherry darker wine, earthy/mushroom feel but still floral Peony and Jasmine are key notes here. Tannin is stronger
- Beaune (bone to pick style) more up tight reds, these need time to rest a bit. Toasted almond feel, big and bold tannin structure higher acidity. Mouthwatering for sure. The whites stay on theme with floral feel
- Pommard: (P for plum, D for depth) Rich style of red wines here, darker fruits with more tannic structure with age these lean towards chocolate and pepper.