Burgundy Flashcards
What was Burgundy called in the 1st century AD?
Gaule septentrionale
What major change in the 1st and 2nd century AD led to the realization of superior quality that Burgundy vines could produce?
The expansion of viticulture to the hillsides.
Retaining walls are common in Burgundy. What were their original purposes?
To limit soil erosion and delimit individual parcels.
Who drove the progress and evolution of viticulture in Burgundy during the 12th century AD?
Powerful religious and monastic establishments - bishops and monks from Cluny, Citeaux, Bèze, and Langres
What did the bishops and monks in Burgundy during the 12th century AD do to qualitatively advance the region?
Established guidelines for viticulture and winemaking and initiated the search for the best sites.
When did the Cistercian monks have the biggest impact on the development of Burgundy as a wine region? What did they do?
Between 600-1200 AD; They planted vines to ensure supplies of wine for religious offices which included mass several times a day. They also researched the best sites and most appropriate grapes for them. This adapting grape-type to soil was a crucial step towards the modern concept of terroir.
Who is responsible for planting the original vines of Romanée-St-Vivant? When?
Alix de Vergy; 1232 at the monastery at St-Vivant
Who were the two greatest monastic orders of the Middle Ages that were born in Burgundy? When did they arrive on the scene?
Cluny (Benedictines) in 10th century; (Cistercians) in 12th century
What two events led to a change in possession of the vineyards in Burgundy from the clergy and nobility to ordinary citizens?
The French Revolution in 1789 wherein lands were seized by the state and sold combined with the arrival of phylloxera in the 1878-79.
What vineyard hazard plagued the vines of Burgundy in 1910?
Mildew
Who was the Seigneur of Gamay and what did he do? And where did he have this done?
He decided that Pinot Noir be replaced by the more prolific and resistant Gamay in the 14th century. These plantings were mainly on the flatlands that were more fertile as the slope remained largely abandoned.
Who ordered Gamay to be removed from the Côte d’Or and be replaced with Pinot Noir? When?
Philippe le Hardi (a.k.a. Philippe the Bold) in 1365
Which producer has an ancient patch of Aligoté plotted above Clos de la Roche that is classified as a premier cru blanc?
Domaine Ponsot
What two major changes since the 1970’s have helped increase the supply of quality wine at the entry level and returned the vineyards to conscientious and well-funded hands?
First, the better, smaller grape growers have abandoned their link with négoce to make and bottle their own wines. Second, the arrival multinationals with large budgets and deep pockets who are buying estates and/or underperforming négociants.
Who owns Bouchard Pére et Fils?
Henriot
Who owns Domaine de l’Arlot
AXA
Who owns Domaine Engel
Pinault group
What does SAFER stand for, what is it, and how does what they do allow for new blood to permeate the wine scene?
Sociéte d’Aménagement Foncier et d’Etablissement Rural; government organization; has the right to first refusal on land sales with a remit to ensure young vignerons have access to vineyards which they could not otherwise afford. They can intervene to block land transfers too if they feel that they can redistribute land more effectively.
What quote captivates why attention to detail leads to better quality?
“excellence is the accumulation of seemingly inconsequential minor and weightless details, “
In general, standards have risen throughout Burgundy as has the number of sources producing wine at four and five star rating. This can be attributed to what three factors?
1) an increase in technical competence
2) research-driven improvements in resources
3) an increasingly sophisticated and exigent market willing to pay top dollar for serious wine.
What practices in the vineyards of modern Burgundy are contributing to better quality across the board?
Expertise on canopy and soil management, sorting tables with ultra-violet lights to facilitate removal of substandard fruit, and a growing library of quality clones.
What is happening in the wineries of modern Burgundy that is contributing to quality increases across the board?
A more detailed understanding of the fermentation sequence, temperature control of vats to a fraction of a degree, gentler presses, a more thorough understanding of malolactic fermentation and élevage, and sophisticated techniques to better inform racking, fining, and filtration.
What do some vineyards have an excess of due to postwar fertilization techniques?
Potassium
How can vingerons increase concentration in their wines? Remove water?
Bleeding vats of juice; reverse osmosis
When did estate bottling really begin to trend in Burgundy? Who were the original 3?
In the 1930’s by Gouges, Angerville, and Grivot who were openly dissatisfied with the way their wines were being handled by the négoce
What are Combes and what is the difference between those found in the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune?
Combes are dry valleys created 20,000 years ago as a result of glacial activity. More jagged and pronounced in the Côte de Nuits, softer and less dramatic in the Côte de Beaune.
