Burgundy Flashcards
List these 5 regions from North to South: Beaujolais, Cote d’Or, Chablis, Maconnais, Cote Chalonnaise
Chablis, Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujoiais
Which white wine does this description match?
A white wine that is full bodied, with tropical fruit, peach and melon, and some oak
Pouilly-Fuisse / Saint-Veran
What are the key tasting notes for Chablis?
High acidity, apple and citrus aromas and minerality
Which is the only Grand Cru red wine in Cote de Beaune?
Aloxe-Corton
In Appelation hierarchy
AC Gevrey Chambertin is an example of a what?
Commune / Village wine
In Appelation hierarchy Appelation
Bourgogne Rouge Controlee is an example of a what?
Regional wine
In Appelation hierarchy a wine that comes from the Chambertin Vineyard is an example of a what?
Grand Cru
In Appelation hierarchy
Appelation Beune controlee is an example of a what?
Commune / Village wine
Chablis Grand Cru Vineyards typically deal with the high risk of frost by?
1) Installing sprinklers
2) Being on slopes
3) Having Portland clay soils
1 and 2 only
Marl soils are often popular to grow Pinot Noir in Burgundy. What is Marl?
‘Limestone with Mud’
Rully, Givry, Mercurey and Montagny are all communes from?
Côte Chalonnaise
The climate of Chablis is described as?
Cool Continental
The climate of Cote d’Or is described as what?
Moderate Continental
What is the correct order for Carbonic Maceration?
1) Whole grapes are blanketed in CO2
2) Grapes burst and fermentation by yeast continues off the skin
3) Grape cells produce Alcohol
‘1,3,2’
Pinot Noir accounts for how much vineyard area in Burgundy?
Over a third
As Pinot Noir matures what flavours appear
Earth, game and mushroom
Where are the best Pinot Noir plantings?
In the Cote d’Or, Cotes de Nuits
Chardonnay accounts for how much vineyard area in Burgundy?
Nearly Half
What is the flavour profile of young Pinot Noir?
Red fruit flavours, high acid, low to medium tannin
What are the 3 main weather risks in Burgundy?
- Spring frosts2. Early Summer rain disrupts flowering. Late Summer rain affects harvest Plus wet conditions promote Grey Rot esp P. Noir3. Localised Summer Hail
Where are basic level vineyards largely located?
What are soil conditions?
Flat sites or bottom of slopes
Soil is deeper than slopes and often more fertile
Where are Premier and Grand level vineyards largely located?
What are soil conditions?
Mid slope - less risk of frost
Shallower soil, less fertile (good) and better drainage
Where, in the Cote d’Or are the best Chardonnay plantings
In the Cote de Beaune
For the best Pinot Noirs, how long is ageing in the Cote de Nuits?
16~18 months in barrel with a proportion in new oak
What is the ‘typical’ flavour profile of Beaujolais?
Ripe berries and low tannins
Briefly what are the characteristic differences of Chardonnay from:
North; Chablis,
Central; Cote d’Or,
South; Macon
North, Chablis - Lean, steely, high acid wines
Central, Cote d’Or - The very best from Cote de Beaune offer fab complexity and are expressive
South, Macon - Fuller bodied, riper fruited wines
Name things a winemaker will consider for better Chardonnay
Barrel fermentation
Barrel ageing (typically 6~9 months)
Allowing MLF
Use of lees during maturation
Where are the best vineyards in Chablis located?
On slopes and South facing creating greater fruit concentration
How are lesser Chablis vineyards named?What is the flavour profile of these wines?
Petit Chablis Austere, green fruit and high acid
What are the two main ‘stylistic’ choices for Premier & Grand Cru winemakers in Chablis?
- Ferment or age in Oak = Rounder texture and subtle flavours.
- Ferment and store in Stainless Steel or concrete = Retains pure fruit flavours
The best Cote d’Or vineyards are on slopes, what geophysical feature provides these slopes?
The east side of the Massif Central, provides east and south east facing slopes
The Cote de Nuits is renowned for Pint Noir but it has one Chardonnay Premier Cru, what is it called?
Musigny
From North to South name the 4 key villages in Cote de Nuits
Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Nuits saint-Georges GVVN
What are the Cote de Nuits Villages and what do they produce?
Vineyards in Cote de Nuits that do not qualify for one of the famous village appellations, the ‘others’Produce both red and white
What is Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits?
What impact does their location have on wine style?
‘Hautes’ translates as ‘high’.
Located to the West and higher altitude than Cotes de Nuits.Altitude + greater exposure to winds = wine with less body.
What is Cotes de Beaune most renowned for producing?
Chardonnay
From North to South name the 7 key villages in Cote de Beaune
Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, BP
Volnay, Meursault, VM
Puligny-Montrachat, Chassagne-Montrachat PC
What are the three villages, in Cote de Beaune with the highest reputation for their white wines?
Meursault, Puligny-Montrachat, Chassagne-Montrachat (share the Grand Cru of Montrachat)
What are the Cote de Beaune Villages and what do they produce?
Vineyards in Cote de Beaune that do not qualify for one of the famous village appellations, the ‘others’ Produce both red only
What is Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune?
What impact does their location have on wine style?
‘Hautes’ translates as ‘high’.Located to the West and higher altitude than Cotes de Beaune.
Altitude + greater exposure to winds = wine with less body.
What grapes are grown in the Cote Chalonnaise?
Both Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Give two reasons Cote Chalonnaise is ‘inferior’ to Cote de Beaune to the North?
How does this affect the type of wine produced?
- On hillsides but less easterly
- Higher altitude
Means later harvest and often unreliable producing lighter wines that mature earlier.
What is Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise?
A regional appellation producing both red and white wines
What is the most widely planted grape in Maconnais?
Chardonnay
Generally what are the style of white wines from Macon
Fresh apple, citrus fruit, medium acid and medium body possibly with some creaminess from MLF
What are the two most famous villages in the Maconnais region?
Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint-Veran
What climate aspects help Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint-Veran stand out?
Planted on limestone slopes with east and south-east facing slopes. The slopes act as natural suntraps helping produce some of the richest and ripest Chardonnays in Burgundy. Ripe tropical and stone fruits often with toasty oak flavours
Working from North to South list the key appellations of Côte Chalonnaise
Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Montagny
Working North to South what are the two most respected appellations of the Mâconnais?
Pouilly-FuisséSaint-Véran
List the 4 Human factors of Wine
Grape Growing, Wine Making, Maturation, Market Forces