Burgundy Flashcards
Burgundy’s vineyards span which four French départements?
Yonne, Côte d’Or, Saône-et-Loire, and Rhône
Not including the vineyards of Beaujolais, how many hectares does Burgundy cover?
30,000 ha
The Côte d’Or winegrowing region itself— Burgundy’s “golden slope”—is a thin ribbon of vineyard extending roughly 60 km from the outskirts of which city?
Dijon, Burgundy then extends downwards from there
In the cote d’Or, how (where geographically) are the vineyards situated?
On the Eastern and SouthEastern limestone slopes
What is the commercial center of the Cote d’Or?
Beaune
Which département is Chablis located in?
The Yonne département
Name three communes in the Grand Auxerrois
Vézelay, Irancy, Tonnerre, and Joigny
Which departement is the Côte Chalonnaise located in?
In the Saône-et-Loire département
The Côte Chalonnaise lies on the western edge of which valley?
The Saône River Valley
What is the capital of the Chalon-sur-Saône department?
Mâcon
Chablis produces the most white wine in Burgundy, which region produces the second most?
The Mâcon
Where is Rock of Solutré located?
The Mâcon.
It is perhaps the most emblematic site in the Saône-et-Loire
When Beaujolais is considered collectively with Burgundy, what percentage of wine is produced from Beaujolais?
33%
1/3
What latitude does Burgundy sit on?
46-48° latitude; the 47th parallel runs right through Volnay
What climate does Burgundy have?
Its inland, northerly location results in a continental to semi-continental climate with four true seasons
What is the average rainfall for Burgundy
30 inches/yr
Which is burgundy’s most planted grape?
Chardonnay approximately 15,000 hectares under vine
In the Yonne, what is Chardonnay known as?
Beaunois
What is the parentage of Chardonnay?
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
What is the second most planted grape in Burgundy?
Pinot Noir
approximately 10,500 ha under vine
Morillon and Noirien are past names for which grape variety?
Pinot Noir
What is Gamay’s full name?
Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc
What is the parentage of Gamay?
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
Where is Aligoté featured as a varietal?
Aligoté is usually employed for varietal white wines, particularly in the commune of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Approximately how many hectares of Sauvignon Blanc are planted in Burgundy?
1500 ha Sauvignon Blanc is planted in the Yonne département in the vineyards of Saint-Bris AOP.
Is Pinot Blanc authorized in AOP wines of Burgundy
Yes
What is a synonym for Pinot Beurot in Burgundy?
Pinot Gris
Name three rare varieties found in the Yonne department.
César, Tressot, and Sacy.
César, a tannic red grape of probable German origin, gives strength and longevity to basic Pinot blends and the reds of Irancy, yet it is only permitted as a minor component in AOP wines. Less than 10 ha remain.
Tressot, a red variety dating from at least the 14th century, descends from Duras and Petite Verdot—rare parentage for the Burgundy region. It is commercially irrelevant, as is Sacy (Saint-Pourçain’s Tressalier grape), a variety authorized only for sparkling wines in Burgundy.
Sacy, like Gamay, Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Melon de Bourgogne, is a Pinot x Gouais Blanc progeny. There is a little Melon left in Burgundy, but it has essentially migrated in whole to its new home in the Loire Valley’s Muscadet region.
What is the average annual production in Burgundy in hectoliters?
1.5 million
What are the four-tiers of the Burgundy appellation system?
Grand Cru
Premier Cru (1er Cru)
Village
Régionale
Régionale wine accounts for what percentage of Burgundy wine production?
50%
Grand Cru wines account for what percentage of the Burgundian wine production?
Less than 2%.
Grand Cru wines only come from the Côte d’Or and Chablis
Premier cru, technically, is not a separate class of AOP; rather, these are legally defined geographic designations for village AOP wines.
What does Coteaux Bourguignons AOP cover?
It covers the same region as Bourgogne AOP but includes Gamay.
Inexpensive blended white and rosé wines are also authorized for the appellation.
What style wine does the Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOP feature?
Field Blends
Red and rosé wines, modeled on the field blends of the past, are produced throughout the Côte d’Or and southern Burgundy as Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOP.
Pinot Noir and Gamay account for a minimum 30% and 15% of the blend, respectively, and the two grapes must be vinified together.
Red Passe-Tout-Grains is far more common than rosé.
Which are Burgundy’s two sparkling wine AOPs?
Crémant de Bourgogne AOP and Bourgogne Mousseux AOP
What type of wine is produced by Bourgogne Mousseux AOP?
Bourgogne Mousseux is an older and rarer appellation reserved exclusively for SPARKLING REDS produced via the traditional method—in fact, once the first sparkling wines appeared in Burgundy in the 1820s, it was not uncommon to see sparkling red renditions of many of the famous crus, like Clos de Vougeot or Chambertin.
Pinot Noir and Gamay are considered the principal varieties in general, although César is considered a principal variety in vineyards of the Yonne département.
When did Crémant de Bourgogne AOP debut?
1975
Crémant de Bourgogne debuted in 1975 as an AOP for hand-harvested, traditional method white and rosé sparkling wines, principally produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Where (in which commune) is Burgundian cremant production concentrated?
Crémant styles may be made throughout Burgundy, but much production is concentrated in and around the commune of Rully in Saône-et-Loire, where Burgundy sparkling wines were born in the early 19th century. There are around 2,000 total hectares—approximately 1/14th of the entire acreage of Burgundy—declared for sparkling wine production annually.
Within the same village, can premier cru Burgundian grapes be blended?
Yes, within the same village
How man grand cru vineyards are in the Core d’Or?
32
Which is the larges and which is the smallest grand cru vineyard in the cote D’or?
Smallest: La Romanée AOP—which, at 0.85 ha, is the smallest AOP in France.
Largest: Corton AOP, comprising 160 ha
Like premier cru wines, can grapes for grand cru wines from the same village be blended?
No.
Grand cru wines in the Côte d’Or must be produced solely from the single, stated vineyard. A blend of Chambertin AOP and Griotte-Chambertin AOP (two neighboring grand cru appellations in Gevrey-Chambertin) could claim neither AOP as its origin on the label, just as a blend of Gevrey-Chambertin AOP and Vosne-Romanée AOP fruit loses the right to display either appellation on the label. In these two cases, the wines would be “declassified” as Gevrey-Chambertin AOP (with the right to a generic premier crugeographic designation) and Bourgogne AOP, respectively.
Which highway runs roughly parallel to the Côte d’Or’s vineyards?
Route Nationale 74—now the D974—a two-lane highway that runs roughly parallel to the Côte d’Or’s vineyards.
Most village vineyards, all but one premier cru vineyard, and every grand cru appellation in the Côte d’Or is located to the west of the Route Nationale 74
What are chevets?
Water Channels
What are murgers?
murgers are piles of rock removed from the vineyards during tilling
What is a climat?
A Burgundian term used to denote “a parcel of vines defined and named to be associated with the wines it produces”; in other words, a single vineyard in Burgundy. But the modern meaning goes a little deeper: as its homonym le climat—also “climate”—signals, the climats of Burgundy draw from the notion of terroir, and become tracts of land whose wines are shaped not only by location, but by other environmental and manmade conditions particular to the vineyard.
What is a parcel?
A parcel is a single contiguous holding within a vineyard, owned entirely by one grower. Often, domaines may hold several different parcels in the same climat; for instance, Domaine Leflaive owns three separate parcels in the grand cru Bâtard-Montrachet.
What does a Clos indicate?
A clos indicates a vineyard enclosed within a stone wall. While there is temptation to assume that these walls were built with foresight of the vineyard’s exactingly prime location, they are basically medieval fences, originally erected to keep animals away from the vines. Today, Clos de Vougeot is the largest and most famous example. In some, like Chambertin- Clos de Bèze, the walls have long since fallen but the name remains.
What do the terms village, commune and hamlet indicate?
The terms village, commune, and hamlet are used throughout this guide. Village is a bit imprecise, indicating one of the many small towns that dot the Burgundy landscape or the wines produced in village appellations. A commune is an administrative unit of local government encapsulating a town and its immediate surroundings. A hamlet is the smallest form of settlement, often included administratively within the commune of a larger neighboring town. For example, Puligny-Montrachet is a village appellation and a commune, whereas Blagny is a village appellation and a hamlet located within the Puligny-Montrachet commune.
What is the Yonne département’s own departmental IGP?
Yonne IGP
How far back does winemaking date in Burgundy?
Over 2,000 years
The 12th century, “Clos de Cinq Journaux”, is which modern day parcel?
Romanée-Conti
Which was the first powerful group of monks to dominate Burgundy?
The Benedictines. The Cistercian Order later eclipsed the benedictines.
In 910, the Benedictines built their motherhouse—the Abbaye of Cluny—near Mâcon, and from there extended their influence throughout Europe. In the 11th century, it was the most richly endowed, powerful monastery in the western world, and its abbots established a network of smaller, subordinate priories—both in nearby Burgundy and as far afield as Italy and Poland.
Who was Philip the Bold to Burgundy?
A Valois Duke that supported Pinot Noir production.
In 1363 the first of four lords of the House Valois, Philip the Bold, claimed the title and took his seat in Dijon. Under the Valois Dukes Burgundy became a powerful, nearly independent state, enlarged through marriage with lands in the Low Countries. To secure his power, Philip the Bold had good reason to promote Burgundy wines—they were a significant economic resource and a symbol of his reign’s prosperity. According to wine historian Rod Phillips (A Short History of Wine), during this period the wines of Beaune “shot from obscurity to being regarded as the greatest wines of France,” and they were shipped from the Côte d’Or to Paris, Italy, and the papal court in Avignon.
His interest in Pinot Noir as the quality red grape of Burgundy is well documented, and in the summer of 1395 he ordered growers to uproot the “disloyal” Gaamez (Gamay), which appeared in Burgundy only a few decades prior, by the following Easter. In the same ordinance, he advocated the planting of Pinot Noir in Burgundy’s ten best vineyards.
When was Hôtel-Dieu founded and by who?
1443, Nicolas Rolin
In 1443 Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of Burgundy under Duke Philip the Good, founded the Hôtel-Dieu (“hospital of god”) in Beaune with his wife Guigone de Salins. One of Burgundy’s most recognizable landmarks today, this charity hospital received sick and infirm poor free of charge, from the 1452 until 1971—when patients were moved to modern hospital facilities and the original Hôtel-Dieu building was restored as a museum.
In 1794—during the Revolution—the Hôtel-Dieu and several other religious charities in Burgundy were seized by the state, carrying their charitable missions forward under a new collective banner: les Hospices Civils de Beaune.
How many hectares does les Hospices Civils de Beaune hold?
Today the domaine holds about 60 ha, making the Hospices de Beaune one of the largest vineyard owners in the region. With its harvests the Hospices de Beaune has, since 1859, held an annual wine auction, occurring on the third Sunday of November
Who are Denis Blaise-Morelot and Jules Lavalle?
Denis Blaise-Morelot created the first real classification in the cote d’Or and Jules Lavalle closely followed with a new classification system.
In 1831, Denis Blaise-Morelot completed the first real classification of the Côte d’Or’s climats, only to be supplanted in 1855 by Jules Lavalle’s seminal classification of Burgundy’s wines and vines. Lavalle’s Historie et statistique de la vigne et des grands vins de la Côte-d’Or became the benchmark classification of Burgundy’s climats in the 19th century, and would inform the development of Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées (AOCs) in the early 20th century. Lavalle’s 1855 map of the climats, refined and completed in 1860, established a quality hierarchy for the Côte d’Or’s climats: tête de cuvée (the best plots, subdivided into two echelons), première cuvée, deuxième cuvée, and troisième cuvée.
When did phylloxera first hit the Cote d’Or?
Phylloxera first struck the Côte d’Or at Meursault, in 1878.
In 1375, Philip the Bold requested a shipment of which type of wine for English and French peace negotiators meeting amidst the Hundred Years’ War?
vermeil Pinot (Pinot Noir)
When was Chablis re-linked to Burgundy?
1477
Charles the Bold perished on the battlefield in 1477, without sons, and legal ownership of the Duchy of Burgundy reverted to Louis XI, King of France. As a result of the reunification of the duchy and France, the wines of Chablis were firmly linked to Burgundy.
In Romanee-Conti, where is the “Conti” derived from?
The Prince of Conti
What historical event caused the monasteries in Burgundy to loose their power and control of the land?
The French Revolution
With the French Revolution (1789-1799), widespread seizures of ecclesiastical and aristocratic lands occurred throughout the country; Burgundy was no exception. The great monasteries of the region lost their lands, as did those nobles related to the house of Bourbon, which lost power when revolutionaries overthrew the French monarchy in 1792. (The Prince of Conti, whose name graces the grand cru vineyard Romanée-Conti, was one such disempowered noble.) These once-vast tracts of vineyards sold at public auction, often passing into the hands of multiple owners. Of course, this system simply replaced old wealth—the clergy and aristocrats—with new money, concentrated in the hands of a new middle class, and the peasants still did the work.
What is Fermage?
Fermage is a simple agreement in which the tenant paid cash to lease the land
What is métayage?
A form of sharecropping
Do Fermage and métayage still exist in Burgundy today?
Yes.
For instance, Domaine de la Romanée Conti leases three separate vineyard parcels in Corton AOP (fermage), and Domaine Georges Roumier farms a parcel in Ruchottes-Chambertin AOP owned by Michel Bonnefond, producing the wine for both labels (métayage). Given the insular nature of modern Burgundy, it is often difficult to determine exactly which parcels are owned and which are covered under one long-term lease or another.
What is Primogeniture? Who eliminated it in Burgundy? When?
Primogeniture, the right of the firstborn son to inherit his family’s entire estate, assured that the aristocracy’s holdings remained intact over generations.
The Napoleonic Code, established in 1804, ended this practice in France
What are the basic difference between Domains and Negociant’s in Burgundy?
In the most basic sense, domaines are the properties of winegrowers who produce wines from parcels that they own—a parallel to estate-bottling in the USA. Négociants, on the other hand, are merchants: they purchase fruit, musts or wines, and bottle the finished product under their own labels. Domaines tend to produce smaller lots of individual wines, particularly at the level of Bourgogne AOP and village appellations, as négociants have the option of sourcing from a number of different growers to amass larger quantities of a blend.
Generally, do wines from domains or negociants command higher prices?
Generally, Domains
Domaine wines may have the greater capacity to both enchant and disappoint; négociant wines may be more reliable from year to year.
Do negociants ever own vineyards in Burgundy?
Yes. They can own property as well as purchase grapes.
Which domain/negociant is the largest landowner in the cote d’Or?
The négociant Bouchard Père & Fils, for instance, is actually the largest landowner in the Côte d’Or, with 130 ha of vines under its control.
Joseph Drouhin, another major négociant house, owns over 70 ha of vineyards stretching from Chablis through the Côte Chalonnaise.
Louis Jadot owns over 150 ha, but like Drouhin not all parcels are within the Côte d’Or.
What are micro-négociants?
small negociants that Vignerons who start their own small-scale négociant operations. Dubbed “micro-négociants” by the press, these ambitious producers may lack the capability to buy additional vineyards, but nonetheless want to expand what may be very limited production. Sourced fruit is typically released under a different label; examples include Domaine de Montille’s “Deux Montille” wines and Domaine Dujac’s “Dujac Fils & Père” project.
When did negociants first appear in Burgundy vineyards?
Early 1700’s
A time when many Burgundy vineyards were still in the hands of lords and the Church, and most wine was still sold through brokers, in barrel rather than bottle.
Which were the first two private merchant houses founded in 1720 in Burgundy?
Maison Champy and Maison Claude Marey
Name a few estates who spearheaded domain bottling in Burgundy in the 20th century?
Marquis d’Angerville Tollot-Beaut Henri Gouges Etienne Grivot Armand Rousseau
When did phylloxera strike Chablis?
1887
When did phylloxera strike Morgon (in Beaujolais)
1874
Did the cote d’or or Beaujolais accept grafting with American rootstock to fight phylloxera first?
Beaujolais. Cote d’Or waited until late 1880’s.
When was the Romanée-Conti Grand Cru vineyard replanted with phylloxera resistant root stock?
Not until the 1945 vintage
The owners of Romanée-Conti, for instance, fought the insect with carbon disulfide for decades, and the Romanée-Conti Grand Cru vineyard itself was not uprooted and replanted on resistant rootstocks until after the 1945 vintage.
What does “en foule” indicate in Burgundy vineyards?
“In a crowd” the reference to pre-phylloxera Burgundy plantings that were not neatly planted in a row.
When vineyards were replanted after phylloxera in the cote d’or what was the primary training method?
Single Guyot method is most common in Cote d’Or
Single Guyot method, a cane-pruning system bearing one cane and one spur. Double Guyot training—cane-pruning with two fruiting canes—is infrequently encountered in the Côte d’Or, but in Chablis it is prevalent (whereas the method named for the region, a cane-pruned system known as Taille Chablis, is much more common in neighboring Champagne than in its area of invention). Cordon de Royat, a system of cordon training—in which the vine retains a permanent arm rather than a one-year-old cane—is also encountered in both Chablis and the Côte d’Or. In the crus of Beaujolais, on the other hand, gobelet training remains widespread
In the cote d’Or what row orientation is pervasive? North to South or East to West?
Most rows in the Côte d’Or run along an east-west orientation, trailing up the slope rather than parallel to it. (Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays and La Romanée are notable exceptions.)
What are Côte d’Or AOP stipulations for vineyard density?
Côte d’Or AOPs stipulate no fewer than 9,000 plants per hectare, and 1x1 meter spacing (10,000 vines per hectare)
What are Chablis AOP density stipulations?
In Chablis, AOP law requires a minimum density of 5,500 plants to the hectare, and spacing between rows has traditionally been wider than in the Côte d’Or—1.5 or 1.65 meters rather than one. However, modern vineyards are being replanted at higher densities, and it is not uncommon now to see 1x1 meter spacing here, too.
When was the earliest known establishment of a cru vineyard in burgundy?
630 AD, Chambertin Clos de Beze
After WWII what harmful farming methods saw widespread use in Burugndy’s vineyards?
19th- and early 20th-century applications of carbon disulfide—a highly toxic, flammable insecticide —to combat phylloxera foreshadowed a much wider adoption of chemical fertilizers, weed-killers and insecticides following the Second World War. Vignerons returned from the battlefield to rebuild alongside the rising popularity of what is now termed “conventional” agriculture—intensive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers and systemic application of insecticides and fungicides. Decades of heavy chemical treatments ensued; pesticides were applied habitually, for instance, without consideration of an individual season’s actual risk.
What is Lutte Raisonnée?
The “reasoned struggle,” lutte raisonnée is a tempered approach to vineyard management wherein the grower limits chemical applications to times of necessity, rather than spraying recurrently. In 2002, the French Ministry of Agriculture defined raisonnée as a sustainable practice that “enhances the positive impacts of agriculture on the environment and reduces the negative impacts, without jeopardizing the economic viability of farms.”
What is Lutte Intégrée?
If, in addition, the vigneron first uses natural alternatives or methods in place of synthetic ones when combatting pests, they are practicing lutte intégrée—the “integrated struggle.” With this approach, vignerons prefer to employ natural copper- or sulfur- based sprays rather than synthetic ones, and may choose sustainable options like sexual confusion—the release of pheromones to bewilder male insects and decrease their ability to mate—or the release of natural predators as a first line of defense against grapevine pests.
What is Lutte Biologique ?
Organic Viticulture
In Burgundy, some producers take it a step further and forswear the option of synthetic applications entirely, choosing to cultivate organically instead. Some do so without any oversight, but others choose to gain certification, through third-party organizations like Ecocert. At the close of 2012, the BIVB estimates between 8-12% of the entire Burgundy vineyard is cultivated organically (or biodynamically); the number grows each year.
Which domaine was the first in the Côte d’Or to adopt a biodynamic approach?
Domaine Jean-Claude Rateau in 1979
Name two burgundy domaines that take a biodynamic approach.
Domaine Leroy Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Domaine Leflaive Vincent Dauvissat Comtes Lafon Comte Armand
Which recent vintages were greatly effected by rot and mildew in Burgundy?
2007, 2011, 2012
What is court-noué?
Grapevine fanleaf virus. A feared viral contagion in Burgundy that causes significant fruit set loss, stunted vine growth, and yellowing and curling of leaves.
What is the greatest bacterial disease effecting Burgundy currently?
Flavescence Dorée - A disease caused by the spread of phytoplasma, specialized bacteria that are parasitic to plant material. Leafhopper insects spread the bacteria from vine to vine; growth slows, berries shrivel, leaves yellow, and the vine itself may die. Currently there is no cure beyond uprooting the vine and starting anew.
What parallel does Chablis lie on?
48th parallel
What are different methods burgundy Vigneron’s employ to combat frost
Chaufferettes (diesel-burning smudge pots, designed to heat the vines at night) first appeared in Chablis vineyards in the 1950s, but the cost of fuel—both to the vigneron and to the environment—remains high.
Aspersion - vignerons spray vines with water, and hope to protect delicate spring buds in a cocoon of ice, which prevents the temperature inside from plummeting further. But aspersion has its drawbacks, too: water must be applied constantly when the temperature dips below freezing, and blocked/frozen pipes can pose a real challenge.
Heating cables - effective, but expensive.
Heating cables run along the vines and keep the bud zone at a safe temperature when switched on.
When vignerons have to replant, what are their options?
Vignerons can replant with a certified clone (sélection clonale) or propagate with cuttings from various existing vines in the vineyard (sélection massale).
Both approaches have critics and defenders. With clonal selection, one knows exactly what to expect from the vine (and, it is hoped, the wine); with mass selection, greater complexity may result from the array of cuttings, but negative traits can be renewed if the grower is careless in the selection process.
What are the current common rootstocks in the Cote d’Or to plant on?
420A and 3309C are becoming more popular today.
Burgundian vineyards used to be planted on riparia root stock? What have they moved away from this rootstock?
Riparia root stock has a low tolerance to active lime. Since tractors and other machines now turn up the soil and activate the lime the rootstock doesn’t do as well.
When did the first true clones arrive in burgundy?
1971
What’s another name of the original Dijon clones of Pinot Noir?
“Bernard clones” for their creator, Raymond Bernard
Who is Henri Jayer and what is he known for?
Henri Jayer is a Burgundian Vigneron known for bringing modern techniques to Burgundy. For example, Jayer always de-stemmed, he believed in minimal intervention with heavy chemicals.
He believed low yields were the way to great wine.
He also invented the cold soak method and was known to refuse to filter his wines
When does cold soak occur?
It occurs prior to fermentation to avoid spontaneous fermentation.
At what temperature and for how long does cold soak happen at?
10-14 degrees celsius
Red grapes are crushed and kept on their skins at cool temperatures (10-14° C) for days—sometimes a week or more—which, alongside prudent sulfur dioxide additions, preclude the onset of fermentation.
According to advocates for cold fermentation, what are the benefits?
Advocates believe the water solution provides a good environment for extracting color, produces less astringent tannins, and enhances the development of fruit aromatics in the wine. The technique mirrors the slow onset of fermentation that occurs naturally in Burgundy’s cool underground cellars, where yeasts take a few days to get moving.
Where is carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration used? What is the difference between the two?
Often used in Beaujolais.
Carbonic maceration uses the addition of carbon dioxide and generally utilizes a lid and semi-carbonic maceration begins under the weight of the existing grapes, creating carbon dioxide and fermentation.
Semi-carbonic maceration is more common and more often used in Beaujolais.
What are typical flavor descriptors of carbonic maceration?
bubblegum, banana, or “pear-drop”
Is chaptalization allowed and common in Burgundy?
Yes - allowed.
Less and less common due to climate change and subtractive must enrichment
What is subtractive must enrichment?
Subtractive must enrichment, a technique illegal prior to 2009 allows the producer to remove water from the must to concentrate the remainder by a maximum factor of 10%.
Is acidification legal in Burgundy?
Yes
Years of heavy synthetic fertilizer use left high levels of potassium in the soil—potassium will raise pH in red wine macerations—and many growers acidified to combat it. As potassium levels slowly ebb with modern interest in soil health and organic viticulture, the need to acidify actually decreases.
What is bâtonnage? Does it occur in Burgundy?
bâtonnage is lees stirring. It happens in Burgundy in both red and white wine production
True or False:
All red Burgundy undergoes malolactic fermentation, as do most white wines in the Côte d’Or and Chablis
True
Are winemakers in the Côte de Nuits or the Cote de Beaune generally more generous with new wood?
Côte de Nuits
Do you typically see new wood elevage in Beaujolais?
No
What is a tonnellerie?
A Cooper, a barrel maker
What is the most common barrel size in the The traditional barrel size employed in the Côte d’Or?
The traditional barrel size employed in the Côte d’Or is the 228-liter pièce; however, producers are beginning to move to larger-format barrels for Chardonnay: 350- and 400-liter barrels are an ever more common sight in cellars.
In Chablis, what size barrel do most producers use?
228-liter pièce
How large are feuillettes?
132 liters
the smaller feuillettes, which hold 132 liters of wine, remain the official unit of measurement for growers selling wine to négociants but are rare in actual wine production. Few coopers even make feuillettes today.
Chablis lies on the banks of which river?
The Serein River
What are the three appellations of Chablis?
Petit Chablis AOP
Chablis AOP
Chablis Grand Cru AOP
How many communes are in Chablis AOP?
17 communes
Approximately what percentage of Chablis vineyards are harvested by machine?
Approximately 95%
How many Chablis grand cru appellations are there?
1
Chablis grand cru AOP
Name the seven official Chablis Grand Cru geographic designations
Blanchot Les Clos Valmur Les Grenouilles Vaudésir Preuses Bougros
What is the minimum potential alcohol for Chablis Grand Cru AOP?
11%
It’s 10% for Chablis AOP
Are the chablis grand cru climats generally harvested by machine or by hand?
Generally by hand. They’re more or less the only Chablis vineyards harvested by hand
What is the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis?
A private organization whose membership controls roughly half of the Chablis Grand Cru AOP acreage.
Which is widely considered the top Chablis premier cru?
Montée de Tonnerre
The southwest-facing Montée de Tonnerre,
a stone’s throw across the narrow Vallée de Bréchain from Blanchot, is widely considered the top premier cru in Chablis, and in the right hands (Raveneau, Patrick Piuze, Billaud-Simon) it surpasses many less ambitious estates’ grand cru output.
What is the primary soil of the Côte d’Or?
Limestone
Limestone, forged during the Jurassic period, is the building block of the Côte d’Or, and its topsoils typically contain some combination of limestone and clay.
If the limestone content is higher it may be termed argillaceous limestone; if lower, the soil is known as marl or calcareous clay.
In Côte d’Or, what are Combes?
Dry, transverse valleys, carved during the last ice age by melt-water and erosion, which today serve as conduits for both cool breezes and hailstorms. Thousands of years of erosion deposited deep alluvial fans of pebbles and stone at the mouths of the combes, diversifying soil makeup. The combes play a large role in the complexity of the Côte d’Or’s terroir.
What is the northernmost and newest appellation in the Côte de Nuits?
Marsannay
Established in 1987 and encompasses approximately 230ha of vines
What 3 communes does Marsannay cover?
North to South:
Chenôve
Marsannay-La-Côte
Couchey
Is red, white, or rose produced in Marsannay AOP?
All three are allowed. It’s the only AOP in Burgundy that allows for producers to choose to produce all three colors of wine
Which is considered the top estate in Marsannay today?
Domaine Bruno Clair
Clair-Däu’s spiritual successor—Bruno Clair is the founder’s grandson and inherited half of the domaine upon its dissolution in 1985—and the top estate in Marsannay today.
In Fixin AOP, which producer is the only current producer putting out a premier cru blanc wine in the region?
Clos de la Perrière
The monopole Clos de la Perrière, a climat whose boundaries cross the Brochon border, is the top premier cru in the AOP, and the only current source of premier cru blanc wines. Domaine de la Perrière, the monopole’s owner, is Fixin’s most ambitious grower today, and looks to return the prized holding to the exalted status it enjoyed in Jules Lavalle’s time, when it was ranked as one of the Côte d’Or’s tête de cuvées.
Which is the largest appellation in the Cote d’Or?
Gevrey-Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin has over 400 ha of vines—not including the grands crus—making it the Côte d’Or’s largest appellation, and the only one apart from Chorey-Lès-Beaune to claim significant vineyard land east of the D974. Only red wines are entitled to carry the name of Gevrey- Chambertin or its grands crus on a label.
Is Gevrey-Chambertin AOP permitted to produce white wine?
No.
How many grand cru AOPs are in Gevrey-Chamberin AOP?
9 Grand Cru AOPs
West of Route des grande cru:
Mazis-Chambertin Ruchottes-Chambertin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Chambertin Latricières Chambertin
East of Route des grand cru:
Chapelle- Chambertin
Griotte-Chambertin
Charmes-Chambertin
Mazoyères-Chambertin
Name two important premier cru vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin
Clos Saint-Jacques and Les Cazetiers
The omission of Clos Saint-Jacques from consideration for grand cru status in the 1930s is almost universally considered an egregious bureaucratic error; wines from one top producer, Armand Rousseau, typically fetch higher sums (and see more new wood) than several grands crus in the same portfolio.
Are Gevrey Chambertin’s wines age worthy?
Yes.
At the top level, Gevrey’s wines are among the most age-worthy examples of Pinot Noir in the Côte d’Or, and the world.
However, the village- level reds can be highly variable in quality due to the commune’s sheer size and the large number of vines planted east of the D974—where they grow on flat ground, with less limestone and water- logged, clay-heavy soils.
Name two reputable domaines in Gevrey Chambertin
Rousseau Fourrier Claude Dugat Denis Bachelet Denis Mortet Joseph Roty Pierre Damoy
Name two reputable domaines in Morey-Saint-Denis AOP
Dujac Ponsot Perrot-Minot Guy Castagnier Hubert Lignier Clos de Tart
What percentage of Morey-Saint-Denis AOP vineyards are classified as either premier cru or grand cru?
50%
Which 4 grand crus are within Morey-Saint-Denis AOP?
Clos de la Roche
Clos Saint-Denis
Clos de Tart
Clos des Lambrays
A sliver of Bonnes Mares is also in Morey-Saint-Deins AOP
Does Morey-Saint-Denis AOP produce only red? Or red and white?
Red and white although white wine production accounts for less than 10% of total production
The premier cru Monts Luisants is an anomaly and allows for which white varietal to be bottled?
Aligoté
In regard to the cote de nuits, fill in the blanks:
_______ is often regarded as _________ antipode: the wines are elegant and “feminine” counterparts to the sturdy, “masculine” wines produced further north.
Chambolle- Musigny is often regarded as Gevrey’s antipode: the wines are elegant and “feminine” counterparts to the sturdy, “masculine” wines produced further north.
What are the two grand crus of Chambolle-Musigny?
Musigny Bonnes Mares (90% of it at least, the other 10% is in Morey-saint-denis AOP
What are the 3 lieux-dits of Musigny?
Le Musigny
Petit Musigny
La Combe d’Orveaux
Which is the only grand cru AOP in Côte de Nuits that is permitted to produce white wine?
Musigny Grand Cru AOP
Name a Chambolle premier cru
Les Amoureuses
Les Fuées
Les Véroilles
Les Cras
Les Amoureuses, is directly down-slope from Musigny, adjacent to the commune of Vougeot. Like Gevrey-Chambertin’s Clos Saint-Jacques, good bottlings of Les Amoureuses are often of grand cru quality. It resembles Musigny, with an impression of weightlessness, and can regularly outperform Bonnes Mares in the hands of a good grower.
Name a domaine in chambolle-musigny
De Vogüé
Georges Roumier
Ghislaine Barthod
Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier.
Name an iconic Burgundian landmark
Château de Clos de Vougeot
The castle stands amidst the
vines of Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru AOP—the building itself is one of Burgundy’s most iconic landmarks, and the vineyard is the most famous walled climat in the Côte d’Or.
Which is the largest grand cru in the Cote de Nuits?
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru AOP - 50 hectares
At 50 hectares, it is also the largest grand cru in the Côte de Nuits, stretching from Musigny all the way down to the D974. It produces four times as much wine as Vougeot AOP.
Why can Clos de Vougeot grand cru AOP wine underwhelm the buyer?
There is so much variation within the vineyard.
Within the 50 hectares there are 82 owners, numerous variations in soil, and an almost flat grade—its lower sector nearest the road is riddled with depressions that collect standing water—do not inspire confidence in the buyer who must purchase Clos de Vougeot blindly, and one must assume that, absent its famed wall, the Clos de Vougeot would likely have been divided among grand cru, premier cru, and even village land.
Does Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru AOP produce white wines?
No, it only produces red wines.
However premier cru and village Vougeot can produce both white and red
Name 3 Vosne-Romanee AOP domaines
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Domaine Leroy Comte Liger-Belair Sylvain Cathiard Méo- Camuzet
How many grand crus are in Vosne-Romanée AOP?
6
Of the 6 Vosne-Romanée AOP vineyards, how many are monopoles? Which are they?
4
François Lamarche is the sole owner of La Grande Rue
Comte Liger-Belair owns La Romanée
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti possesses both La Tâche and Romanée-Conti.
How large is Romanée-Conti?
1.8ha
When was Romanée-Conti replanted after phylloxera?
Romanée-Conti was the last vineyard in Burgundy replanted after phylloxera. Its was replanted in 1946
Who owns La Romanée?
Comte Liger-Belair
How large is La Romanée?
.85ha - The smallest AOP in France
Name all 6 Vosne-Romanee grand cru vineyards
La Tache - Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romance-Conti - Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Grand Rue - François Lamarche La Romanée - Comte Liger-Belair Richebourg Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Which domain owns the largest single parcels in both Richebourg and Romanée-Saint-Vivant?
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
Name the 2 grand crus in the Flagey-Echézeaux commune
Echézeaux and Grands-Echézeaux
Who is the largest land owner in both Echézeaux grand cru AOP and Grands-Echézeaux grand cru AOP?
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
Name 2 premier crus in Vosne-Romanee
Les Suchots Les Beaux Monts Les Petits Monts Aux Malconsorts Cros Parantoux
Which is the largest commune by population in the Cote de Nuits?
Nuits-Saint-George
What are tonnelleries?
Cooperages
How many premier crus are in the Nuits-Saint-Georges
41
Does the Nuits-Saint-George commune have grand cru vineyards? If so, how many
No grand cru vineyards but 41 premier cru vineyards
Name three Nuits-Saint-George premier crus
Les Saint-Georges and its neighbors, Les
Cailles and Les Vaucrains
Which is the southernmost premier cru in the Côte de Nuits?
Clos de la Maréchale
Who is Jean-Claude Boisset?
Jean-Claude Boisset is a French vintner and the proprietor of the Boisset Collection. Under Boisset’s leadership, the Boisset Collection operates 24 wineries in California, France, and Canada.
He has amassed a portfolio of Burgundy estates and négociants under his family’s umbrella of brands, and created Burgundy’s largest wine empire.
How many hectares is the Corton Grand Cru AOP?
160 hectares
Does the Corton Grand Cru AOP produce red, white or both?
Both
Which are the two grand cru white wine vineyards within Corton Grand Cru AOP?
Corton-Charlemagne AOP and Charlemagne AOP
the 10.75-ha Le Clos du Roi is a climat within which commune?
Aloxe-Corton
Who is the largest landowner in both Corton and Corton Charlemenge?
The négociant house Louis Latour
how many premier crus are in Aloxe Corton AOP?
14
In Savigny-Lès-Beaune AOP 300 of its 350 ha’s are planted with which grape?
Pinot Noir
The reds tend to be light and pure; however, there is a set of northeast-facing premiers crus adjacent to Beaune on the Mont Battois hillside, wherein the wines often attain a more tannic, tougher bite
Name two Savigny-Lès-Beaune AOP premier crus
Aux Serpentières and Les Vergelesses
Name two leading domains in Savigny-Les-Beaune AOP
Chandon de Briailles and Simon Bize
What city is the commercial center of Burgundy?
Beaune
Beaune is second only to _______ in ha under vine in the cote d’Or
Gevrey-Chambertin
How many premier crus does Beaune AOP have?
42
Name three Beaune AOP premier cru vineyards
Les Bressandes
Les Grèves
Les Teurons
What is the ATVB?
Burgundy’s clonal research facility
Does Pommard AOP permit only white wine or only red wine?
Only red wine - pinot noir
Which stream bifurcates Pommard AOP?
Dheune stream
Comte Armand and Domaine de Courcel are exemplary domaines located in which village?
Pommard
What is the name of Comte Armand’s 5.2 ha monopole?
Clos des Epeneaux
Les Grands Epenots and Les Petits Epenots or premier cru vineyards located where?
Pommard
Les Rugiens Bas is considered an exceptional vineyard in which village?
Pommard
How do the wines of Pommard AOP and Volnay AOP differ from each other?
Pommard is more robust, tannic, and powerful, akin to Gevrey-Chambertin. Volnay wines are more elegant and aromatically sophisticated, akin to Chambolle-Musigny
Name two of Volnay’s best sites
Les Caillerets, Champans, Clos des Chênes, and Taillepieds
120 of Volnay’s 205 ha of vines are rated premier cru; unusually, most lie below the village itself, between Volnay and the D974. Volnay’s best sites—Les Caillerets, Champans, Clos des Chênes, and Taillepieds—are at the southern end of the commune, on the hillside toward Monthélie and Meursault.
Volany has vineyards named in reference to dukes - Clos de Ducs and Clos du chateau des ducs. Why is this? What effect did royalty have in the Volnay region?
The Capetian Dukes of Burgundy (a line of lords preceding the Valois Dukes) built a château in Volnay in the 11th century, and maintained extensive land holdings around the village. Vestiges of the ducs’ castle and rule remain in premier cru names today—Clos des Ducs, Clos du Château des Ducs—but the King of France inherited their lands after the death of Valois Duke Charles the Bold in 1477. Thereafter and throughout the ancien régime, Volnay wines graced royal tables.
Name two of Volnay’s best sites
Les Caillerets
Champans
Clos des Chênes
Taillepieds
Volnay’s best sites—Les Caillerets, Champans, Clos des Chênes, and Taillepieds—are at the southern end of the commune, on the hillside toward Monthélie and Meursault.
Does Monthélie AOP produce more reds or whites?
Reds
In Auxey-Duresses AOP, which are the two top performing vineyards?
Climat du Val & Clos du Val
Climat du Val—the only vineyard in the Côte d’Or that actually has the word climat in its name—and the 0.9-ha Clos du Val enclosed within it.
In Auxey-Duresses AOP, white wines account for what percentage of production?
About 33% or 1/3
Who is the most famous producer in Auxey-Duresses AOP?
The most famous producer in the village is Maison Leroy, the négociant arm of Domaine Leroy.
From Ladoix through Monthélie, the Côte de Beaune vineyard is a sea of red grapes, with occasional rafts of Chardonnay; at Meursault, that trend _______
Abruptly changes
Here, only a dozen of the village’s 400 ha of vineyards are allocated to Pinot Noir.
Name three Mersault domaines
Coche-Dury Guy Roulot Comtes Lafon Patrick Javillier Jacques Prieur Pierre Morey
Describe classic Mersault white wine
Classic Meursault white wine is rich—almost fat—on the palate, with a nutty, buttery, honeyed spectrum of flavors and a softer acidity than exhibited in Puligny-Montrachet. Meursault has a lower water table than either Puligny or Chassagne, resulting in greater underground cellar space—a fact many sources credit for Meursault’s classically oxidative and wood-framed style
How many grand crus are in Mersault?
0
What is considered Mersault’s most important climat?
Perrières
(Its name, meaning stone, signifies the site of an old quarry.) The vineyard encompasses Albert Grivault’s monopole Clos des Perrières—for which the domaine has been seeking grand cru status—and adjoins two other outstanding premiers crus in Meursault, Les Charmes and Les Genevrières. All sit below 300 meters in elevation on the hillside south of town, alongside Porusot and Les Gouttes d’Or.
Blagny 1er Cru AOP located in Mersault covers red or white wine?
Red
On the Volnay border there is a small cluster of premiers crus; three of them—Les Santenots du Milieu, Les Santenots Blancs, and Les Plures - if they are red what are they labeled as, if they are white, what are they labeled as?
Red - Volnay 1er Cru AOP
White - Mersault 1er Cru AOP
In Mersault, what percentage of vineyards account for premier crus?
25%
Comtes Lafon’s monopole _______ is an important lieu-dit site in Meursault
Clos de la Barre
Comtes Lafon’s monopole Clos de la Barre is an important lieu-dit site—it’s the domaine’s backyard—as are Le Tesson and several vineyards on the slope above Les Genevrières and Porusot, including Les Tillets, Les Narvaux, and Chaumes de Narvaux.
When was Chaumes de Narvaux planted?
The late 1990’s
Chaumes—meaning scrubland—is among Meursault’s newest vineyards, cleared and planted in the late 1990s.
Blagny is a hamlet within which commune?
Puligny-Montrachet
Its vineyards are technically divided between Puligny and Meursault, and white grapes are labeled under those better-regarded, better-known appellations. Red wines, on the other hand, are released under the rare Blagny AOP.
Is Puligny-Montrachet AOP permitted to produce red wine?
Yes.
But it’s incredibly minimal. For example, in 2012 of the 11,608 total hectoliters of wine produced, only 35 hl were red
How many hectares does Puligny-Montrachet AOP cover in the Montrachet Grand Cru AOP vineyard?
4 of the 8 has
Which are the 4 grand crus in Pulgny-Montrachet AOP
Montrachet Grand Cru AOP
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOP
Chevalier-Montrachet
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Montrachet Grand Cru AOP faces ______
South East
How many premier crus are located in puligny Montrachet?
17
The most impressive are those adjoining the grands crus themselves: Le Cailleret, Les Demoiselles, and Les Pucelles. Le Cailleret and Les Pucelles, the northward extensions of Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet, could both merit grand cru status—save for a slight twist of
orientation in the former and a moisture-collecting depression in the latter. Two small parcels of Le Cailleret were actually added to Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru AOP in 1939 and 1974, and the rest remains exceptional premier cru land. Les Demoiselles, a climat encased within Le Cailleret, is adjacent to Chevalier-Montrachet and Montrachet itself. Louis Jadot and Louis Latour both bottle a Chevalier-Montrachet “Les Demoiselles”: their parcels in this sector of Le Cailleret constituted the 1939 additions to the grand cru.
Name two domaines based in Puligny Montrachet
Domaine Leflaive
Jacques Carillon
Etienne Sauzet
Paul Pernot.
Who owns the largest parcel of Montrachet at 2 acres?
The Marquis de Laguiche owns the largest parcel of Montrachet—2 hectares, or 25% of the total vineyard, all on the Puligny side.
Many village vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet AOP are characterized by which type of soil, better suited for red wine than white?
Clay soils
Name the three grand crus of Chassagne-Montrachet AOP
Montrachet Grand Cru AOP (shared with Puligny-Montrachet)
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOP (shared with Puligny-Montrachet)
Criots-Bâtard- Montrachet AOP
What percentage of Chassagne-Montrachet AOP’s village wines are planted with white grapes?
About 2/3rds
The basic village white wines, often planted in soils more suitable for reds, can be a mixed bag. In the premiers crus, however, limestone-derived soils become thinner and stonier and the white wines excel.
Which is the only grand cru Chassagne-Montrachet AOP can claim in entirety?
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet (1.6 has total)
Which are the two grand crus that Puligny-Montrachet AOP can claim in entirety?
Chevalier-Montrachet
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Why is much of the Chassagne-Montrachet AOP actually better suited to Pinot Noir than Chardonnay?
The red clay soils that characterize much of the village and lower slopes of the 1er cru vineyards are better suited to Pintor Noir than Chardonnay.
That said, the 1er Crus as a whole see limestone-derived soils become thinner and stonier and the white wines excel.
Although Chassagne-Montrachet lays claim to only 1 grand cru vineyard in entirety, how many 1er cur vineyards does it claim?
55 1er crus that cover 150 has
Many are never seen on labels, and smaller climats are often sold under the names of larger, more recognizable vineyards.
Name a top producer in Chassagne-Montrachet
Ramonet and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Name a couple Chassange-Montrachet 1er cru vineyards
Morgeot, covering over 50 ha—one- third of the commune’s entire premier cru zone.
Cailleret includes an additional four premiers crus within it
Les Vergers has a couple of subdivisions as well.
Lavalle’s 19th-century selections—Morgeot and Clos Saint-Jean—retain great potential for red grapes, but the best premier cru for white wines in the village is Blanchot Dessus, adjacent to Montrachet.
What percentage of Saint Aubin AOP’s land is classified as 1er cru?
75%
Does Saint Aubin produce red or white wine?
Both, predominately white at this time
In Saint Aubin, which is a top premier cru site?
En Remilly
En Remilly is within shouting distance of Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru AOP
Château de Santenay is the village’s most impressive landmark and was the home to who?
Valois Duke Philip the Bold
In Santenay AOP, what percentage of white wine is made?
Less than 20%
Name (2) 1er Crus in Santenay AOP
Clos de Tavannes (arguably the top climat)
Noyer- Bart
Les Gravières
Name a domaine in Santenay AOP
Roger Belland
Lucien Mazard
What is the primary soil in the Côte Chalonnaise
Weathered limestone and clay
Although the Cote Chalonnaise is similar in soil makeup to the cote d’or how, does it differ geographically?
The area is no longer protected from prevailing winds by the dominating escarpment of the Côte d’Or. The terrain is hilly, but less rugged, and there are plenty of conduits for cool westerly winds; thus, despite being further south than the Côte de Beaune, ripening may be delayed.
Unlike the Côte d’Or, there is no contiguous march of vineyards in the Côte Chalonnaise; vines are broken up amidst various hillsides and communes, and the area’s culture and economy is less dependent overall on the vine.
Name the established village appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise
Mercurey (1936) Montagny (1936) Rully (1939) Givry (1946) Bouzeron (1998)
Does the Cote Chalonnaise produce red, white or rose?
It is permitted to produce all three - red, white and rose
What type of wine does Bouzeron produce?
White wine from the aligote varietal
Where is Domaine A & P Villaine located? What is its specialty?
Bouzeron - white wine from the Aligote grape
Which commune is at the center of Crémant de Bourgogne AOP production today?
Rully
What types of wine does Rully produce?
White and Red
How many acres under vine does Mercurey AOP have?
650ha
Which are Mercurey’s 5 original premier crus (from 1943)?
Clos Marcilly Clos Voyens Le Clos du Roy Les Fourneaux Les Montaigus
How many 1er Crus are in Mercurey AOP now?
32
Dues Mercurey produce red or white wine?
It is permitted to produce both, but in reality, it is a red wine village with 85% of its vines being Pinot Noir
In the Cote Chalonnaise, who owns the monopole premier cru Clos des Myglands?
Nuits-Saint-Georges’ Domaine Faiveley owns over 30 hectares in the village, including the monopole premier cru Clos des Myglands.
Name a domaine based in Mercurey AOP
Château de Chamirey
Bruno Lorenzon
Michel Juillot
Does Givry AOP produce more red or white wine?
Red, predominately red.
The red wines are often sleeker and more charming but a little less tannic and weighty than those of Mercurey.
What are typical descriptors for Mercurey AOP re wines?
As 85% of its vines are Pinot Noir, Mercurey is really a red wine village, producing the firmest and most muscular reds in the Côte Chalonnaise, with greater levels of tannin and new oak than either Givry or Rully can support.
How many 1er crus does Givry have?
Givry has 38 premiers crus, accounting for 100 of its 280 total hectares.
Which estate is widely considered Givry AOP’s top estate?
Domaine Joblot
Which are the 4 wine communes in Montagny AOP?
Buxy
Jully-lès-Buxy
Montagny-lès-Buxy
Saint-Vallerin
What type of wines are permitted for production in in Montagny AOP?
White wine from Chardonnay only
Which is largest producer in Montagny—and the entire Côte Chalonnaise
Cave de Buxy
How many 1er Crus are there in Montagny? What percentage do they make up?
49, 2/3rds of all production
The Mâconnais region is a major producer of white
wines in Burgundy, second in volume only to ______
Chablis
The Maconnais is Chardonnay country. If you do see red grapes in the Maconnais, what varietal would you expect them to be from?
Gamay is more likely than Pinot Noir
What color wines does the Macon AOP cover?
Red, white, rose including varietally labelled Gamay
What percentage of Macon wine is a produced at least the village level?
85%
There are 27 communes permitted to append their name to the Macon AOP designation
The label of “Macon-Villages” can only belong to what color wine?
White
How do Mâcon Chardonnay’s compare to Chablis?
Most Mâcon Chardonnay is fermented and raised in stainless steel, sans shades of oak. In comparison to Chablis it tends to be fruitier and more open, but lacks Chablis’ sharp mineral edge and high acidity.
Which are Macon’s 5 village AOPs? What type of wine do they produce?
Only produce white wine, only Chardonnay
Pouilly-Fuissé Pouilly- Loché Pouilly-Vinzelles Saint-Véran Viré-Clessé
Name the 4 communes of Pouilly-Fuissé
Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson, and Chaintre
Which is the most highly regarded wine region in the Maconnais?
Pouilly Fuissé
Pouilly Fuissé includes the wines of four communes—Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson, and Chaintré—with vineyards rising up the slopes below the Rocks of Solutré and Vergisson, two large limestone escarpments that define the landscape of the southern Mâconnais. The appellation was one of the first white French wines to become a staple on sophistiqué mid-century American tables, and it is the most highly regarded area for winegrowing in the Mâconnais.
Pouilly Fuissé splits which noncontiguous AOP in half?
Saint-Véran
Which is the youngest AOP in the Maconnais?
Viré- Clessé - 1999
Viré- Clessé, joining the wines of two communes under one AOP banner, is the region’s youngest appellation, dating only to 1999
Which were considered good recent vintages for Beaujolais?
2009-2013
What percentage of Beaujolais vineyards are planted with Gamay?
95%
the other percentages come from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
How many AOPs are specific to Beaujolais?
11 AOPs
These include the basic Beaujolais AOP—for which red, white, and rosé wines are authorized —and the ten northern cru AOPs.
How many 1er crus are there in Beaujolais?
10
When is Beaujolais nouveau released?
The third Thursday of November
which AOP covers all 10 Beaujolais crus as well as 38 surrounding communes?
Beaujolais AOP
In Beaujolais, to be named with the stylistic designation “supérieur”, what attributes must the wine have?
Supérieur may be allocated to any red Beaujolais wine that meets a standard of minimum potential alcohol beyond that required for the basic appellation: 10.5% rather than 10%.
That may have been an uphill climb in the 1930s, but the designation really has no relevance to superiority today, perceived or otherwise.
What percent of production to Beaujolais crus account for in all of Beaujolais?
1/4 to 1/3 of total production, depending on the year
Name a couple well recognized lieux-dits in the Beaujolais crus
Côte du Py in Morgon
Les Capitans in Juliénas
La Madone in Fleurie.
There are some well recognized lieux-dits and these do appear on labels. Famous examples include Côte du Py in Morgon, Les Capitans in Juliénas, and La Madone in Fleurie.
Which is the northernmost Beaujolais cru?
Saint Amour AOP
It is adjacent to Saint-Véran AOP, and it is the only cru located entirely within the Saône-et-Loire département. Saint-Amour, like Fleurie and Chiroubles, usually provides a lighter and less concentrated expression of cru Beaujolais.
Julienas covers 600 has, what producer is responsible for 1/3 of that production?
La Cave des Producteurs de Juliénas
Name two Julienas based domaines
Pascal Granger
Domaine du Clos du Fief
Which is the smallest of the 10 Beaujolais crus?
Chenas at 240 has
Chenas based producers can label their wines as Chenas AOP or _______
Moulin-à-Vent AOP
Which is the longest-lived, most full-bodied, and most tannic Beaujolais cru?
Moulin-à-Vent AOP
Of all the wines of Beaujolais, these are the most frequently confused with those of the Côte d’Or or the Côte Chalonnaise when tasted blind.
Do Moulin-à-Vent AOP wines see new oak?
Yes.
Unlike most Beaujolais, the wines of Moulin-à-Vent may see a noticeable amount of new oak, warranted by the greater power and concentration of the cru.
What type of soil is found in Moulin-à-Vent AOP?
The vines are planted in soft, pink granitic soil (gore) on gently contoured, east-facing slopes in Chénas and Romanèche-Thorins.
Name two producers located in Moulin-a-vent AOP
Négociant Georges Duboeuf
Louis Jadot’s Château des Jacques
Potel-Aviron
What type of soil is found in the Fleurie AOP?
Like Moulin-à-Vent, the soil here is comprised of pink granite, but this cru occupies the steeper slopes of the Mont la Madone, and reaches from 220 meters to nearly 450 meters in elevation.
What is the Fleurie AOP gamay style typically?
Along the Moulin-à-Vent border, in the lieux-dits of Poncié and la Roilette, Fleurie can mirror its neighbor’s style, but most wines in the appellation are quite the opposite: light, elegant, and fragrant. The wine is indeed floral, even if the commune owes its evocative name to a Roman legionnaire rather than vinous prescience.
Name a top producers in Fleurie AOP
Coudert’s Clos de la Roilette
Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois
Domaine Chignard.
Which is the oldest cooperative in Beaujolais?
La Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Fleurie
It produces 1/3 of Fleurie AOP wines
What geographical characteristics makes Chirobles AOP the lightest bodied of the Beaujolais crus?
It’s elevation and corresponding coolness.
It is the highest-elevation cru in Beaujolais (250-450 meters) and the coolest—Chiroubles’ harvest may lag a week behind its neighbors. Its soil composition mirrors that of Fleurie, and its wines are likewise light, soft, and exuberant.
How many has under vine does Morgon have?
Over 1100 ha’s. It is the second largest cru AOP in Beaujolais
What is roche pourrie and where is it found?
In Morgon on the Côte du Py and surrounding hillsides. On the côte itself, wherein many of the appellation’s signature wines are produced, roche pourrie—“rotten rock,” an unusual mixture of iron-rich schist and basalt streaked with manganese—is predominant.
Name two prominent domain’s in Beaujolais
Marcel Lapierre
Jean Foillard
Jean-Paul Thevénet
Guy Bréton
Who and what is Kermit Lynch’s gang of four?
Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Jean-Paul Thevénet, and Guy Bréton—Kermit Lynch’s “gang of four,” who, guided by the philosophies of the late Beaujolais chemist and winemaker Jules Chauvet, were pioneers of natural winemaking in the region, and among the first to remind the world that Beaujolais had something to offer beyond nouveau.
When did Régnié AOP gain AOP status?
1988
Régnié gained appellation status as recently as 1988, joining the wines of two communes—Régnié- Durette and Latignié—under one banner. With 400 ha under vine, Régnié is a small cru situated on pink granite hillsides. Vineyards lie at an average elevation of 350 meters, and wide-ranging southeasterly aspects make for an early-ripening appellation. Régnié wines tend to be aromatic and lively, and are at the middle of the pack in potential quality and body—not as light as Saint-Amour or Fleurie, but lacking the depth and concentration of Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent.
Which is the largest cru in Beaujolais?
Brouilly AOP at 1300 ha’s and six communes, Brouilly is the largest Beaujolais cru, and alone accounts for over 20% of the total Beaujolais cru production
What percentage of Beaujolais cru production does Brouilly AOP account for?
20%
Brouilly AOPs name is derived brûlé—“burnt.” How does this tie to the geography or Brouilly?
Brouilly’s vineyards carpet the broad lower flanks of the Mont Brouilly, an extinct volcano that rises to 484 meters and presides over the landscape of the southern crus.
Where is Côte de Brouilly AOP located in refernce to Brouilly AOP?
Côte de Brouilly occupies the higher and steeper hillsides of Mont Brouilly, and with just over 300 ha under vine it is a much smaller cru than its neighbor, Brouilly AOP. On the higher slopes (300-400 meters), there is less granite near the surface and more schist and grey-blue diorite rock, which colors vineyard soils in the appellation.
Name a producer the exemplifies Côte de Brouilly AOP style.
Château Thivin
The wines, exemplified by Château Thivin, tend to have more definition than those produced at lower elevations.
What is the Grand Auxerrois?
A collection of communes that surround Chablis
Communes of the Grand Auxerrois: Vézelay, Irancy, Tonnerre, and Joigny, pepper the landscape around Chablis. Collectively, these remaining areas are informally known as the Grand Auxerrois—the land surrounding Auxerre, capital of the Yonne.
Another definition: Grand Auxerrois—the land surrounding Auxerre, capital of the Yonne
In Meursault, out of the total 400 ha’s planted, how many are allocated to Pinot Noir?
Only a dozen approximately
From Ladoix through Monthélie, the Côte de Beaune vineyard is a sea of red grapes, with occasional rafts of Chardonnay; at Meursault, that trend abruptly reverses. Here, only a dozen of the village’s 400 ha of vineyards are allocated to Pinot Noir. Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne- Montrachet comprise a triumvirate of sorts—with the possible exception of Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru AOP, these three villages produce the most exemplary white wines in the entire Côte d’Or.
Of Savigny-Lès-Beaune AOP’s 350 has how many are devoted to red wine?
300 ha (pinot noir)
The reds tend to be light and pure; however, there is a set of northeast-facing premiers crus adjacent to Beaune on the Mont Battois hillside, wherein the wines often attain a more tannic, tougher bite.
Of Volnay’s 205 ha’s of vines, how many are rated 1er cru?
120 ha
Where do most of Volnay’s 1er cru vineyards lie? Why is this unusual?
Most of Volnay’s 1er Cru vineyards lie below the village between the village and D974 which is unusual because most top vineyards in the cote d’or lie above the villages on the cotes
Name a domain in Volnay
Marquis d’Angerville (who pioneered domaine bottling) Hubert de Montille Michel Lafarge Henri Boillot Domaine de la Pousse d’Or
Where is Les Rugiens Bas located?
Les Rugiens Bas is likely Pommard’s most exceptional vineyard, and produces its richest wines, archetypes of the appellation’s classic form.
Unfortunately, many wines from the vineyard are labeled simply as Les Rugiens, and may include fruit from the neighboring Les Rugiens Hauts, an inferior and steeper site.
Comte Armand and Domaine de Courcel are exemplary domains in which village?
Pommard
Which is the most planted grape in Burgundy?
Chardonnay
Batonnage is the French term for:
Lees stirring
Bougros is located in which of the following regions?
Chablis
Is red wine permitted in Chablis AOP?
No
Which is the largest grand cru in Burgundy?
Corton Grand Cru AOP
La Moutonne, the 8th unofficial grand cru of Chablis, is shared between Vaudésir and…?
Preuses
Which of the following cap management techniques is traditionally used for Pinot Noir in Burgundy?
A. Pumping juice over the cap of grape skins.
B. Punching down the cap of grape skins.
C. Draining the tank completely then refilling over the juice over the grape skins.
D. Stirring the cap of grape skins in the tank.
B. Punching down the cap of grape skins.
Can 100% Chardonnay may be produced in Beaujolais AOP?
Yes
True or False: Excluding Beaujolais, one out of every five bottles produced in Burgundy comes from Chablis?
True
François Frères is a local Burgundy cooper originally founded in which village?
Saint Roman in the Cote de Beaune
In which year did the Jules Lavalle classification take place?
1855
Les Genevrières is a premier cru in which village?
Meursault in the Cote de Beaune
Which region is Blagny AOP located?
The Cote de Beaune
Blagny is a hamlet in the Cote de Beaune located above (to the east of) Puligny Montrachet
Where is the Solutre AOP located?
The Maconnais (where the Rock of Solutre is located).
Where is Mercurey located?
The Cote Chalonnaise.
It is the best known appellation in the cote chalonnaise and accounts for ~40% of the cote’s red
Where is Brochon AOP located?
In the Cote de Nuits located between Gevrey Chambertin and Fixin
How many liters are in a feuillette?
132 liters
What is Marc de Bourgogne?
A spirit distilled from pomace
The Bonnes Mares grand cru is split between what 2 villages?
Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis
How many liters are in a pièce?
228 liters
Which of the following is NOT a Beaujolais cru? A. St-Amour B. Cheilly C. Régnié D. Chénas E. Chiroubles
Cheilly
