Burgundy

Question 1

What is the climate like in Burgundy ?

Answer 1

• long patch that stretches over wide area so - climate ranges from cool continental in the north around Chablis to moderate continental further south

Question 2

What are the natural climatic hazards in Burgundy ?

Answer 2

• rain can frequently disrupt both flowering in the early summer - rain can disrupt harvest later in the year - Pinot Noir is particularly susceptible to grey rot, problem if wet growing season - spring frost (particularly Chablis, here as late as May !)

Question 3

How may the natural climatic hazards of Burgundy be mitigated ?

Answer 3

• location of vineyard: premier cru and grand cru are often found mid-slope, as less prone to frost - aspect of vineyard: south or east facing exposure, offering protection from the prevailing westerly winds

Question 4

What is the dominating type of soil in Burgundy ?

Answer 4

• Big variation, as: - many geological faults and - gradual erosion - hillside soils tend to be shallower with better drainage >< soil on flat land deeper and more fertile

Question 5

What are the main grape varieties of Burgundy ?

Answer 5

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but other grape varieties like Gamay and Aligoté are also grown.

Question 6

How does the classic Burgundian Pinot Noir taste ?

Answer 6

1/3+ of Bourgogne, most important in Côte d’Or Red fruit in youth earth, game, mushroom when mature high acidity low to medium levels of tannin 16-18 months of barrel ageing is normal for the best wines (a certain proportion new oak, normally)

Question 7

How does the classic Burgundian Chardonnay taste ?

Answer 7

1/2 of Bourgogne,

Chablis: lean, steely, high-acidity, green apples, citrus, sometimes with a hint of slate and wet stones.

Côte d’Or: fabulously complex, well-balanced, expressive, subtle notes of stone fruit with creamy oak flavours, often small new oak barrels, MLF and lees contact during maturation

Mâcon: full-bodied, riper-fruited, rounded with hints of toasty oak

Barrel fermentation and/or barrel ageing (normally 6-9 months) (some new)

Most wines go through MLF

Can mature in bottle for 10y+ With age develop aromas of nuts and/or mushrooms.

Question 8

Why is Vertical Shoot Positioning chosen in e.g. Corton in Burgundy ?

Answer 8

• light can penetrate the canopy - fruit is unshaded

Question 9

What are the characteristics of a typical wine on aligoté ?

Answer 9

neutral high acidity needs to obtain full ripeness to produce high quality (but these locations are full of PN and Chardonnay, as they are more profitable)

Question 10

What is Chablis ?

Answer 10

• a village appellation - located in the vally of the river Serein - the northern-most part of Burgundy - best vineyards, premier cru and grand cru, southfacing slopes - major climatic problem is frost - sprinklers and heaters used to protect - only Chardonnay permitted

Question 11

What are the characteristics of a typical Chablis premier cru and grand cru ?

Answer 11

• riper, more concentrated fruit (citrus, rather than green apple) than the Petit chablis and Chablis (that can be very austere with green fruit and high acidity) - more body, yet still balanced by - high acidity - fermentation in old oak (giving rounder texture and subtle flavours) or stainless steel or concrete (pure fruit flavours).

Question 12

Why is it favourable to have east and south-east facing hillside vineyards in Côte d’Or ?

Answer 12

Because the Massif Central runs along the western limit of the Côte d’Or and protects it from westerly winds.

Question 13

What are the two parts of Côte d’Or ?

Answer 13

Côte de Nuits: fullbodied, long-lived Pinot Noirs, all red grand crus are produced here (except one) Côte de Beaune (further south): fruitier Pinot Noirs, all white grand crus are produced here (except one)

Question 14

What are the regional appellations in Burgundy ?

Answer 14

Regional (1/2 production). “Bourgogne rouge” and “Bourgogne blanc”, can come from anywhere in the region, usually Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits”, “Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune” and “Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise” are regional appellations from slightly more restricted areas. In Mâconnais, the regional appellations include “Mâcon” for reds and whites and “Mâcon vilages” for whites only.

Question 15

What are the levels of appellations in Burgundy ?

Answer 15

Regional (1/2 production) Commune (1/3 production) Single Vineyard the appellations form a hiererchy based on the quality of the vineyard sites.

Question 16

Give an example of a commune appellation in Burgundy

Answer 16

Chablis Gevrey-Chambertin Normally only the name of the commune is mentioned. If the wine comes entirely from a single vineyard, that is not recognised as a premier cru or grand cru, the vineyard name may appear as well. “Village” may be used instead of commune.

Question 17

What is a single vineyard appellation in Burgundy ?

Answer 17

Premier cru (1/10 of production) or grand cru (1 % of total production) - vineyards hat have consistently made high-quality wines. - if the vineyard belongs to a single owner, it is a “monopole”, normally they belong to different owners.

Question 18

What are the rules for labelling a premier cru from Burgundy ?

Answer 18

• one of the more than 600 premier cru vineyards in Chablis, Côte d’Or or Côte Chalonnaise. - premier cru must be stated on the label - if from a single vineyard, this name may appear as well, if blends from different vineyards, then only premier cru.

Question 19

What are the rules for labelling a grand cru in Burgundy ?

Answer 19

• from the top of the hierarchy of Burgundy appellations - little more than 1 % of the total production - 33 in Côte d’Or - 1 in Chablis - can be recognized by the fact that only vineyard name appears on the label - grand cru must appear on the label

Question 20

From North to South, what are the key villages (the most famous grand cru sites) of Côte d’Or ?

Answer 20

Gevrey-Chambertin Vougeot Vosne-Romanée Nuits-St-Georges

Question 21

From North to South, what are the most famous grand cru sites of Côte d’Or ?

Answer 21

Gevrey-Chambertin: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze Vougeot: Clos de Vougeot Vosne-Romanèe: Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, La Romanée

Question 22

From North to South, what are the key villages (the most famous grand cru sites) of Côte de Beaune ?

Answer 22

Aloxe-Corton Beaune Pommard Volnay Meursault Puligny-Montrachet Chassagne-Montrachet

Question 23

From North to South, what are the most famous grand cru sites of Côte de Beaune ?

Answer 23

Aloxe-Corton: Corton, Corton-Charlemagne Beaune Puligny-Montrachet: Montrachet Chassagne-Montrachet: Montrachet

Question 24

What is Côte de Nuits-Villages ?

Answer 24

• red or white wine - produced in Côte de Nuits, but does not qualify for one of the most famous village appellations.

Question 25

What is Côte de Beaune-Villages ?

Answer 25

• must be red - can come from any one, or a combination, of the villages on the Côte de Beaune (with a few exceptions)

Question 26

What is Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits and Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune ?

Answer 26

• regional appellations - father west of the main strip of vineyards - at a higher altitude than the majority, meaning greater exposure to wind - the cooler climate means that the wines typically have slightly less body and concentration

Question 27

What are the natural climatic differences between Côte Chalonnaise and Côte d’Or and what are the consequences for the style of wine ?

Answer 27

• CC has higher altitude, meaning later harvest and less reliable ripening. - CC vineyard’s aspect less consistently east-facing - CC wines therefore are lighter and tend to mature earlier and are seen as less prestigious than wines from CO

Question 28

What are the 4 village appellations of Côte Chalonnaise ?

Answer 28

Rully: more white than red, important: sparkling wine Mercurey: best reds in CC Givry: good reds Montagny: only whites each has a premier cru, but no grands crus

Question 29

What is Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise ?

Answer 29

• classified as a regional appellation - applies to all wines made in CC from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay

Question 30

What are the main grape varieties of Mâconnais ?

Answer 30

Chardonnay dominates reds on Gamay, plus a little Pinot Noir

Question 31

What covers the appellation Mâcon ?

Answer 31

• a local regional appellation - can be red or white - the better whites show a good balance of fresh apple or citrus fruit, medium acidity and medium to full body. There may be a hint of creaminess from MLF. - the reds tend to be light and fruity and are made for early drinking.

Question 32

What are wines labelled Mâcon Villages followed by the name of a particular village ?

Answer 32

• white wines - generally excellent value for money (e.g. Lugny) - may come from any of the villages, single or in combination - generally similar in style to white Mâcon, but tend to display more ripeness, body and character - the two most famous are: Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran

Question 33

Describe a typical wine from Pouilly-Fuissé

Answer 33

• ripe notes of tropical and stone fruits - matured in barrel => texture and toasty oak flavour - planted on the limestone slopes of Roche de Solutré with east and south-east exposure - some of the richest and ripest Chardonnays of Burgundy