Burgundy - Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Flashcards

Question 1

Q

What is notable about the vineyard classifications of Burgundy, and the Cote d’Or in particular?

When did the classification begin + become formalized?

What are the classifications based on?

Answer

A

the degree of classification is far more detailed than in other parts of France
medieval monks began the process
current classification was formalized in the 1930s
=> lieux-dits (named places) placed into 4-tier hierarchy
classifications are based on ‘terroir’: soil, aspect + microclimate

Question 2

Q

What are the 4 tiers of the classification system in Burgundy, w/examples for each tier?

What is notable about Grand Cru wines from the Cote d’Or?

What about the Chalonnaise + Maconnais?

Answer

A

• regional or generic appellations:

Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune AOC)
Bourgogne Côte d’Or introduced in 2017

• communal or village appellations:
- Meursault AOC, Gevrey-Chambertin AOC

• premier cru:

Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens AOC
Vosne Romanée Premier Cru Aux Malconsorts AOC

• grand cru:

Richebourg Grand Cru AOC
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOC

For Côte d’Or Grand Crus, wines are only labeled w/ grand cru, not related village (as w/1er crus)

Côte Chalonnaise: classification stops at premier cru
Mâconnais: currently formalizing premier cru status for some of its vineyards.

Question 3

Q

What proportions of total production do the different classification levels in the Cote d’Or account for?

Answer

A

grand cru: 1%
village + premier cru: 47%
regional appellations: 52%

Question 4

Q

Across Burgundy (excl. Beaujolais), how many:

total appellations
grand crus
premier crus
village appellations
regional appellations

are there?

Answer

A

84 appellations
33 grands crus
640 premiers crus
44 village appellations
7 regional appellations

Question 5

Q

What is the difference between the appellation status of premier / grand crus across Burgundy (inc. Chablis) (4)?

Answer

A

Cote d’Or grand crus = appellations in their own right
Chablis grands crus = 1 appellation (Chablis GC) w/ 7 climats
premiers crus = additional geographical denominations related to a village, NOT appellations
if more than 1 premier cru vineyard is used = Village + Premier Cru w/o vineyard name

Question 6

Q

What additional geographic denominations may be included on the labels of Burgundy wines + egs (4)?

Answer

A

• regional appellation + additional GI
eg. general area ( Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOC) or village (e.g. Bourgogne Chitry AOC)

• village appellation + name of a 1er cru vineyard
e.g. Meursault Perrières AOC

• Mâcon + village name
e.g. Mâcon Verzé AOC

• Grand cru vineyard + additional ‘climat’ GI
e.g. Chablis Grand Cru Valmur AOC
Corton-Les Bressandes Grand Cru AOC.

Question 7

Q

How do the sizes of different grands crus in Burgundy vary (3 egs)?

Answer

A

Some appellations = much larger than others
eg. Clos de Vougeot GC = > 50 ha
vs Musigny GC = 10 ha
vs La Romanée GC (smallest) = 0.84 ha

Question 8

Q

Why is the classification system of Burgundy not necessarily a guarantee of quality (3)?

Use Clos de Vougeot as an example to illustrate (4):

Answer

A

Napoleonic inheritance laws (land divided equally between male heirs)
=> majority of Cote d’Or vineyards = multiple owners
=> range of quality can vary wildly, depending on reputation + skill of domaine

eg. : Clos de Vougeot wines often show marked differences btw:
- those made from fruit of the middle / top sections (steeper slope, poorer soils)
- vs. those from the lowest section (flatter, richer soils)
- However, all = ‘Clos de Vougeot AOC’ on their labels.

Question 9

Q

Identify the REGIONAL (1-6) and VILLAGE AOCs (CdN: 7-14 / CdB: 15-25) of the Cote d’Or:

Answer

A

Grand / Premier Crus
Cote de Nuits
Hautes Cotes de Nuits
Cote de Beaune
Hautes Cotes de Beaune
Bourgogne
Marsannay
Fixin
Gevrey-Chambertin
Morey-St-Denis
Chambolle-Musigny
Vougeot
Vosne-Romanée
Nuits-St-Georges
Aloxe-Corton
Beaune
Pommard
Volnay
Auxey-Duresses
St-Romain
St-Aubin
Meursault
Puligny-Montrachet
Chassagne-Montrachet
Santenay

Question 10

Q

In general, what does the classification of vineyard reflect?

What general 4 categories can this fall into + 1 major division?

Answer

A

In general: classification reflects the location of vineyards + position on the slope

Flat land beyond the top of the slope (generic apps)
Mid-slope (GC + PC vineyards)
Lower parts of slopes (Village level)
- —– D974 roadway separates Village from Generic ——-
Flat land at bottom of slope (generic)

Question 11

Q

Vineyards located on the flat land beyond the top of the Cote d’Or are typically classified as:

Why are they classified so (4), and what effects do these factors have on wine / grape growing (2)?

What about the bottom of the slope?

Answer

A

flat land beyond top = generic appellations eg. Hautes Côtes de Beaune / Hautes Côtes de Nuits
higher altitude
lack of weather protection
poorer sunlight interception
richer soils (more vine vigour)
=> wines = less concentrated and structured than those in the Côte d’Or
=> can struggle to ripen in cooler years
flat land at bottom of the slope = generic Bourgogne appellation

Question 12

Q

Cote de Nuits

Specializes in + contains:

What does the name of a village reflect (2)?

Answer

A

specialises in Pinot Noir (some white also made)
contains many celebrated grands + premiers crus
hyphenated names of the villages celebrate the grand cru vineyard connected to the village
e. g. Gevrey- Chambertin = village of ‘Gevrey’ + ‘Chambertin’ Grand Cru

Question 13

Q

Identify the 6 most important villages of the Cote de Nuits, what types of wine are made, and egs. of important GC or PC vineyards:

Answer

A

*Gevrey-Chambertin AOC** –
Red wine only
largest village in Côte de Nuits
includes GCs of Charmes Chambertin + Chambertin Clos de Bèze (and more)
*Morey-Saint-Denis AOC** –
Almost exclusively red wine (small % of white)
includes GCs of Clos de Tart + Clos de la Roche
*Chambolle-Musigny AOC** –
Red wines only at village level
White + Red can be made under Musigny GC
includes GCs of Bonnes Mares (shared w/MSD) + Musigny
*Vougeot AOC** –
Red + White wins at Village level
village = tiny
includes Clos de Vougeot GC, which is much larger than the village appellation.
*Vosne-Romanée AOC** –
Red wine only
includes some of the most famous grands crus, eg. La Tâche + Romanée-Conti
*Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC** –
Almost exclusively red wine (small % of white)
no grands crus
a number of important 1er crus eg. Les Saint-Georges and Les Vaucrains.

Question 14

Q

As demand and prices for Cote d’Or wines have increased, what has occurred (2)?

2 specific egs?

Answer

A

skill in grape growing + winemaking has also increased
other, less famous villages have become popular for more accessibly priced wines

e.g. Marsannay (more red or rosé than white) and Fixin (mainly red).

Question 15

Q

Trio of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny:

Location

Types of wine made + Grand Crus (4)?

Answer

A

3 villages are clustered round the hill of Corton

villages + premiers crus = mostly red wines
most famous vineyard, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru = only white
the large Corton Grand Cru AOC has many lieux-dits
mostly Pinot Noir, but can produce Chardonnay.

Question 16

Q

Identify the 7 most important villages of the Cote de Beaune (south of the Corton hill), what types of wine are made, and egs. of important GC or PC vineyards:

Answer

A

*Beaune** AOC –
Predominantly red, but some white.
1er Crus include Clos des Mouches and Les Grèves.
*Pommard AOC** –
Red wines only
prestigious 1er crus include Les Rugiens and Clos des Épeneaux.
*Volnay AOC** –
Red wines only
prestigious 1er crus include Clos des Chênes and Les Caillerets.
*Meursault AOC** –
Mostly white (tiny % red)
1er crus including Perrières and Genevrières.
*Puligny-Montrachet AOC + Chassagne-Montrachet AOC** – - Virtually all wines are white, but some red is made
shared btw/ them = most celebrated white grands crus of Burgundy, eg. Le Montrachet AOC, Bâtard-Montrachet AOC, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, etc…
*Saint-Aubin AOC** –
Mostly white wines (some red)
1er crus include Sur le Sentier du Clou and En Remilly.

Question 17

Q

Due to rising prices of Cote de Beaune wines, what have consumers been seeking out?

3 egs?

Answer

A

consumers seeking better value from next tier of village appellations

eg. St Romain AOC (mainly white)
Auxey-Duresses AOC (mainly red)
Santenay AOC (mainly red)

Question 18

Q

Cote Chalaonnaise AOC

Types of wine produced:

What positive factors are working in this region’s favor (2)?

What can wines be labeled as (2)?

Answer

A

more red than white wine
village + premier cru wines have risen in quality in recent years
wines can be excellent value vs Cote d’Or wines

regional appellation = Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise AOC
(frequently labeld as Bourgogne AOC)

Question 19

Q

Cote Chalonnaise AOC

What is the current ‘cru’ status of the region?

Where are the top vineyards located, and what is the effect on resultant wines (3)?

Answer

A

substantial number of premier crus, but no grand cru
1er Crus = usually on the warmest, south-, south-east and east-facing slopes (good sunlight interception)
well- drained limestone soils
=> producing riper fruit + wines of higher quality.

Question 20

Q

Identify the 5 villages of the Cote Chalonnaise (N-S), the types of wine produced and the prominence of 1er crus:

Answer

A

*Bouzeron AOC** –
100% Aligoté only
regarded as the finest region for Aligoté
*Rully AOC** –
more white than reds
1er crus for both (~1/4 of land is 1er cru)
also an important area for Crémant de Bourgogne production
*Mercurey AOC** –
largest producer of communal appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise
significantly more red than white
~1/4 = classified as premier cru
*Givry AOC** –
Mostly red wines (but also white)
> 40% 1er cru.
*Montagny AOC** –
White wines only
2/3 = 1er cru.

Question 21

Q

Identify the communal appellations within the COTE CHALONNAISE (1-5) and MACONNAIS (6-10):

Answer

A

*Cote Chalonnaise:**
1. Bouzeron
2. Rully
3. Givry
4. Mercurey
5. Montagny
*Maconnais**:
6. Viré-Clessé
7. Pouilly-Fuissé
8. Saint-Veran
9. Pouilly-Loché
10. Pouilly-Vinzelles

Question 22

Q

What are the 3 types of AOCs found in the Maconnais, in approximate order of quality (worst - best), and what types of wine can they make?

egs. please:

Answer

A

*Mâcon AOC** –
predominantly red (or rosé) wines (small amount of white)
*Mâcon-Villages** / Mâcon-plus named village
(e.g. Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Solutré, Macon-Bussieres)
white wines only

Named village appellations –
**all white wines only**
Pouilly-Fuissé AOC
Saint-Véran AOC
Viré-Clessé AOC
+ much smaller Pouilly- Vinzelles AOC / Pouilly-Loché AOC
- currently the only separate appellations in the Mâconnais

Question 23

Q

Why are the wines of named villages in the Maconnais able to achieve higher quality levels than those of generic Macon AOC status (2)?

Which AOC is especially noteworthy?

What significant development recently occured regarding these wines?

Answer

A

Pouilly-Fuissé
- located in an amphitheatre w/ better sunlight interception + drainage
=> grapes are able to ripen more fully

2020:
- Premier Cru status was awarded to 22 climats in Pouilly-Fuissé.

Question 24

Q

Using examples, explain how natural factors present for villages in the Cote d’Or affect differences in the wines produced there:

Marsannay + Fixin

Gevrey-Chambertin - Nuits-St-Georges

Volnay + Chambolle-Musigny vs Pommard + Gevrey-Chambertin

Puligny-Montrachet vs Meursault

Answer

A

Marsannay = northern end of Côte de Nuits
- cooler vs rest of Côte d’Or
-gentler slope = less protection from SW cold winds
=> only village in the Côte d’Or that allows rosé (produces white, rosé + red)
- neighbouring Fixin = red wines with very fresh red fruit and a light body.
stretch from Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges = greatest protection from the west
=> slightly higher abvs + greater ripeness
=> contains most of the red grands crus
Volnay + Chambolle-Musigny = fruitier + more fragrant
- vs Pommard + Gevrey-Chambertin = fuller bodied
Puligny-Montrachet = typically floral = concentrated
- vs. Meursault = full bodied and powerful

Question 25

Q

Though differences between wines from different Cote d’Or villages are naturally present, what winemaking decisions can greatly blur these (3 egs.)?

Answer

A

*winemaking** decisions can affect style markedly
eg. new oak or not + proportions
batonnage in white winemaking
whole bunches in red wine making

Question 26

Q

Explain the evolution of négociants in Burgundy:

*Historically** (2)
*1980s** (2)
*2000s** (2)

Answer

A

*Historically**
high % of trade went through large négociants
these would buy grapes, must, or finished wine from other growers
*1980s
** much more domaine bottling
still a number of v. well-known + highly-regarded négociants w/ historical records of high quality (back to 19th C)
eg. Albert Bichot / Joseph Drouhin / Faiveley / Louis Jadot + Bouchard Père et Fils
*2000s**
rise of domaines w/ négociant side hustle, eg. Dujac
wines are made from owned vineyards (Domaine Dujac) + others from purchased fruit or finished wine (Dujac Fils et Père)

Question 27

Q

Define the following types of businesses in Burgundy:

Growers
Domaines
Négociants
Micro-Négociants
Co-Operatives

Answer

A

*growers** –
own vineyard holdings + sell grapes / unfinished wines to négociants
several thousand exist, holdings are typically divided in parcels in different vineyards and villages.
*domaines** –
own vineyards + make wine from them
sell wine under their own domaine label
*négociants** –
typically large businesses that buy grapes and/or wines from growers
finish + bottle them for sale under their own name
*micro-négociants** –
smaller biz that buys small vols. of grapes from v. good to top quality vineyards
makes wines + sold under own name, eg. Benjamin Leroux.
*co-operatives** –
less prominent in Côte d’Or
more predominant role in Chablis (La Chablisienne), the Mâconnais (e.g. the Cave de Lugny), and, to a lesser extent, in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Question 28

Q

Why can it be difficult to determine the exact source of particular wines in Burgundy (3)?

Answer

A

Even at domaine level = similarly named producers can be confusing.
Detailed knowledge needed to identify source of a particular wine
=> partly due to French inheritance laws (all children = equal inheritors of an estate)

Question 29

Q

What has led to a significant rise in the quality of Burgundy wines in recent decades (4)?

Answer

A

many young winemakers who are:
better trained technically
often travelled + made wine more widely
=> more adaptable and open-minded approach to winemaking.

Question 30

Q

How can the route to market for Burgundy wine be rather simple vs more complicated (2)?

What types of sales are increasing (2)?

How do domestic / export sales break down (3)?

Top 3 export markets?

Answer

A

can be as simple as producer -> end consumer via cellar door sales
more complicated via négociant / co-op -> through distribution chain -> end consumer
DTC sales and producer -> final retailer sales are on the increase

~ 50% = domestic
~ 25% exported to other EU
~ 25% exported outside EU

USA
UK
Japan

Question 31

Q

What are 2 very important drivers of price when it comes to Burgundy labels (2)?

eg. where a producer’s name can cause an extreme jump in price (2)?

Answer

A

name of the domaine
appellation (inc. the single vineyard names)
well-regarded domaines = super-premium prices even for village wines eg. Dom. Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
these can easily out-price premiers crus from the same village by different, lesser-known producers.

Question 32

Q

Using comparative egs, explain how reputation at the village (3) and 1er / grand cru (3) level can help to be selling points for Burgundy wines:

Answer

A

Village names = indicators of stylistic differences, and can provide clues to consumers + retailers
eg. elegance + intensely perfumed nature of Volnay
vs. robust, tannic wines of Pommard
premier + grand cru wines are sold on reputation for a particular stylistic feature

eg. Meursault
- steely concentration of Perrières
- full body + approachable style of Charmes.

Question 33

Q

Depending on the quality level of the wine, where might different Burgundy wines be sold (4)?

Answer

A

Top-tier (1er / grand cru):

may be sold en primeur
in specialist wine shops
fine dining restaurants

Generic + village level
- supermarkets + more casual hospitality sector.

Question 34

Q

What has caused land prices in Burgundy to increase so significantly over recent decades (2)?

Answer

A

relative scarcity of supply (esp. more prestigious vineyards)
foreign buyers of wine businesses = added pressure on prices

Question 35

Q

What factors have led to such significant price increases for Burgundy wine since the mid-2000s (4)?

Answer

A

High land prices
increasing worldwide demand
relatively small production
dramatic differences in vol. due to weather hazards

=> all have led to exponential price increases since the mid-2000s

Question 36

Q

Using Bordeaux as a counterpoint example, show how production volumes in Burgundy compare to others (2):

Why + by how much have prices for Burgundy on the secondary market increased in the last 2 decades (2)?

Answer

A

Burgundy = ~1/4 production vol. of Bordeaux

DRC = ~ 1/4 TOTAL production volume of Château Lafite Rothschild’s Grand Vin

Increased interest in the most expensive Burgundy = steeply increased prices on the secondary market
Liv-ex Burgundy 150 Index shows that prices rose by 200 per cent between 2003 and 2016

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Burgundy - Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Flashcards

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