Burgundy - General Viticulture + Winemaking Practices Flashcards
What is the overall climate of the Cote d’Or and why is it appropriate for the grapes planted there (3)?
Rainfall patterns + moderating factors + threat (3)?
How does the Macconais’ climate compare to the Cote d’Or?
- moderate continental
- cold winters + warm, relatively short summers
=> good for early ripening Chardonnay + Pinot Noir
Morvan Hills to the W of Côte d’Or = protection from rainfall (avg. 700mm / annum)
- Early autumn = typically dry
- but rain can be a threat at harvest
Mâconnais = typically slightly drier + warmer vs Côte d’Or.
What kind of factors influence the potential quality of wines from the Cote d’Or, Chal. + Mac. (4)?
What about vintage variation (3)?
- aspect
- altitude
- degree of slope
- soils
vintage variation:
- despite warming climate, ripening Pinot Noir is still difficult in this northerly location
- cool vintages can = under-ripe tannins
- promoting ripeness of skins + seeds = major priority
- quality + yield can swing significantly due to weather variability
Why is Burgundy particularly prone to damage from spring frosts (3)?
What kind of damage is caused?
- Northerly location = higher risk of Frost
- Pinot Noir + Chardonnay = early budding, so higher risk
- warmer than usual winters (climate change) = earlier growth which increases vulnerability to frost
- can substantially reduce yields if they occur after budburst.
When + where is hail a problem in the Cote d’Or (2)?
How does the damage inflicted vary depending on when it occurs (4)?
- can be a problem throughout entire growing season
- tends to be highly localized, but can be very damaging in both commercial / winemaking terms
April–May = damage to early vine growth
=> reduced yields, or even total loss of the crop
later in the season = fruit damage, esp. to exposed grapes
- damaged berries must be eliminated, or risk of grey rot tainting the wine
What are some measures to alleviate the damage inflicted by hail in the Cote d’Or (3)?
2 egs. of bad hail years + locations?
- sorting tables help to remove damaged fruit
- limited anti-Hail netting approved in June 2018 (previously prohibited because of shading + ‘inauthentic landscape)
- seeding thunderclouds w/ silver iodide to induce precipitation
2012 + 2015
- particularly bad hail, esp. in Volnay + Pommard
How does the potential damage caused by excess rainfall in the Cote d’Or differ depending on when it occurs (3)?
Early in growing cycle:
- disrupts flowering and fruit set
=> lower yields + uneven ripening
During growing season:
- increases threat of fungal diseases
Just before harvest:
- dilution of flavors (increased uptake of water by grapevine)
- increased chances of rot.
How can water stress be problematic in the Cote d’Or (3)?
What further exacerbates this problem?
What can help?
- hot, dry summers can cause drought stress
=> shriveled berries
=> vines shut down completely, halting ripening - irrigation is not permitted
- Vineyards w/ high clay content cope better with water-stress (better water-retention)
Identify all the (many) weather-related factors that can make viticulture in the Cote d’Or so difficult (5):
- marginal climate (can be too cool to ripen Pinot Noir)
- spring frosts (loss of crop)
- hail (damage to fruit / vines + loss of crop)
- excess rain at the wrong time
- water stress in warm, dry vintages
At what elevation are vineyards in the Cote d’Or found (2)?
At which aspects can vineyards be found (3)?
- vineyards are on a range of hills oriented N-S
- elevations ranging from ~200m - ~400m
- although the main ridge of the Côte d’Or = E-facing, there is a range of aspects
- Side valleys = more east–west direction at various points along the main slope
- many are more SE or even S-facing in aspect
Why are aspect, elevation + position so critical to the style and quality of wines from the Cote d’Or (5)?
Where are lesser sites found + what are they used for (3)?
- the best sites are mostly found mid-slope, centrally positioned => well-draining shallow soils => good sunlight interception => better frost protection => better ripening potential
lesser sites:
- v. top of the slope (very poor, thin soil + exposed to cooling winds
- bottom of the slope (deeper soils + vulnerable to frost)
- coolest sites = Aligoté or Crémant de Bourgogne.
How do the aspects of vineyards in the Cote Chal + Mac. compare to those of the Cote d’Or?
Where are these found for each?
- Aspects are more varied vs Cote d’Or
- Côte Chalonnaise: some of the best SE-facing sites are found in Bouzeron and Rully
- Mâconnais: best sites of Pouilly-Fuissé typically on SE-facing slopes
What is the soil in the Cote d’Or, Chal. and Mac. generally comprised of?
How does this change in the CdN vs the CdB and how does this affect what is planted?
In general:
- mixtures of various types of limestones and clay, w/ varying proportions depending on location
Côte de Nuits = more limestone
=> majority of the most highly regarded PN wines is grown here
Côte de Beaune = more clay + deeper soils
=> majority of the most highly regarded Chard wines grown here
How has soil erosion affected the soil characteristics in the Cote d’Or, Chal and Mac (3)?
Why is this problematic for grape-growing, depending on the location of the vineyard (4)?
- depth of soil above bedrock varies significantly
=> b/c of movement of soils down the slopes by erosion - problematic even in gently sloping vineyards such as the walled Clos de Vougeot.
higher elevation vineyards = thinner soils
=> too little soil for vines to thrive
bottom of the slope = deeper + more clay
=> greater fertility = more vigor, risk of shading + inadequate ripening
Though the wines of Burgundy are effectively dominated by 2 grapes (PN for red, Chard for white), where is an example of this NOT being the case?
Some well-regarded Aligoté is grown in the village of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise
Chardonnay
Growing characteristics + suitability for Burgundy (4)?
Challenges (4):
Styles + top expression (2)?
- versatile variety suited to a range of climates + soils
- early budding (spring frosts)
- ripens early (suitable to cool regions)
- relatively high yields w/o loss of quality.
- prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage + grapevine yellows
- can produce a range of styles
- top-quality eg.s are grown on limestone/clay soils, as in Burgundy.
How does the character of Chardonnay change depending on the climate (cooler (3) vs more moderate (3)) it’s grown in?
cooler climates, eg. Burgundy (Chablis),
=> apple, pear, lemon, lime fruit, wet stones
=> light - medium body
=> high acidity (eg. Chablis)
moderate climates, eg. Cote d’Or / Sonoma Coast,
=> ripe citrus, melon + stone fruit
=> medium to medium (+) body
=> medium (+) - high acidity
What is the challenge to growing Chardonnay in Burgundy during good growing seasons (3)?
- main challenge = vigor management
=> avoiding excessive yields + shading
=> could reduce fruit quality
Pinot Noir
Growing characteristics (3)?
Why can it be a difficult variety to cultivate (5)?
- early-budding (spring frosts)
- early ripening (good for cool regions)
- yields must be limited to achieve quality
- delicate variety prone to:
- millerandage
- downy + powdery mildew
- botrytis bunch rot
- fan leaf + leaf roll viruses
Pinot Noir
What problems can occur in warmer (3) vs cooler (2) climates?
warm climates
- tends to ripen too fast
=> reduces intensity of aromas
=> berries can shrivel + suffer from sunburn
cool climates (eg. Burgundy)
- can fail to ripen sufficiently
=> can lack desired ripeness (tannins, colour + flavour).
How did clonal selection become prominent in Burgundy + elsewhere (3)?
What are different choices winemakers can make regarding clonal selection, and why would they choose them (5)?
University of Burgundy in Dijon
- developed the Dijon clone families of both PN + Chard
- these clones are now widely used in wine regions globally
- different clones = different yields, disease tolerances, speeds of ripening and fruit characteristics
=> producers must decide on a single clone plot (more uniform fruit profile)
or
=> mix of clones (greater diversity in grape characteristics + potentially more disease resistance) - number of producers propagate their own vines via mass selection.
