Burgundy (Part I - History -> Regional AOCs) Flashcards
Why does quality vary greatly even within a single Grand Cru parcel?
Many producers can farm the same vineyard 2/2 to fragmentation of land with the Napoleon Code of Inheritance
What is a “climat”?
A named parcel of land in Bourgogne associated with Grand Crus and Premier Crus; a vigneron’s notion of a site
Name the four Dukes of Burgundy
Philippe the Bold
John the Fearless
Philippe the Good
Charles the Rash
What was the influence of Philippe the Bold?
Outlawed Gamay to promote Pinot Noir
What was the influence of John the Fearless?
Appointed guardian of the future King of France. Assassinated for being power hungry
What was the influence of Philippe the Good?
Captured Joan of Arc and surrendered her to the British. Established the Hospices de Beaune
What was the influence of Charles the Rash?
Died attempting to conquer Alsace and Lorraine
How did the French Revolution impact the Burgundian wine industry?
The great domaines were broken up and only a few monopoles survived
How did King Louis-Philippe influence the Burgundian wine industry?
Allowed Gevrey to append Chambertin to its name. Other villages followed suit to assist with marketing efforts of growers who were not associated with the most famous flagship vineyards
What prompted a shift in focus from red to white wine in the 1980s?
Surge in worldwide demand for white wine. Production flipped from 60% red production to 60% white production
What is the general climate of Bourgogne? How does it vary from north to south?
Continental with oceanic influences in the north and Mediterranean influences in the south. The increased warmth as you travel south results in earlier bud break and harvest in these regions
What are the main climatic threats in Burgundy?
Spring frosts and summer hail
Does the Saone River have a temperature moderating influence on the region?
No, it is too far away (~12 miles) to have a temperature moderating influence
What are the two uplifts of the Saone Graben?
Jura Mountains (E) and Cote d’Or escarpment and Morvan uplands (W)
What are the geologic forces that formed the Bourgogne region, especially the Cote d’Or escarpment?
When the Alps rose and the Bresse Plain sank, it formed the Saone Graben. The continental upheaval also led to 8 fault lines that run through the Cote d’Or which are responsible for the shifting of sedimentary deposits. Additionally, erosion and slope wash added to the complex variety of soil types seen in the region
Where are the youngest and oldest marine deposits found in Burgundy?
Oldest are in the south (Maconnais) and youngest in the north (Chablis)
Does the Saone Graben possess alluvial or colluvial soils?
Colluvial as they are formed from rain-driven slope wash vs river sediment
Describe the relative location of Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village, and Regional wine growing sites in Bourgogne.
Premier Cru = top of slope with the thinnest soil and least precipitation
Grand Cru = Mid-slope with moderate topsoil and adequate water. Maximum sunlight.
Village = Bottom of the slope with deepest soil and most water. Can also be located at top of slope
Regional = flatter plains
Can there be soil variation within a Grand Cru site? If so, provide an example
Yes, Clos de Vougeot has 13 climats
What is marl?
Limestone-rich clay
What type of soil does Pinot Noir prefer?
Limestone or marls with higher limestone content
What type of soil does Chardonnay prefer?
Marl
What is the preferred type of marl in Chablis and why?
Kimmeridgean marl is preferred over Portlandian marl because it is found at the more optimal slope location
What are other grape varieties grown in Bourgogne?
Pinot Blanc, Aligote, Melon B, Sacy, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Gris, Gamay, Cesar
What wines are usually, if not always, a blend?
Cremant de Bourgogne, Coteaux Bourguignons, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains
What appellations do not use Chardonnay as their primary white grape and what varieties do they use instead?
Bouzeron (Aligote)
Bourgogne Aligote (Aligote)
Saint Bris (Sauvignon Blanc)
Pinot Gris (Pinot Beurot) is the primary grape for what two Burgundian wines?
Marsannay and Bourgogne rose wines
Where can Cesar be used in red wine production?
Regional wines from Yonne and Irancy AOC
Define lutte raisonee
“reasoned fight” referring to environmentally and financially responsible farming practices
What are the two most common vine training methods used in Bourgogne?
Guyot followed by Cordon
What are the main harvesting methods used in different parts of Bourgogne?
Chablis - machine harvesting
Cote d’Or - handpicking
Cote Chalonnaise - mix of both machine and hand harvesting
How has global warming impacting the region?
Earlier bud break –> harvest 10 days earlier // increased risk of hail and frost
Challenge to delay harvest so sugar and phenolic ripening happen concurrently
Define premox
Premature oxidation specific to white Burgundy. Wines age too quickly.
What are some suspected factors contributing to premox?
Certain clones, fully ripe fruit, decreased sulfur use, less batonnage
Describe the common vinification techniques for white wine in Bourgogne
Stainless steel (Chablis, Maconnais)
Oak maturation in barriques (Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise at village level or higher)
If oak is used, typically accounts for 20-50% of the barrel regimen
Why are some producers now using whole clusters in the vinification process?
This is thought to add brighter flavors
How has increasing grape maturity influenced red winemaking practices?
Traditionally open-top fermenters and punch-down method were popular. Now, producers are switching to pumpover methods of extraction and shorter maceration times
How long are the red wines of Cote d’Or and Cote Chalonnaise typically kept in barrel after fermentation?
12-18 months
Why are negociants so important in Bourgogne?
Given the extensive vineyard fragmentation, negociants are important in consolidating grapes/wine into quantities that make production worthwhile
Describe the recent micro-negociant trend
Typically work on a smaller scale with a focus on specific appellations or sites to produce terroir-based, high-end micro-cuvees
Describe the levels of the Bourgogne wine quality pyramid
From the base, pyramid is arranged from more general zones to more specific zones of production.
Regional AOCs > Village AOCs > Premier Cru > Grand Cru AOCs
How many regional AOCs are there and what are they?
7 Regional AOCs:
Bourgogne AOC, Coteaux Bourguignons AOC, Macon AOC, Cremant de Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Mousseux AOC, Bourgogne Aligote AOC, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOC
When must a wine be labeled as Bourgogne Gamay?
The wine contains more than 85% of Gamay from the Beaujolais Crus
Bourgogne Blanc is primarily made from ___________ but can also contain ________________________.
Chardonnay; Pinot Blanc and/or Pinot Gris
Bourgogne Rouge is primarily made from ___________ but can also contain __________________.
Pinot Noir; Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gamay (from Beaujolais Crus), Cesar (from department of Yonne)
What are the 13 DGCs of Bourgogne AOC?
Cote Chalonnaise, Cote D’Or, Hautes Cote de Beaune, Hautes Cote de Nuits
Cotes d’Auxerre, Cotes du Couchois, Cote Saint-Jacques
Chitry, Coulanges-la-Vineuse, Epinueil, La Chapelle Notre-Dame, Montrecul/Montre-Cul/En Montre-Cul, Tonnerre
Coteaux Bourguignons AOC is ___________ of the regional AOCs and can also be used by producers from ____________________.
most general; Beaujolais
White wines from Coteaux Bourguignons AOC can be made with what varieties?
Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Aligote, Melon B
Red wines from Coteaux Bourguignons AOC can be made with what varieties?
Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cesar (if from Yonne)
Under what circumstances can Sacy and Tressot be used in a wine blend. What AOC can it be labeled under?
The vines would need to be planted prior to 2009 and they can be used for Coteaux Bourguignons AOC wines
Macon whites are made from ______________ and Macon reds are made from _______________.
Chardonnay; Pinot Noir and/or Gamay
Macon has ___ DGCs
46 total; 26 for white wines and 20 for red wines
Macon DGC wines can only use what two varietals?
Chardonnay and Gamay
T or F: Macon Villages are red wines
False; they are white wines
Cremant de Bourgogne AOC wines are typically blends of what grape varietals?
Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris
Describe the eminent style of Cremant de Bourgogne
Minimum of 24 months sur lie aging
Describe the grand eminent style of Cremant de Bourgogne
Minimum of 36 months sur lie aging with 3 months in the cellar between disgorgement and release.
Must be Brut style.
White Grand Eminent is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Rose Grand Eminent can contain up to 20% Gamay
Only the first 75% of juice extracted from the press can be used for production
What wine style is Bourgogne Mousseux?
Sparkling Red
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOC wines styles are ___________. Describe the breakdown of the blend.
Red or Rose; at least 30% Pinot Noir and at least 15% Gamay
There are ___ village AOCs in Burgundy
44
There are ____ premier crus in Burgundy
662
T or F: Premier Crus have their own AOCs?
False; they are incorporated into the village AOC category since the village name appears on the bottle
There are ___ Grand Cru AOCs in Burgundy
33
Does the village name appear on the label for Grand Cru wines?
Typically no. Just the vineyard name with the exception of Chablis which always accompanies the Grand Cru vineyard name on the label
