Burgundy Study Guide Flashcards
What are the four departments of Burgundy?
Yonne
Côte d’Or
Saône-et-Loire
Rhône
What two communes signify the end of the Côte de Nuits and the start of the Côte de Beaune respectively?
Corgolin and Ladoix-Serrigny
What 5 communes collectively make up the Grand Auxerrois?
Irancy St.-Bris Vézelay Tonnerre Joigny
In what department is the Côte Chalonnaise located and after what village does it take its name? What river valley’s western edge is home to the Côte Chalonnaise?
Saône-et-Loire (department)
Chalon-sur-Saône (village)
Saône River Valley
Where is the Mâconnais in relation to the Côte Chalonnaise? What is the capitol of the Mâconnais?
south of the Côte Chalonnaise
Mâcon is the capitol
Where is the Rock of Solutré?
The Mâconnais
Beaujolais takes its name from what commune?
Beaujeu
Where in Beaujolais are the best wines produced (north/south)? How do the two areas compare in regards to topography?
The Northern Hillsides
The North is hillier and higher in elevation whereas the south is much flatter and gently rolling
All but a fragment of Beaujolais resides in what department?
Rhône
The region of Burgundy is positioned between what two latitudes?
46-48th
How does the climate in Burgundy compare to most New World Pinot regions?
Warm and often warmer in the summer, however sunshine and average temperatures throughout the entire season are lower, and the growing season is compressed.
How does the climate of Chablis compare to the Côte d’Or?
Cooler and wetter and more susceptible to spring frosts.
What is the synonym for Chardonnay in the Yonne?
Beaunois
What is Pinot Gris known as in Burgundy?
Pinot Beurot
What are 4 grapes that are siblings of Chardonnay grown in Burgundy? What is the crossing that created them all?
Gamay
Aligoté
Melon de Bourgogne
Sacy
What is the name of the commune in Burgundy that specializes in wines from Aligoté?
Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise
Which appellation in Burgundy specializes in wines made from Sauvignon Blanc? In what department is this appellation located?
St.-Bris
Yonne department
What are the the two red grapes and one white grape that are rare in Burgundy and only found typically in small amounts in the Yonne department?
Cessar and Tressot (red)
Sacy (white)
What are the four tiers of quality in Burgundy?
Grand Cru > 1er Cru > village > régionale
What percent of wine produced in Burgundy is of the regionale level of quality? Grand Cru?
Regionale (50%) Grand Cru (less than 2%)
Is 1er cru a separate class of AOC in Burgundy?
Not a separate class. Legally defined geographic designations for village AOP wines.
What three styles of wine are made under the Bourgogne AOP?
red, white, and rosé
What are the 4 red grapes of Burgundy? What are the 7 white grapes?
Pinot Noir, Gamay, César, and Tressot (Red)
Chardonnay, Aligoté, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sacy
What is the defining difference between Bourgogne AOP and Coteaux Bourguignons AOP?
Coteaux Bourguignons allows for the blending of Gamay in red blends.
Bourgogne AOP does not.
Gamay was allowed to be bottled varietally in the region of Beaujolais as Bourgogne AOP until what year?
2011
What are the 6 regional designations for Bourgogne AOP? Are these separate AOPs within Bourgogne AOP?
Bourgogne Côte d'Auxerre Bourgogne Côte d'Or Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Bourgogne Côtes du Couchois
Geographic designations, not separate AOPs
Where are vines sourced for the wines of both Hautes Côtes de Nuits and Hautes Côtes de Beaune?
High up on the plateaus west of the Côte d’Or’s most favorable plots.
What 5 villages located in the Yonne department may append their name to the label of Bourgogne AOP bottlings?
Chitry Vèzelay Epineuil Coulanges-la-Vineuse Tonnerre
What are the four lieux-dits approved as geographic designations for Bourgogne AOP? List their commune and departments as well.
Côte St-Jacques (Joigny, Yonne)
Montrecul (Dijon, Côte d’Or)
Le Chapitre (Chênove, Côte d’Or)
La Chapelle Notre Dame (Ladoix-Serrigny, Côte d’Or)
What styles are produced in Côte de Nuits Villages AOP and Côte de Beaune-Villages AOP?
Côte de Nuits-Villages (red and white, but rare)
Côte de Beaune-Villages (red only)
What 4 villages are forbidden for Côte de Beaune-Villages? What are 5 villages that can be sourced?
Pommard, Volnay, Aloxe-Corton, and Beaune are all forbidden.
Santennay, Saint-Romain, Saint-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Puligny-Montrachet can be sourced
What 5 communes may be sourced for the production of Côtes-de-Nuits-Villages AOP?
Fixin and Brochon in the north
Prissey, Corgoloin, and Comblanchien in the south.
What wine is often combined with crème de cassis to make a classic cocktail? What is that cocktail called?
Aligoté, usually Bourgogne Aligoté
makes a Kir
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOP is a red blend appellation for what two red grapes?What three white grapes may account for a max of 15% alone or combined?
Pinot Noir and Gamay
Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris may combine for max 15%
What is the min % of Pinot Noir and Gamay that must be present respectively in Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains?
min 30% Pinot Noir
min 15% Gamay
What colors of sparkling wine are produced in Crémant de Bourgogne and Bourgogne Mousseux AOPs?
Crémant de Bourgogne (white and rosé) Bourgogne Mousseux (red only)
Around what commune is most Crémant de Bourgogne produced?
Rully
What are the two communes that represent the northern and southern boundaries of the Côte d’Or respectively?
Marsannay (north)
Maranges (south)
What parts of the slope are vines sourced for village level wines in Burgundy?
Generally on a commune’s eastern side where the angle of the slope is slight.
And also on the far western fringe, adjacent to the frost-capped ridge lines, where both slope and elevation are far more significant.
What 3 things are more restricted for Premier Cru compared to Village level wines in Burgundy?
Lower yields, more restricted must weights, and higher minimum potential alcohol
If a producer sources from two or more different premiers crus within the same village may they still label the bottle premier cru?
Yes. As premier cru is a geographic designation of village rather than a separate AOC this is possible. Vineyard names are excluded in this case and the bottle will be labeled with the village from which the premiers crus are located.
In some cases however, smaller premiers crus may be grouped together into larger ones in which case the producer may choose which vineyard name that he would like to use on the label.
How many Grands Crus are in the Côte d’Or?
32
What are the smallest and largest Grand Cru AOPs in the Côte d’Or respectively?
La Romanée (0.8ha, also smallest in France)
Corton (160ha)
If two Grands Crus are blended is a producer allowed to use the term “Grand Cru” on the label?
No, these wines may only be declassified to the generic Premier Cru designation and Bourgogne AOP below that.
What are the ten commune appellations of Beaujolais from north to south (crus)?
Saint-Amour Juliénas Chénas Moulin-à-Vent Fleurie Chiroubles Morgon Régnié Côte de Brouilly Brouilly
“Some Japanese Canadiens meet french canadiens making really beautiful children”
What are water channels referred to as in Burgundy?
chevets
Vignerons may declassify their vineyard to any level below which it qualifies. What is the most extreme example of this and why was it done?
Comte Georges de Vogue’s Musigny Blanc declassified to Bourgogne Blanc since 1994 in the wake of replanting.
What are the two IGPs proximal to the Côte d’Or? Where are they in relation to it?
Coteaux l’Auxois IGP located north and west of the Hautes Côtes
Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche located east of the D974 and the Côte de Beaune
What is the IGP region of the Rhône department and Beaujolais?
Comtés Rhodaniens IGP
What is the IGP of the Saône-et-Loire department?
Saône-et-Loire IGP
What is the IGP of the Yonne department?
Yonne IGP
What are the 5 IGPs of Burgundy?
Yonne IGP Coteaux l'Auxois IGP Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche IGP Comtés Rhodaniens IGP Saône-et-Loire IGP
What are the 3 top négociants in Burgundy?
Bouchard Père et Fils
Joseph Drouhin
Louis Jadot
What are three examples of micro-négociants in Burgundy?
Deux Montille (Domaine de Montille) Dujac Fils et Père (Domaine Dujac) Benjamin Leroux (Comte Armand)
What are 4 producers that spearheaded the domaine bottling movement?
Marquis d’Angerville
Henri Gouges
Etienne Grivot
Armand Rousseau
What river flows through Chablis?
Serein River
What are the three appellations of Chablis?
Petit Chablis AOP
Chablis AOP
Chablis Grand Cru AOP
What region is known as Burgundy’s Porte d’Or?
Chablis
During the late 1880s what grape unseated Chardonnay as the most highly planted grape in Chablis?
Sacy
In what years did powdery mildew and phylloxera take hold in Chablis respectively?
Powdery Mildew (1886) Phylloxera (1887)
1945 was a great vintage in most places, but why was it not so great in Chablis?
devastating frost
Manual harvesting is vital in most of Burgundy except in Chablis. What percent of Chablis is harvested mechanically today?
95%
What is the main soil type of Chablis? Describe it.
Kimmeridgian marl
crumbly, chalky marl with fossils of tiny oyster shells
What other famous wine region in France is on the same shelf of soil as Chablis? What is it called?
Sancerre
Paris Basin
What is the secondary soil type of Chablish? describe it.
Portlandian limestone
harder rock with less clay content. Lacks the multitude of fossilized seashells that define Kimmeridgean marl.
What appellation was created in 1944 for the wines produced from vines planted on the higher plateaus and more wind-exposed areas defined by Portlandian limestone?
Petit-Chablis
What makes the slope in Chablis for Grand Cru wines so ideal?
South-southwest aspect along with shelter from northern winds make these sites some of the warmest in the region.
What are the 7 official climats of Chablis from northwest to southeast? What is the 8th unofficial climat and what two grands crus combine to make it?
Bougros Les Preuses Vaudésir Grenouilles Valmur Les Clos Blanchot
La Moutonne (Les Preuses and Vaudésir)
La Moutonne is a monopole of what producer?
Long-Depaquit
What is the min alcohol for Chablis AOP? Chablis Grand Cru AOP?
Chablis AOP (10%) Chablis Grand Cru AOP (11%)
What are the max yields for Chablis AOP? Chablis Grand Cru AOP?
Chablis AOP (60hl/ha) Chablis Grand Cru AOP (54hl/ha)
What organization controls 50% of Chablis Grand Cru AOP? What factors represent a core element of this organization?
Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
manual harvesting, lutte raisonnée, lower max yields, and high density plantings (8,000 vines/ha)
What are the 7 major Premiers Crus of Chablis on the Right Bank?
Berdiot Côte de Vaubarousse Fourchaume Les Fourneaux Mont de Milieu Montée de Tonnerre Vaucoupin
What are the 10 major Premiers Crus of Chablis on the left bank?
Beauroy Chaume de Talvat Côte de Léchet Côte de Jouan Les Beauregards Montmains Vau de Vey Vaillons Vosgros Vau Ligneau
How many premiers crus are there in Chablis?
40
What is the smallest and largest premiers crus in Chablis?
Côte de Cuisy (1/2ha)
Vaillons and Fourchaume (over 100ha)
On what bank of the Sereine are the Grands Crus located?
Right Bank
What is widely considered to be the top premier cru in Chablis?
Montée de Tonnerre
What are three producers of Montée de Tonnerre?
Patrick Piuze
Raveneau
Billaud-Simon
Vineyards on the right bank generally face what direction? Vineyards on the left bank generally face what direction?
right bank faces southwest
left bank faces southeast
What are the two most important Premiers Crus on the left bank of the Sereine in Chablis?
Vaillons and Montmains
Describe the general stylistic difference between Chablis produced on the left bank vs Chablis produced on the right bank?
Left bank wines tend to be more restrained whereas the right bank wines tend to be more opulent with exotic fruit notes
What is the quintessential Chablis described as? What Chablis AOP captures this style the best?
steely wines with elevated acidity, leesy character, austere lemon and orchard fruit aromas, subtle oxidation, and medium weight.
Chablis Premier Cru
Is malo practiced in Chablis?
Yes, almost invariably
Why is Grand Cru often described by sommeliers as un-Chablisienne?
Because it is typically quite rich and broad for the region and often employing some new oak
What are 5 great producers of Chablis other than Raveneau, Dauvissat, and Piuze?
Christian Moreau Louis Michel Laurent Tribut William Fèvre Billaud-Simon Gilbert Picq Jean Collet
What top Burgundy négociant owns Billaud-Simon?
Faiveley
The Côte d’Or lies on the western edge of what river plain?
Saône River Plain
What are the two main types of soil in the Côte d’Or with regards to limestone content?
argillaceous limestone (higher limestone content)
calcareous clay (lower limestone, higher clay)
Why are the Grands Crus located mid slope on the Côte d’Or?
The soil is deeper and more nutrient rich than higher up, but much more well-draining than lower down.
What are combes in the Côte d’Or?
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.
How does the soil in the Côte de Beaune differ from the Côte de Nuits?
With the exception of Montrachet, the Côte de Beaune contains greater amounts of marl and less limestone than the soils of the Côte de Nuits
How do the red wines of the Côte de Beaune generally differ stylistically from those found in the Côte de Nuits?
Despite its more southerly location and slightly warmer mesoclimate, Côte de Beaune reds are generally lighter in style, more affordable, and less driven by new oak than those of the Côte de Nuits.
When was Marsannay established as AOC effectively making it the youngest in the Côtes de Nuits despite a long history of grape growing?
1987
What is the northernmost AOC in the Côtes de Nuits?
Marsannay
What are the three communes of production in Marsannay?
Chenôve
Marsannay-La-Côte
Couchey
What is the only appellation in all of Burgundy that permits a producer to produce red, white, and rosé?
Marsannay
What is the only village AOP in Burgundy allowed to produce rosé?
Marsannay
What is considered the top producer in Marsannay?
Bruno Clair
What is the top premier cru site in Fixin? This is a monopole of what producer?
Clos de la Perrière
Domaine de la Perrière
What villages of Fixin may produce Côtes de Nuits-Villages wines?
Fixin and Brochon
What styles of wine are produced in Fixin?
red and white
How many Grands Crus are located in Gevrey-Chambertin?
9
What is the largest appellation in the Côte d’Or?
Gevrey-Chambertin
What are the Grands Crus located west of the Route des Grands Crus (D974) from north to south in Gevrey-Chambertin?
Mazis-Chambertin Ruchottes-Chambertin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Chambertin Latricières-Chambertin
What are the top two vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin?
Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Which Grand Cru of Gevrey-Chambertin is the steepest and highest?
Ruchottes-Chambertin
What 4 Grands Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin are located east of the D974 and are considered second tier Grands Crus in the appellation?
Chapelle-Chambertin
Griotte-Chambertin
Charmes-Chambertin
Mazoyères-Chambertin
Which Grand Cru may be bottled as Charmes-Chambertin?
Mazoyères-Chambertin
Why are Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, and Clos de Vougeot so variable in quality?
The large size of their vineyard
What is the name of the major combe of Gevrey-Chambertin?
Combe de Lavax
The Grands Crus of Gevrey are located south of the Combe de Lavaux. What are the two top premiers crus in Gevrey-Chambertin that are located north of the Combe de Lavaux?
Clos Saint-Jacques
Cazetiers
How do the premiers crus of Clos Saint-Jacques and Cazetiers differ in aspect and slope compared to the Grands Crus?
More southerly aspect and the slopes are steeper
Which Premier Cru of Gevrey-Chambertin is widely considered to be of Grand Cru in status? Who is the top producer of it?
Clos Saint-Jacques
Armand Rousseau
What is the only Premier Cru in Gevrey-Chambertin to be surrounded on all four sides by Grands Crus? What are the 3 grands crus?
Aux Combottes
Latricières-Chambertin (North)
Mazoyères-Chambertin (East)
Clos de la Roche (South and East)
Why do many say is the reason that Aux Combottes was excluded from Grand Cru consideration?
During the time of the classification, none of the growers of that vineyard were from Gevrey-Chambertin
How are the wines from Gevrey-Chambertin generally speaking in regards to style and quality of fruit?
models of solidity, power, and structure that are austere and tannic in youth with more of a darker cherry fruit, deep color and concentration.
Why are Gevrey-Chambertin village level wines said to be so variable in quality?
Due to the size of the commune
What are 5 top producers of Gevrey-Chambertin other than Rousseau?
Fourrier Claude Dugat Denis Bachelet Denis Mortet Joseph Roty Pierre Damoy
How does Jeremy Seysses describe the wines of Morey-Saint-Denis in regards to flavor, aroma, and structure
cherry/raspberry fruit character, aromas of cinnamon spice, graphite and iron. Gamier than Gevrey-Chambertin, rustic and more full-bodied than Chambolle-Musigny
What are 5 top producers of Morey-Saint-Denis?
Dujac Ponsot Hubert Lignier Perrot-Minot Mugneret-Gibourg
What are the five Grands Crus found in Morey-Saint-Denis?
Clos de la Roche Clos Saint-Denis Clos des Lambrays Clos de Tart Bonnes Mares (sliver)
How does Clos de la Roche compare to Clos Saint-Denis in regards to expression?
Clos de la Roche is the most substantial and structured. Clos Saint-Denis is more elegant, classier.
Who owns all but .1ha of Clos des Lambrays?
LVMH (Domaine des Lambrays)
Who owns Clos de Tart
Francois Pinault (the Mommesin family used to own it)
Where on the slope are the premiers crus of Les Chaffots and Monts-Luisant compared to the grands crus of Morey-Saint-Denis?
higher on the slope above
What are 5 premiers crus of Morey-Saint Denis other than Les Chaffots and Monts-Luisant?
Clos des Ormes Aux Charmes La Riotte Les Greunchers La Bussière
Why is it very customary to see more bottles of Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru without name of vineyard?
Because the premiers crus are so small and the parcels owned within them even smaller it’s more common to see producers produce a blend of premiers crus.
What premier cru in Morey-Saint-Denis is allowed to bottle Aligoté as Village Blanc? What is the only producer currently doing this?
Monts-Luisants
Ponsot
What is the famous combe of Chambolle-Musigny?
Combe de Chamboeuf
What is said to be the cause of Chambolle-Musigny’s wines being more elegant?
The higher proportion of limestone in the soil.