C15 - Burgundy (reviewed) Flashcards
Describe climate of burgundy
- Overall: Cool continental in the north around Chablis and moderate continental further south in Maconnais
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Rain
- Frequently disrupts flowering in early summer and harvest later in the year
- Making grey rot a potential issue since Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape highly suceptible to grey rot
- Hazards: spring frosts and summer hail
Describe climate of Chablis
Highly suceptible to spring frosts as late as May
Where are the more generic vs. premier / grand cru vineyards usually located in Burgundy?
- Basic: on flat sites or at the bottom of slopes
- Premium:
- mid-slope as makes them less prone to frost
- South or east facing: sun exposure and sheltered from prevailing westerly winds
Describe soils of Burgundy?
- The soils are very varied, as a result of a large number of geological faults combined with gradual erosion
- Resulting in subtle changes in wine-style
- Soils on hillsides are shallower and better drained
- Soil on flat land is deeper and more fertile
What are the grapes used in Burgundy wine production?
- Pinot Noir (Over a third of the production, grown throughout, but the most important plantings are in the Côte d’Or)
- Chardonnay (~50%)
- Aligoté
- Gamay
Describe typical Burgundian Pinot Noir
- High acidity
- Low to medium tannin
- Red fruit flavours in youth
- Evolve into flavours of earth, game and mushroom
Which practice gradually became more popular in Burgundian vinification of Pinot Noir?
The use of whole bunches
Describe Pinot Noir aging in Burgundy’s best wines?
- 16 to 18 months in barrel
- Generally speaking the better wines will be aged in a proportion of new oak (although it really depends on the producer).
What proportion of vineyard area in Burgundy does Chardonnay usually account for?
Nearly half
Describe the character of Chardonnay in Burgundy
The character of Chardonnay in Burgundy varies daramtically depending on the region:
- Chablis - Lean, steely and high acid
- Côte d’Or - Complex and expressive
- Mâcon - Full bodied, riper fruits
Chardonnay in Burgundy is the foundation of the modern style of premium Chardonnay production
What are the four modern techniques used in Chardonnay production in Burgundy that now contribute to the world’s most famous Chardonnays?
- Barrel fermentation
- Barrel ageing (6-9 months typically)
- MLF
- Using lees during maturation
What is still in high debate when it comes to Burgundian vinification of Chardonnay?
- How much new oak ageing is appropriate
- The appropriate amount of toasting for barrels
How long can the best Burgundian Chardonnay age for?
Ten years or more
What problem was discovered with Burgundian Chardonnays 15 years ago?
- Chardonnays were not ageing as expected with some bottles of premium wines showing signs of premature oxidation
- This is now an established problem in Burgundy
- No cause (whether vineyard of winery-based) has yet been identified.
What is the other white grape variety grown in Burgundy and what are its flavour profile ?
- Aligoté
- White grape
- Neutral wines
- High acidity
- It can provide high quality wines when grown in the right vineyard where it can ripen fully but these are usually reserved for Chardonnay so such wines are rare.
Why does Aligoté rarely produce quality wines in Burgundy?
Appropriate sites are usually taken by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Describe Gamay in Burgundy
- Early drinking red
- Low tannins
- Ripe berry fruit
- Some regional appelations, but nothing higher. Only Pinot Noir for wine of Village level and above.
Describe Chablis in Burgundy
- Location: In the valley of the Serein River (northernmost Burgundy)
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Climate: Cool continental
- Spring frosts are major hazards - use of sprinklers and heatersis common
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Wineyards:
- Basic/village level grown on North-facing slopes & flatter land
- Premier/grand cru sites grown on South facing hillsides
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Wines:
- Chardonnary is only permitted grape variety
- Lesser Chablis vineyards are known as Petit Chablis
Describe the flavours of Chablis
Petit Chablis and Chablis
- Can be very austere with green fruit and high acidity
- Better examples show riper fruit flavours
Chablis Crus
- High acidity
- More body
- Riper, more concentrated fruit (citrus rather than green apple)
- Some Cru producers age Chablis in old oak to gives a rounder texture and subtle flavours
How may pure fruit flavours be retained in Chablis?
By fermenting and storing wines in stainless steel or concrete
What are the different appellations in Burgundy?
- Regional appellations
- Bourgogne Rouge, Bourgogne Blanc
- Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
- Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beane
- Bourgogne Côtes Chalonnaise
- Macon (red and white)
- Macon Villages (white only)
- Côte de Nuits-Villages
- Côte de Beaune Villages
- Communal appellations - e.g, Chablis, Chambertin
- Single Vineyard appleations: Premiers Crus and Grands Crus
Describe Côte d’Or
- The Massif Central runs along the western limit of Côte d’Or, providing favourable east and southeast facing hillside locations
- Côte de Nuits
- Best known for many of the fullest-bodied, longest-lived Pinot Noirs
- Home to all but one of the red Grand Crus
- Côte de Beaune
- Best know for the best Chardonnays in Burgundy
- Home to all but one of the white Grand Crus
- Also produces reds in a fruitier style than those of Côte de Nuits