Ch. 7 – Rhone Flashcards
Northern vs. Southern Rhone Valley
Nothern Rhone
- Syrah
- Continental climate
- 4,000 ha
Southern Rhone
- Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre
- Mediterranean climate
- 66,000 ha
White grape varieties in the Rhone
Viognier
Marsanne
Roussanne
Grenache Blanc
Clairette
Bourboulenc
Syrah (Rhone)
Vigorous, needs careful training and tying in to protect from Mistral (trellising is not possible on steep slopes)
Susceptible to mites and botrytis bunch rot
Disease ‘Syrah decline’ - leaves turn red and graft points break, vine dies
The only black grape used in Northern Rhone crus
Deep ruby colour, med to pronounced intensity (violet, plum, blackberry, black pepper, herbal notes)
Acidity and tannin medium to high.
Adds structure, fruit and colour to Southern blends
Grenache Noir (Rhone)
High yielding
Ripens late (can be affected by autumn rains)
Upright growth makes it suitable for bush vine, pruned low to contain vigour
Does well on dry, low fertile soils (drought resistant)
Prone to coulure and fungal diseases
Prone to bacterial blight (kills shoots, leaves, and plant eventually)
Prone to oxidation and premature colour loss (if exposed to too much oxygen)
Blends - contribute to pale ruby colour, ripe red fruit (strawberry, red plum, red cherry) spicy, herbal notes, high alcohol, low to med tannins and low acidity
Mourvedre (Rhone)
Late budding and late ripening
Thrives in warm to hot climates
- Can be under-ripe if late summer is not hot
Not drought resistant (needs small but regular supply of water)
Best pruned short (cordon or bush vine)
Low yields
Prone to mites, leafhoppers, sour rot (affects ripening bunches)
Strongly prone to reduction (adequate access to oxygen is very important)
Typically aged in old oak.
Almost always used as part of blend in Rhone - deep colour, intense aroma of blackberries, blueberries, violets, high alcohol and firm tannins
Cinsault
Late budding, high yielding
Good drought resistance and heat resistance
Yield must be managed
If grown on excessive lime in soil - suffers from chlorosis
Prone to esca and eutypa, mites and grape moths
Typically small part of blend (made in style to preserve fruitiness) light ruby colour, med (+) aroma (fresh red fruit - raspberry, red cherry) high alcohol and low to med tannins
Aroma most prominent in the first year after wine is made (early drinking styles and rose)
Viognier
Early budding (prone to spring frost)
Low and unpredictable yields (poor flowering and fruit set - coulure)
Picking time is very important - fruit must be absolutely ripe to get pronounced aromas
- if left too long - loses flavour and acidity -unbalanced
Lemon in colour, pronounced aroma of honeysuckle, apricot, peach. Medium to high alcohol and low acidity.
Up to 20% allowed in northern Rhone red wines
Marsanne
Late budding
Vigorous and productive (yields must be kept low)
Best on stony and low fertility soils
Prone to powdery mildew, mites, botrytis
Medium lemon colour (sometimes gold) light intensity honeysuckle, lemon, apricot, oily texture, medium acidity, full body, med to high alcohol
Northern Rhone can be varietal (south usually blend)
Roussanne
Late budding
Best on low fertility, well drained soils
Poor resistance to wind
Unpredictable yields due to coloure.
Very susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis and mites
More difficult than Marsanne (therefore less common)
Medium lemon colour (sometimes gold) medium+ intensity (pear, herbal notes) medium (+) acidity, med (high) alcohol.
Tends to age quicker than Marsanne
Grenache Blanc
Good wind resistance
Almost exclusively in southern part of Rhone
Low intensity, ripe green fruit and floral notes, high alcohol and low acidity
Clairette
Vigorous
Grows very upright (wind resistant)
Ripens late (prone to autumn rains)
Oxidizes easily
Adds fresh fruit and white flowers to blends
- High alcohol and low acidity
Bourboulenc
Late ripening
Loose bunches and thick skins (resistant to botrytis)
Adds acidity to blends
General winemaking in Rhone
and winemaking for Grenache and Syrah
very traditional
Preference for concrete for ferment (also stainless, large wood)
Small and large wooden vessels for maturation
Grenache prone to colour loss and oxidation if exposed to too much oxygen (so usually fermented and aged in concrete)
Syrah (prone to reduction) must be pumped over more often, often aged in oak (gentle oxidation)
Production procedure for cru level red wine in the Rhone
Harvested by hand (small crates)
- May be destemmed and cold soaked for 1-3 days for color
- May be left as whole bunches and vinified as such
Ferment in steel, concrete or open top wooden ferment
Cultured or ambient yeast
Warm temperature ferment (extract colour, flavour, tannin)
Post-ferment maceration on skins for full extraction with punch-down, pump-over or rack and return
Maturation of 12-24 months, in large oak for Grenache, or small barrels for Syrah, Mourvedre
- often 20-30% new
Production of high volume inexpensive red wine in the Rhone
Usually harvested by machine
Hand picking and carbonic maceration is also an option
Large producers - flash detente or termovinification (enhance colour, fruit intensity, low tannin)
Cultured yeast (quick, reliable)
Mid-range temperatures ferment (retain fruit)
Short period of maceration on skins
Stored in stainless
Rose winemaking in the Rhone
Typically short maceration (12-48 hours)
Typically aged in large oak or concrete vats or steel
(some producers use old small oak for texture)
White winemaking in the Rhone
Mostly mid-range temperatures to retain fruit
Malo sometimes avoided
Mostly aged in large old oak or stainless
Lees stirring sometimes avoided (due to natural full body of Rhone varieties), but some do it (Chapoutier’s Hermitage)
Northern Rhone environment and grape growing
Moderate continental climate
- adequate rainfall mainly in autumn and winter
Cold Mistral winds from north
(reduced fungal disease, decreases vigour - lower yields and gives concentration)
Better vineyards are on steep slopes
(increased interception of sunlight, better drainage)
Most work has to be done by hand
Appellations of Northern Rhone
Côte-Rôtie AOC
Condrieu AOC
- Ch. Grillet AOC
Saint Joseph AOC
Hermitage AOC
Crozes-Hermitage AOC
Cornas AOC
Saint-Péray AOC
Collines Rhodaniennes IGP
Côte-Rôtie AOC
Only red wines (Syrah + up to 20% Viognier)
Steep often terraced slopes (east and south-east exposure) - high sunlight interception
- most work done by hand
- erosion
- terrace maintenance
- Sheltered from winds
Rapid drainage, poor, stony soils - fully ripe grapes
Guyot, tied to one or two poles (locally known as Échalas)
Typical density 10,000 vines/ha (competition, low yields)
Lack of commercial interest before Guigal
- increased from 70 ha to 250 ha (now premium prices)
Syrah usually propagated by mass selection
Max yields are low
Winemaking emphasizes aromatic potential
- Most will destem and cold soak
- Usage of a proportion of stems is increasingly common
Typically softer and less full-bodied than rest of the N Rhone