D3 France: Rhône Valley Flashcards
What is the difference in area under vine between the north and the south?
South 66,000 ha
North less than 4000 ha
Difference in styles of appellations between the north and the south?
North is mainly made up of several clearly defined AOCs known as Cru
South has both individual AOCs while also providing large volumes of basic Côtes du Rhône AOC and IGP wines
Which AOC’s produce around 60% of all wine produced in the Rhône as a whole?
Côtes du Rhône and Côtés du Rhône Villages
What percentage of the wines are red? White? Rosé?
74% of the AOC wine produce is Red
16% Rosé
10% white
What percentage of the production is certified organic?
8%
Describe the training method for Shiraz vines in the northern Rhône.
The vines are trained on poles (1 or 2) because trellising is not possible
What are the common diseases affecting Syrah vines?
Mites
Botrytis bunch rot
Syrah decline or disorder in which the leaves turn red and the graft point breaks up and the vine dies
What is the only black grape variety used in the crus of the north?
Syrah
What makes Grenache Noire susceptible to early autumn rains?
It’s ripens late
Describe how Grenache is often trained and why.
As a bush wine
It’s upright growth makes it very suitable to be trained as a bush fine
Pruned short to contain it’s vigor
What is Grenache susceptible to?
- Coulure
- Downy mildew
- Phomopsis
- Botrytis bunch rot
- Necrosis or bacterial blight, a disease that kills leaves and shoots and eventually the plant
How is the bacterial disease necrosis avoided in Grenache?
It is combated by planting only disease free stock and avoiding contamination from pruning tools.
What type of weather does Mourvèdre need to ripen fully?
It needs high temperatures at the end of the season to ripen fully and therefore can be under ripe if the late summer is not hot.
Is Mourvèdre drought resistant?
No it is not drought resistant. It requires small but regular amounts of water, for example from deep calcareous soil’s that stores water.
Describe the best pruning and training methods for Mourvèdre.
Best pruned short and can be grown either with a cord on system or on Bush finds
What type of yields does Mourvèdre produce?
Low yield
What types of diseases and pests is Mourvèdre susceptible to?
Mites
Leafhoppers
Sour rot, a disease that affects ripening bunches due to insect or bird damage to grapes, which then become prone to bacteria and fungi
What is a concern with Mourvèdre in the winery? How does it need to be handled?
It is prone to reduction
Care has to be taken to make sure the must has adequate access to oxygen
What does Mourvèdre contribute to a blend?
Deep Ruby color
Intense aromas of blackberries, blueberries and violets
High alcohol
High, firm tannins
What is the growing advantage of the grape variety Cinsaut?
good drought and heat resistance
What diseases and pests is Cinsaut prone to?
Chlorosis if it is growing in soil’s with excessive lime content Esca Eutypa Mites Grape months
How is Cinsaut mostly used? How is it typically fermented?
Typically used as a small part of the red blend in the south.
Typically made in a way that preserves it’s fruit flavors, mid range fermentation temperature, aged briefly in stainless steel
Is Cinsaut made for early drinking or long aging? Why?
Early drinking reds and rosé
The lifted aromas of the variety or most prominent in the first year after the wine is made
What type of climatic factor is Viognier prone to?
Spring Frost
Because it is early budding
How is Viognier usually trained?
Usually growing on a trellis or on poles to prevent wind damage
What do the yields of Viognier tend to be like? Why?
Yields tend to be low and unpredictable
This is due to poor flowering and fruits set (coulure) which reduces yields
Why is selecting the harvest date really important for Viognier?
Because it needs to be fully ripe to have it’s typical pronounced aromas but if the grapes are left too long, they lose flavor and acidity, and rapidly game sugar, resulting in unbalanced one that like flavor.
On what types of site does Marsanne best perform?
It is a vigorous and productive variety.
On stony and low fertility soils because it keeps the yields low. Therefore it does well on the slopes of the north.
What pests and diseases is Marsanne susceptible to?
Powdery mildew
Mites
Botrytis bunch rot
Describe a typical Marsanne wine. Is it usually made as a single variety or as part of a blend?
Medium lemon in color, sometimes gold, with low intensity honeysuckle, lemon and apricot fruit, and oily texture, medium acidity, full body, medium to high alcohol
In the north, either made as a variety of wine or blended with Roussanne.
In the south, usually part of a blend
On what types of sites does Roussanne best perform?
On low fertility, well drained soil’s. It has poor resistance to wind and the site must be chosen carefully.
What pests and diseases is Rosanne susceptible to?
Very susceptible to powdery mildew, Botrytis bunch rot and mites
Is more Marsanne or Roussanne grown? Why?
Marsanne
Roussanne is more difficult to grow successfully
Describe a typical Roussanne wine. How does it compare to Marsanne?
Medium lemon in color, sometimes gold, medium to medium plus intensity aromatics of pair with herbal notes, medium to medium plus acidity and medium to high alcohol.
Similar in color and structure to Marsanne but the wines tend to age quicker.
Is Roussanne usually a single variety or blend?
In the north, normally blended with other varieties, especially Marsanne
In the south, usually blended with Clairette and Grenache blanc
Some single varietal wines are made both north and south
Grenache blanc is an early budding variety. Why is this not such a big problem with spring Frost?
Because it is growing almost exclusively in the southern part
What types of wines is Grenache Blanc usually used in?
Mainly used to produce dry white blends and also to make a little VDN where it’s tendency to reach high potential alcohol levels is a benefit.
Why is Clairette suited to the south?
Because it is a vigorous variety which grows well in low fertility, dry soil’s. The southern Rhône has low rainfall.
What climatic factor is Clairette susceptible to? Why?
Prone to early autumn rains.
Late ripening.
How does Clairette need to be handled in the winery? Why?
Very carefully. It oxidizes easily.
In what types of wine is Clairette mostly used?
In white blends in the south, to add freshness and fruit, with flour, fennel, apple and grape fruit notes
What is one of the greatest advantages of the grape variety Bourboulenc?
It has loose bunches and thick skins
This gives it resistance to the treatise bunch rot, and gives it the disease resistance necessary for late ripening (it’s a late ripening variety)
What type of fermentation vessel is typical?
Large concrete vats
Some stainless steel and large wooden vessels are also in use
Typical fermentation and aging vessels for Grenache versus Syrah?
Concrete that’s or stainless steel tanks for Grenache
Because it is prone to oxidation and premature loss of color
OK for Sara
It is prone to reduction and therefore has to be pumped over more often and is often aged in Oak to provide gentle oxidation which adds cost
What style of one will hand harvesting and carbonic maceration achieve?
It will enhance color and fruit intensity and produce ones with low tenants, suitable for early drinking.
This may be used by some more inexpensive or high-volume red wines. Although most might be picked by machine and crushed and fermented.
Describe the typical production of a red cru level wine.
Harvested by hand
- Transported in small crates to ensure whole, unbroken bunches arrive at the winery
- Grapes may be the de-stemmed, chilled and cold soaked for 1 to 3 days to extract color
- Alternatively, maybe left his whole bunches or partially the stand and vinified as such, to promote more intense aromatics.
- Fermentation in stainless steel, large concrete tanks or open top wooden fermenters
- Either cultured or ambient yeast
- Fermentation at generally warm temperatures to enhance extraction of color, flavor and tannin
- Maceration on the skins for the same reasons which may last for 20 to 30 days
- Punch downs and pump overs or rack and return
- Maturation before bottling, likely 12 to 24 months in large oak vessels for Grenache and small barrels for Syrah and Mourvèdre, typically with some percentage of new, 20 to 30%
Describe the typical production of inexpensive high-volume reds.
- Typically machine harvested
- Some grapes will be crushed in the process
- Importance to process the entire volume quickly to avoid bacterial infection, therefore no cold soaking
- Another option is handpicking and carbonic maceration, which enhances color and fruit intensity to produce wines with low tannins which are suitable for early drinking
- Large producers might use flash detente or Thermo vinification for low tannin and fruity style
- Cultured yeast typical to ensure quick, reliable fermentation
- Fermentation might be at mid range temperatures to retain fruit and avoid extraction of tannin
- Stored in stainless steel for a short time before bottling
How are rosé wines typically made?
Short maceration
Grapes are pressed after cold maceration on the skins for 12 to 48 hours
Fermentation as for white wine
Period of maceration provides required depth of color, flavor intensity and light tannins
Wines typically aged in Oak or a concrete large vats or stainless steel
Some top producers will age in small oak barrels to add texture
How is the Rosie winemaking sometimes referred to?
Saignée method
But in this case the idea is to make only rose wine from the grapes and all the juice is used for them.
How are white wines typically made?
- Fermented at mid range temperatures to retain fruit
- Malolactic conversion sometimes avoided to retain natural acidity
- Most are aged in large oak or stainless steel vessels
- Natural full body of the white varieties means that lees stirring is sometimes avoided
- Some are matured in Oak, adding complexity
- Some producers will stir the lees for a yet fuller body style and might also ferment in Oak for a better fruit and oak integration. Both fermenting and maturing in small oak barrels ads cost
What is the climate in the north?
Moderate continental climate
Cold winters
Warm summers
Adequate rainfall falling mainly in the autumn and winter
What is the name of the wind that blows? Where does it blow from?
Mistral
From the north
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the mistral wind?
Advantages
Reduces incidence of fungal disease
Decreases vine vigor and leads to lower yields and higher concentration in the wines
Negatives
Lowers production quantity
Expensive for trellising
What is the most northerly appellation?
Côte Rôtie
What is the name of the trellis system in Côtes Rôtie? How are the vines trained?
Échalas
Vines are trained in single or double Guyot and tied to one or two poles
What natural factors lead to high-quality grapes in Côte Rôtie?
Steep slopes that mostly face east and south east
Those slopes lead to high sunlight interception and shelter from the winds
High levels of sunlight and heat
Rapid drainage
Poor, stony soils
What led to the revival of Côte Rôtie?
E Guigal and his son Marcel
Their single Vineyard Wines getting high scores from Robert Parker
What percentage of Viognier is permitted in the blends of Côte Rôtie? Typical?
20%, and must be co fermented.
Typically no more than 8%
Often have 0%
How are the syrah vines most commonly propagated?
Mass selection
What is the preferred rootstock for Syrah in Côte Rôtie?Why?
3309
It’s regarded as being relatively productive and the vines produce grapes with a good depth of color
Typical planting densities in Côte Rôtie? What does this lead to in the grapes?
10,000 vines perfect here
This creates competition between the vines, reducing yields and producing concentrated fruit
Maximum yield in Côte Rôtie?
40 hL/Ha
In what types of vessels does maturation often take place in Côte Rôtie?
- Small barrels, usually 225 L barriques, on the model of Guigal
- Or in larger wooden vessels, Demi-muids of 500 to 600 L are favored by many for less overt oak notes in young wines
Grape varieties and maximum yield in Condrieu?
100% Viognier
41 hL/Ha
Which direction do the Vineyards face in Condrieu? What causes this? What does it lead to?
Often south facing
Because the river returns Southwest at this point
Leading to enhanced fruit ripening
What are some of the challenges for grape growers in Condrieu?
Steep slopes
Terraces Vineyards
Soil erosion
Wind
Typical one making in Condrieu?
- Fermentation in stainless steel or large wooden vessels
- A few producers use the more expensive, small barrel, that produces wines with enhanced texture and flavor
- Can choose whether or not to allow malolactic conversion, depending on vintage, but normally it is carried out
- Typically aged on the lees for 10 to 12 months, often with lees stirring
