D3 - Northern Rhône Flashcards
Examines the regions, grapes, methods of production, and styles of Northern Rhône.
What is the climate of Northern Rhône generally?
Moderate Continental (p.99)
Note that Cornas has a warm Mediterranean climate (p.104)
What 3 maladies is Syrah susceptible to in the Northern Rhône?
- Mites;
- Botrytis bunch rot;
- Syrah decline/disorder (the leaves turn red, the graft point breaks up, and the vine dies).
Describe a typical Syrah from the Northern Rhône.
- Deep ruby;
- Medium to pronounced intensity aromas and flavors;
- Violet, plum (red plum in cooler years and sites, black plum in warmer years and sites), blackberry with black pepper and herbal notes;
- Medium to high acidity;
- Medium to high tannins.
Why is Viognier prone to spring frost?
It is early budding.
Select the correct answer.
Viognier yields tend to be prone to being:
a. low and unpredictable
b. high and consistent
a. Low and unpredictable
This is due to poor flowering and fruit set (coulure).
Give a typical profile of Viognier from the Northern Rhône.
- Medium lemon in color;
- Pronounced aromas/flavors of honeysuckle, apricot and peach;
- Medium to high alcohol;
- Low acidity.
Why does Syrah see frequent pumpovers, and why is it often aged in oak?
- Syrah is prone to reduction, which is why it has frequent pumpovers;
- Aged in oak to provide gentle oxidation.
For red Cru-level wines in the Northern and Southern Rhône, describe typical harvesting and winemaking practices.
- Grapes harvested by hand and transported in small crates;
- May be left as whole bunches, destemmed, or partially destemmed;
- Primary fermentation in stainless steel, large concrete tanks or open top wooden fermenters;
- May use either cultured or ambient yeasts;
- Fermentation is generally at warm temperatures to enhance extraction of color, flavor and tannin;
- Maceration on the skins may last for 20–30 days with punch-downs, pump-overs or rack and return;
- Maturation 12-24 months in large oak (Grenache) or smaller oak (Syrah, Mourvèdre), typically 20-30% new.
For inexpensive, high-volume red wines in the Rhône, describe typical harvesting and winemaking practices.
- Most are machine harvested, but hand-picking/carbonic maceration is an option sometimes used;
- Flash détente or thermovinification to gain a low-tannin, fruity style quickly is also sometimes used;
- Cultured yeasts to ensure reliable fermentation;
- Fermentation at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit flavors and avoid high tannin extraction;
- Maceration times usually kept short;
- Stored in stainless steel for a few months before bottling.
How are rosés typically made in the Rhône?
- Short skin maceration (12-48 hours);
- Fermentation completed as for white wine;
- Typically aged in oak, concrete, large vats, or stainless steel.
Why do white wines in the Rhône typically avoid malolactic conversion?
To retain natural acidity.
Why is lees stirring in white wines sometimes avoided in the Rhône?
The grapes already have natural full body, so for some winemakers lees stirring would pump up the body.
Name 2 effects of the Mistral wind on vines in the Northern Rhône.
- Reduces the incidence of fungal disease;
- Decreases vine vigor leading to lower yields and higher concentration in the wines, but also can lower production.
Côte Rôtie AOC produces only __ wines made with __.
Red wines made with Syrah
What is the maximum percentage of Viognier allowed in Côte Rôtie AOC?
20%
It’s often zero and normally no more than 8%, but when Viognier is used, it is co-fermented with Syrah and adds fruity and floral aromas.
Describe the vineyard landscape of Côte Rôtie AOC.
- Steep slopes, often terraced, mostly facing east and southeast –> high sunlight interception and shelter from winds from the north;
- High levels of sunlight and heat + and poor, stony, fast-draining soils result in fully ripe grapes;
- Steepness of the slopes makes it necessary to do most of the work by hand (erosion is a constant problem).
What is the maximum yield in Côte Rôtie AOC?
40 hL/ha
Who were the two people who helped revive the Côte Rôtie appellation in the late 20th century?
Etienne Guigal and his son Marcel
They started to bottle single vineyard Côte Rôties, La Mouline and La Landonne.
Describe how wine is generally made in Côte Rôtie AOC.
- Most winemakers destem, then cold soak the fruit (using a percentage of stems in the ferments is increasingly common);
- Warm fermentation temps are typical for full extraction;
- Natural yeasts frequently used (for greater perceived terroir expression) and malo takes place in cask;
- Maturation is either in small barrels (usually 225L barriques, modeling Guigal’s single-vineyard wines) or in larger wooden vessels, with demi-muids of 500–600L being favored by many for less overt oak notes in young wines.
Condrieu AOC must be 100% this grape variety.
Viognier
