D3: Wines of the world: Rhône

Question 1

Rhône is treated here as 2 regions:

Answer 1

1) northern: continental and predominantly Syrah

2) Southern: Mediterranean and planted with several significant varieties: Grenache noir, Syrah, Cinsault & Mourvèdre
- - these make especially red somethimes Rosé

3) also whites: northern part: Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier
Southern part: usually Grenache based blends

4) Northern appellations are close to the river with the vines planted on slopes above the river itself
* creating arange of aspects depending on the course of the river

5) South: 66.000 ha, north: 4000 ha
* south vineyards at considerably distance from river

6) northern: clearly defined AOC’s known as Crus
* in the south has both individual AOC’s for example Châteauneuf du Pape, also large volumes of basic cotes du Rhone AOC and IGP wines

7) Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC produces together around 60% of all wine produced in the Rhône as a whole
8) in 2018: 74% of the aoc produced wines was red, 16% was Rosé and 10% was white

Question 2

Syrah:

Answer 2

1) need carefully training and tyin in to protect from the mistral wind
* on the steep northern part sometimes syrah is tied on 1 or 2 poles

2) it is susceptible to mites and to botrytis bunch rot
* in addition to common disease, there is also a disease called Syrah: the leaves turn red and the graft point breaks up and the vine dies

3) only black grape variety used in the north

4) Deep ruby in colour, medium to pronounced intensity aromas and flavours of violet, plum (red plum in cooler years and sites, black plum in warmer years and sites), blackberry with black pepper and herbal notes
* acidity and tannins range from medium to high
*Syrah adds structure, fruit and colour to Southern Rhône blends

Question 3

Grenache nooir:

Answer 3

1) highly yielding
2) needs warm climate to ripen
3) ripens late, so can be affected by early autumn rains
4) it upwards growth makes it very suitable to be trained as a bush vine
5) pruned short to contain its vigour
6) it does well on dry, low fertility soils

7) it has a good drought resistance, but is prone to coulure, fungal diseases: downy mildew, phomopsis and botrytis bunch rot
*also prone to bacterial necrosis or bacterial blight (a disease that kills leaves and shoots and eventually the plant
– combattng disease: plant on disease free stock and avoiding contamination from pruning tools

8) the grape can accumulate high sugars, can be an issue in making dry wines, but makes it very suitable for VDN
9) it contributes the southern rhone blends, with syrah, mourvèdre and other local varieties
10) pale ruby colour, ripe red fruit (strawberry, red plum, red cherry), spicy and herbal notes, high alcohol, low to medium tannins and low acidity