D3.C7. The Rhone Valley Flashcards
What is the difference between northern and southern Rhone in terms of climate and the grapes that are produced?
- Northern Rhône being continental in
climate and predominantly planted with Syrah - Southern Rhône has a Mediterranean
climate and is planted with several significant varieties, especially Grenache Noir, Syrah,
Cinsaut and Mourvèdre
What is the difference between northern and southern Rhone in terms of area under vine?
- Northern Rhone: 4.000 ha
- Southern Rhone: 66.000 ha
What is the difference between northern and southern Rhone in terms of location of the vineyards in relation with the Rhone river?
- Northern appellations are close to the river, with vines planted on slopes above the river itself, creating a range of aspects depending on the course of the river
- Southern vineyards are at considerable distances from the river
What is the difference between northern and southern Rhone in terms of appellations?
- The north is mainly made up of several clearly defined AOCs (known as cru)
- South has bothindividual AOCs, for example, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, while also providing large volumes of basic Côtes du Rhône AOC and IGP wine
The appellations Côtes du Rhône AOC and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC together produce around how many per cent of all wine produced in the Rhône as a whole?
60%
What are the percentages of red, rosé and white AOC wines produced in Rhone?
Red: 74%
Rosé: 16%
White: 10%
Why does Syrah need careful training and tying?
To protect it from the Mistral wind.
On the steep slopes of the top northern Rhône appellations, how is Syrah tied?
Individual plants are often tied to one or two poles as trellising is not possible, adding to cost
Syrah is susceptible to which diseases?
- Mites
- Botrytis bunch rot
- Syrah decline which the leaves turn red and the graft point breaks up and the vine dies
Tasting notes for a Northern Rhone Yyrah.
- 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), blackberrywith black pepper and herbal notes
- Acidity and tannins range from medium to high
What does Syrah add to Southern Rhone blends?
Structure, fruit and color
Why is Grenache Noir is very suitable to be trained as a bush vine?
Because of its upright growth
What are the viticultural properties of Grenache Noir?
- It ripens late and therefore can be affected by early autumn rains
- It does well on dry, low fertility soils
- It has good drought resistance
- It is prone to coulure, fungal diseases downy mildew, phomopsis and botrytis bunch rot, also prone to bacterial necrosis or bacterial blight
- It can accumulate high sugar levels quickly, which can be an issue in dry wines but makes it very suitable for producing Vin Doux Naturel
What does Grenache Noir add to Southern Rhone Blends?
- Pale ruby colour
- Ripe red fruit (strawberry, red plum, red cherry), spicy and herbal notes
- High alcohol
- Low to medium tannins
- Low acidity
and low acidity.
What are the viticultural properties of Mourvèdre?
- It is a late budding and late ripening variety that only thrives in warm to hot climates
- It is not drought resistant but requires small but regular amounts of water
- Best pruned short and can be grown either with a cordon system or on bush vines
- It produces low yields
- It is prone to mites, leafhoppers and sour rot
What is the important measure that has to be taken during the vinification process of Mourvèdre?
It is strongly prone to reduction and therefore care has to be taken to make sure the must has adequate access to oxygen
What does Mourvèdre contribute to Southern Rhone blends?
- Deep ruby colour
- Intense aromas of blackberries, blueberries and violets
- High alcohol
- High, firm tannins
What are the viticultural properties of Cinsault?
- It is a late-budding and high-yielding variety
- It has good drought and heat resistance
- To produce the highest quality wine, yields must be restricted
- If grown on soils with excessive lime it is can suffer from chlorosis
- Prone to esca, eutypa, mites and grape moths
What does Cinsault contribute to Southern Rhone blends?
- Light ruby colour
- Medium to medium (+) intense aromas of fresh red fruit (raspberry, red cherry)
- High alcohol
- Low to medium tannins
What are the viticultural properties of Viognier?
- It is an early budding white variety and therefore prone to spring frost
- Normally grown on a trellis or on poles to prevent wind damage
- Yields tend to be low and unpredictable due to poor flowering and fruit set (coulure) reducing returns
- Picking must be judged very accurately as the fruit needs to be fully ripe to have its typical pronounced aromas
- Fruit needs to be fully ripe to have its typical pronounced aromas
- if the grapes are left too long, they lose flavour and acidity, and rapidly gain sugar, resulting in
unbalanced wines that lack flavour
Tasting notes for a Northern Rhone Viognier
- Medium lemon in colour
- Pronounced aromas and flavours of
honeysuckle, apricot and peach, - Medium to high alcohol
- Low acidity
What are the viticultural properties of Marsanne?
- Late-budding white variety (helping it to avoid spring frosts)
- Vigorous and productive
- Yields must be kept low to reduce the amount of fruit being ripened
- Performs best on stony and low fertility soils so does well on the slopes of the northern Rhône Valley
- Prone to powdery mildew, mites and botrytis bunch rot
Tasting notes for Marsanne
- Medium lemon in colour, sometimes gold
- Low intensity honeysuckle, lemon and apricot fruit, an oily texture
- Medium acidity
- Full bodied
- Medium to high alcohol
What are the viticultural properties of Roussanne?
- Late budding white variety that grows best on low fertility, well-drained soils
- Poor resistance to wind and therefore sites must be chosen carefully
- Susceptible to coulure and very susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and mites
- It is more difficult to grow successfully than Marsanne and therefore less commonly grown in the Rhône Valley
Tasting notes for Roussanne
- Medium lemon in colour, sometimes gold
- Medium to medium (+) intensity aromatics of pear with herbal notes
- Medium to medium (+) acidity
- Medium to high alcohol
How is Roussanne different than Marsanne?
Roussanne is similar in colour and structure to Marsanne but the wines tend to age quicker
Is Roussanne usually used to produce varietal wines
it is normally blended with other varieties, especially Marsanne in the northern Rhône and Clairette and Grenache Blanc in the southern Rhône, though single varietal wines are made in both
What are the viticultural properties of Grenache Blanc?
- Relatively early budding, but this is only occasionally a problem with spring frost as it is mainly grown in the mild south of France and in Spain
- It has good wind resistance
- In the Rhône it is grown almost exclusively
in the southern part, where its tendency to reach high potential alcohol levels is a benefit where it is mainly used to produce dry white blends and also a little Vins Doux Naturels
Tasting notes for Grenache Blanc
- Low intensity ripe green fruit and some floral notes,
- High alcohol
- Low acidity.
What are the viticultural properties of Clairette?
- It is a vigorous variety
- It grows well in low fertility, dry soils and is therefore well suited to the southern Rhône and its low rainfall
- To contain the vigour, it needs to be pruned short and excessive buds removed
- Grows very upright and has the advantage of being relatively wind resistant without staking
- Ripens late and therefore can be prone to early autumn rains
What is the important measure that has to be taken during the vinification process of Clairette?
It needs careful handling in the winery as it oxidises easily
What does Clairette adds to Suthern Rhone blends?
- Adds freshness and fruit, with white flower, fennel, apple and grapefruit notes
- High alcohol
- Low to medium (–) acidity
What are the traditional preferred vessels for fermentation and maturation in Rhone Valley?
- Concrete vats for fermentation (though stainless steel and large wooden vessels are also in use)
- Small and large wooden vessels for maturation
What are the preferred vessels for fermentation and maturation of Grenache Noir? Why?
Grenache Noir is prone to oxidation and premature loss of colour if it is exposed to too much oxygen and therefore is typically
fermented and aged in concrete vats or stainless steel tanks
What are the preferred vessels for maturation of Syrah? Why?
Syrah is prone to reduction and therefore has to be pumped over more often and is often aged in oak to provide gentle oxidation, adding to cost
Are new French barriques used for the maturation of Syrah in Rhone?
Some high-quality producers in the northern Rhône use a proportion of new French oak barriques but it is less prevalent than in the 1990s.
What are the winemaking choices for the production of red, cru-level wines in Rhone Valley?
- Grapes are harvested by hand and transported in small crates
- Grapes may be destemmed, chilled and cold soaked for 1–3 days to extract colour
- Alternatively, grapes may be left as whole bunches (or partially destemmed) and vinified
as such, to promote more intense aromatics - Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel, large concrete tanks or open top wooden fermenters
- Either cultured or ambient yeasts can be used
- Fermentation is generally at warm temperatures to enhance extraction
- Maceration on the skins may last for 20–30 days with punch-downs, pump-overs or rack and return
- A period of maturation before bottling, likely 12–24 months, is common with large oak vessels used for Grenache Noir and small barrels for Syrah and Mourvèdre, typically with a proportion of 20–30 per cent new
What are the winemaking choices for the production of inexpensive high-volume red wines in Rhone Valley?
- Harvesting by machine
- Hand picking and carbonic maceration is an optionfor some to enhance colour and fruit intensity and produce wines with low tannins (early drinking)
- Large producers may use flash détente or thermovinification to gain a low-tannin, fruity style quickly
- Cultured yeasts will typically be used to ensure quick, reliable fermentation to dryness
- Fermentation may occur at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit flavours and avoid the extraction of high levels of tannin
- Maceration times may be kept short
- Wines may be stored in stainless steel for a few months before bottling
What are the winemaking choices for the production of rosé wines in Rhone Valley?
- Typically made through a short maceration, where the grapes are pressed after cold maceration on the skins for 12–48 hours
- Fermentation is then completed as for a white wine
- The wines are typically aged in oak or concrete large vats or stainless steel though some producers will age some top wines in old small oak barrels to add texture
What are the winemaking choices for the production of white wines in Rhone Valley?
- Fermentation at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit
- Malolactic conversion is sometimes avoided to retain natural acidity
- Most wines are aged in large old oak or stainless-steel vessels
- Natural full body of the white Rhône varieties means that lees stirring is sometimes avoided, though some do stir the lees for a yet fuller-bodied style (e.g. M. Chapoutier’s Hermitage)
- Some wines are matured in oak, adding a layer of complexity and occasionally also
fermented in oak for better fruit-oak integration (adding cost)
What is the climate of Northern Rhone
Northern Rhone has moderate continental climate with cold winters, warm summers and
adequate rainfall falling mainly in the autumn and the winter
What are the advantages of cold Mistral wind?
- Reduces the incidence of fungal disease
- Decreases vine vigour and leads to lower yields and higher concentration in the wines
What are the disadvantages of cold Mistral wind?
- It can damage the vine
- It lowers the production
What is the distance between the most northerly and southerly vineyards in Northern Rhone? How does this affect the crop quality?
- It is over 65 kilometres (40 miles)
- It result in better ripening in the southern part of the region
Why are the better vineyards located on steep slopes in Northern Rhone?
- To increase the interception of sunlight
- To promote better drainage
- However, most work has to be done by hand, raising cost
What is the location and aspect of vineyards in Cote Rotie?
The vineyards are on steep slopes, often terraced, that mostly face east and south-east, making for high sunlight interception and are sheltered from the winds from the north
Which environmental and climatic factors enables fully ripe grapes in Cote Rotie?
- The high levels of sunlight and heat
- Rapid drainage
- Poor, stony soils
What is the preferred vine training method in Cote Rotie?
Individual vines are single- or double-Guyot trained and are tied to one or two poles (known locally as échalas)
Which persons revived Cote Rotie Appellation after the plantings in the appellation had shrunk to just 70 ha in the early 1970s
- Etienne Guigal and his son Marcel, and their single-vineyard Côte-Rôties (initially La Mouline and La Landonne)
- Robert Parker who gave high scores to these wines
Which grapes are allowed in Cote Rotie
All wines are red and made from Syrah, with up to 20 per cent of Viognier permitted (in practice, often zero and normally no more than 8 per cent)
How are the Syrah vines propagated in Cote Rotie?
By mass selection
Which rootstock is preferred in Cote Rotie? Why?
- Rootstock 3309
- It is regarded as being relatively productive and the vines produce grapes with a good depth of colour
What is the planting density in Cote Rotie?
10,000 vines per hectare, creating competition between the vines, reducing yields and producing concentrated fruit in the wines
What is the maximum allowed yield in Cote Rotie?
40 hL/ha.
What are the winemaking choices for the production of Cote Rotie?
- When both grape varieties are used, they must be co-fermented
- Winemaking emphasises the aromatic potential of the wines
- Most choosing to destem and then cold soak the
fruit, but usage of a percentage of stems in the ferments is increasingly common - Warm fermentation temperatures are typical, for full extraction
- Natural yeasts are frequently used (for greater perceived terroir expression)
- Malolactic fermentation takes place in cask
- Maturation is either in small barrels (usually 225 L barriques, on the model of Guigal’s single-vineyard wines) or in larger wooden vessels, with demi-muids of 500–600 L being favoured by many for less overt oak notes in young
wines
Which environmental and climatic factors enables fully ripe grapes in Condrieu?
- The river turns southwest at this point, meaning the vineyards are often south-facing
- Vines are grown on steep, low fertility, rocky slopes, often in terraced vineyards, with constant challenges from soil erosion and wind
What is the single state AOC appellation within Condrieu?
Château-Grillet AOC, which created the reputation of Viognier (some of it domaine-bottled from the
1830s onwards)
What are the winemaking choices for the production of Condrieu?
- Most Condrieu is fermented in stainless steel or large wooden vessels
- Few producers using the more expensive, small barrel, that produces wines with enhanced texture and flavour
- Producers can choose whether or not to allow malolactic conversion to take place, depending on the vintage but is normally carried out
- Wines typically aged on the lees for 10–12 months often with lees stirring
What is the change made on Saint Joseph Appellation in 1994?
It was extended in 1994, which included some sites not on hillsides that normally produce lower quality wines. However confidence within the appellation has grown and today the debate is whether to reduce the appellation and limit it to hillside slopes only
