FR_Rhône_North Flashcards
The Main Red and White Grapes of Northern Rhône
Red: Syrah
White: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne
7 Descriptors for Syrah
* Aroma: Black fruit, Black Pepper, Smoke
* Sweetness: Dry
* Palate: Blackberry, Blueberry, Boysenberry, White and Black Pepper, Spice, Cured Meat (bacon), Smoke
* Tannin: High
* Acidity: Med+
* Alcohol: Med+
* Body: Full
6 Descriptors for Viognier
Aroma: Tangerine, Honeysuckle, Peach (sweet aromatics)
Sweetness: Dry
Wood: Oak adds creaminess and notes of vanilla
Acid : Low
Alcohol: High
Body: Medium to Full (similar to Chardonnay)
6 Descriptors for Roussanne
2 Facts
Color: Reddish Brown (like a roux)
Aroma: Herbal Tea (chamomile) and Floral
Palate: Peaches, Pears, Honey, Hay
Acid: High
Body: Full
Texture: Rich, Silky, sometimes Oily
- More elegant and difficult to grow than Marsanne, which it is often blended with
4 Descriptors for Marsanne
2 Facts
Palate: Ripe Pear, Nutty
Sweertness: Dry (can be sweet or sparkling in Saint Péray)
Acid: Med–
Body: Med
* Ages well and best known as blending grape in Northern Rhône
Two great vintages from Northern Rhône and their Wine Spectator scores
- 2017: 97 “Reds are ripe and seductive. Whites are juicy and well-detailed”
- 2019: 96 “Reds are very concentrated and defined. Whites are more inconsistent”
8 Appellations of Northern Rhône
* Côte Rôtie “roasted slope”
* Condrieu
* Château-Grillet
* Saint-Joseph
* Crozes-Hermitage
* Hermitage
* Cornas “scorched earth” (kohr-nahs)
* Saint- Péray (San per-ray)