France - Burgundy - Beaujolais Flashcards

1
Q

What is the main grape variety (incl. percentage)?

A

Gamay (98%)

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2
Q

What is the quantity compared to the rest of Burgundy?

A

Similar volume than the rest of Burgundy together

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3
Q

What two other styles of wines are produced?

A
  • Tiny amount of rosé (Gamay)
  • Tiny amount of white (mainly Chardonnay)
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4
Q

How is the climate? How compared to Burgundy?

A
  • Continental
  • Slightly warmer than Burgundy
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5
Q

What is the avg. yearly rainfall?

A

740mm

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6
Q

What are two factors that influence the climate? In what way?

A
  • Saone River -> moderating influence
  • Cold Mistral wind -> cooling influence
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7
Q

What effect can the cold Mistral wind have on grape growing?

A
  • Can affect flowering in cold, damp early summer weather
  • Can damage leaves and grapes towards the end of the ripening period
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8
Q

What can be done to mitigate the risks of the cold Mistral wind?

A
  • Vine orientation
  • Training low to the ground
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9
Q

What are the three classifications? (descending in quality)

A
  • Beaujolais Cru
  • Beaujolais-Villages
  • Beaujolais
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10
Q

Describe the location, topography, and soils for Beaujolais Cru and Beaujolais-Villages

A
  • Northern part
  • Hilly (200–500 m)
  • Fast-draining granite, schist and sandy soils
  • South and south-east facing slopes
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11
Q

Describe the location, topography, and soils for Beaujolais AOC

A
  • Southern part
  • Richer soil
  • Flatter
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12
Q

Gamay
What is the budding/ripening time?

A
  • Early budding -> spring frost
  • Early ripening -> early harvest
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13
Q

Gamay
What is it susceptible to?

A
  • Spring frost
  • Millerandage
  • Rot (delicate skin)
  • Wind
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14
Q

Gamay
On what does the style depend on?

A

Ripeness of grapes (incl. skins and seeds)

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15
Q

Gamay
Describe a fully ripe and less-ripe wine

A
  • Fully ripe: Intense fruit character
  • Less ripe: Green leafy character
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16
Q

Gamay
What is important to produce concentrated ripe grapes?

A

Yield control, e.g., restrain number of buds

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17
Q

Gamay
How were vines traditionally trained, why, and where is it still done like that?

A
  • Bushes
  • Protection from wind
  • Steeper slopes
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18
Q

Gamay
How are vines increasingly trained and why?

A

Trained on trellises to aid mechanization

19
Q

Gamay
How is harvest conducted and why?

A
  • By hand
  • Whole bunch fermentation is common
20
Q

What other variety is planted, where, and on what soil does it grow best?

A
  • Chardonnay
  • North of Beaujolais, close to Mâcon villages
  • Cooler marl or limestone soil to slow down ripening and preserve acidity
21
Q

Winemaking
Describe the typical Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages (method, chaptalisation, time on skins, aim, blending, ageing, profile, aromas)

A
  • Mostly semi-carbonic maceration
  • Chaptalisation is common
  • 4-5 days on skins
  • Aim: enhance fruitiness and depth of color -> ready for early consumption
  • Press wine is blended with free-run wine for added color and tannins
  • Short ageing in stainless steel and released early -> reducing costs
  • Red fruit and kirsch, banana, and blueberry
22
Q

Winemaking
What are the two options for Cru Beaujolais in terms of skins contact?

A
  • Extended maceration time (10–20 days)
  • Destemmeing, crushing, and maceration like a normal red wine
23
Q

Winemaking
Describe Cru Beaujolais that are made as normal red wines in terms of ageing, color, body, and tannin.

A
  • Ageing in small or large barrels (some new oak)
  • Deeper color
  • Fuller body
  • Higher tannin
24
Q

Beaujolais Nouveau
How can the wines be labelled?

A
  • Beaujolais Nouveau
  • Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau
25
Q

Beaujolais Nouveau
Describe the winemaking process (maceration, ageing, malo, fining, filtration, SO2, release date)

A
  • Carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration
  • Bottled 3–5 days after fermentation
  • Some do malolactic conversion
  • Commonly fined and sterile filtered
  • Moderate to high use of SO2
  • Third Thursday in November (VERY early)
26
Q

Beaujolais
What is the max yield and what does it mean for the final wines?

A
  • 60 hL/ha
  • Low flavor intensity
27
Q

Beaujolais
Describe the quality and price of the wines

A
  • Good quality
  • Inexpensive
28
Q

Beaujolais-Villages
Why are these wines better than normal Beaujolais?

A

Higher level of ripeness

29
Q

Beaujolais-Villages
What is the max yield?

A

58 hL/ha

30
Q

Beaujolais-Villages
Where is it located?

A

In the north, alongside the ten single crus

31
Q

Beaujolais-Villages
Describe the typical style (color, intensity, aromas, acidity, body, alcohol, tannins, quality, price)

A
  • Purple
  • Medium intensity
  • Fresh red cherry, raspberry, red plum (often kirsch and banana aromas)
  • Medium(+) to high acidity
  • Light to medium(–) body
  • Medium alcohol
  • Light to medium tannins
  • Good to very good quality
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced
32
Q

Beaujolais-Villages / Cru
How are the wines from top producers different? (vineyard, ageing, intensity, tannins, quality, price)

A
  • Often organic with old vines
  • May be aged in oak
  • Medium(+) to pronounced intensity
  • Medium tannins
  • Very good to outstanding quality
  • Premium and (for Beaujolais Crus) super-premium priced
33
Q

Beaujolais Crus
How many are there and what is their rough size?

A
  • 10
  • 250-1,300 ha
34
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Name the 5 most important Crus

A
  • Brouilly
  • Chiroubles
  • Fleurie
  • Moulin-à-Vent
  • Morgon
35
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Describe specifics and the style of wines from Brouilly

A
  • Most southern
  • Warmer
  • Lighter, more perfumed wines
36
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Describe specifics and the style of wines from Chiroubles

A
  • Highest altitude
  • Lighter and fragrant wines
  • High acidity
37
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Describe specifics and the style of wines from Fleurie

A
  • South: sandy soils -> lighter, more fragrant wine
  • North: more clay -> lower acidity and fuller body
38
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Describe specifics and the style of wines from Moulin-à-Vent

A
  • Most powerful and long-lived wines
  • Closer in style to Côte d’Or red wines
39
Q

Beaujolais Crus
Describe specifics and the style of wines from Morgon

A
  • Pronounced intensity black cherry fruit alongside red fruit
  • Sufficient tannins to age for a decade in bottle
40
Q

Why are Burgundy growers interested in the region and what effects did it have?

A
  • Land prices are cheaper
  • Looking to diversify
  • Helped drive quality
  • Trend away from carbonic maceration and the increased use of oak
41
Q

Wine Business
How much is exported?

A

40%

42
Q

Wine Business
What are the top 3 export markets?

A
  • Japan
  • USA
  • UK
43
Q

Wine Business
What is the avg. size of holdings?

A

10 ha

44
Q

Wine Business
How much wine is produced as Nouveau?

A

25%