France - Burgundy - Chablis Flashcards
Describe the typical style of wine (variety, sweetness, body, alcohol, acidity, aromas, oak, quality, price)
- Chardonnay
- Dry
- Medium body
- Medium alcohol
- High acidity
- Green apple and lemon fruit
- No or minimal oak
- Good to outstanding quality
- Mid- to premium priced
History
Briefly describe the three phases of Chablis (incl. area under vine)
- Early 19th century: Boom due to proximity to Paris
- 19th century: Challenges of phylloxera and powdery mildew (shrinking of area under vine)
- Mid 20th century: Rural depopulation and frost of 1945 (Chablis only 500 ha)
- Recently: demand led to area under vine growing back to 5,500 ha
What is the climate?
Continental (cold winters, warm summers)
What influence does the climate have on grape growing?
- Uncertainty of ripening
- Large vintage variation
What is the avg. rainfall and what is a risk of it?
- 670mm spread throughout the year
- High threat of fungal diseases
What two other hazards are a problem?
- Spring frost
- Hail storms
What are options for managing spring frost?
- Smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
- Sprinklers (‘aspersion’): most popular but costly (premiers crus, grand cru)
- Pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst
What are the two main soil types?
- Limestone
- Clay
What are the two most used rootstocks and what are their characteristics?
- 41B (vinifera x berlandieri): High limestone tolerance
- 420A (riparia x berlandieri): Low vigour and tolerance to high pH soils
What is the typical trellising system?
Double Guyot (if frost hits, one cane may survive)
How is harvest typically conducted?
- Mostly mechanized
- Grand Crus by hand (very steep)
What is Kimmeridgian soil?
Soil with a high amount of fossilized seashells
List the four Chablis appellations
- Petit Chablis
- Chablis
- Chablis Premier Cru
- Chablis Grand Cru
Where are the vineyards in Petit Chablis and Chablis mostly located?
- Flat land or gentle slope
- North-facing slopes
What is the typical style of Petit Chablis and Chablis wines? (body, acidity, intensity, aromas)
- Light body
- High acidity
- Light (Petit) to medium (Chablis) intensity
- Green apple, lemon
What is the climate and soil in Petit Chablis?
- Higher, cooler vineyards
- Hard limestone with less clay (Portlandian soil)
What is the soil in Chablis?
Kimmeridgian
Chablis Premier Cru
How many vineyards are there, where are they located, and on what soil?
- 40
- Mostly on south- and south-east facing slopes
- Kimmeridgian
What is the difference between a climat and a lieu-dit?
- Climat: named vineyard according to AOC
- Lieu-dit: named piece of land in the land register
Chablis Premier Cru
What additional labeling can wines have?
Labels can additionally display the lieu-dit or climat the grapes come from
Chablis Grand Cru
How many vineyards are there, what are two names, where are they located, and on what soil?
- 7 (in one single Grand Cru)
- “Les Clos” and “Vaudesir”
- Next to the village on south-west facing slopes
- Kimmeridgian soil
Chablis Grand Cru
How much of production does it represent?
1%
Chablis Grand Cru
What do the south-facing slopes promote?
- Ripening
- Greater concentration
- Greater body
- Capacity to age
Chablis Grand Cru
What characteristics does the soil have?
- Good drainge (crumbly marl)
- Good water retention (high clay content)
What advantages do the south-facing, often mid-slope vineyards in Premier and Grand Cru sites have?
- Better drained
- Better protected from frost
- Better light interception -> riper fruit
- Grand cru vineyards: benefit from shelter from winds due to a belt of trees
Comment on some winemaking options (chaptalization, vessels, malo, lees ageing)
- Chaptalization: very regularly
- Vessels: Stainless steel
- Malo: Common
- Lees ageing: sometimes to enhance texture
Describe three different style of ageing Chablis (incl. example of producer)
- Old oak: Raveneau
- New oak: Fèvre
- Stainless steel: Brocard
For what type of Chablis is oak used?
- Mostly for Grand Cru
- Sometime for Premier Cru
What are the max yields for the four appellations?
- Petit Chablis and Chablis: 60 hL/ha
- Chablis Premier Cru: 58 hL/ha
- Chablis Grand Cru: 54 hL/ha
What three businesses are involved?
- Négociants (merchants)
- Domaines (estates)
- Co-ops
What is the biggest co-op, how much wine does it produce, and at what levels?
- La Chablisienne
- 1/3 of all wine
- All levels of appellations
What are the two main drivers of price?
- Domaine
- Level of appellation
What are the price levels of the four appellations?
- Petit Chablis and Chablis: Mid-priced, some premium
- Chablis Premier and Grand Cru: Premium to super-premium
