France - Burgundy - Côte d'Or & other Flashcards
What is the name of the individual named plots?
Climats
How long is this sub-region?
130km (from Dijon to Mâcon)
What is the general quality and price?
- Good to outstanding
- Mid- to super-premium priced
What are the three main grape varieties in the WHOLE burgundy (incl. percentages)?
- Chardonnay (50%)
- Pinot Noir (41%)
- Aligoté (6%)
What is the percentage of Pinot Noir in the Côte d’Or?
> 60%
What is the climate
Moderate continental (cold winters and warm summers)
Why are Pinot Noir and Cardonnay well suited to the climate?
Early ripening
What is the avg. annual rainfall?
700mm
By what is the Côte d’Or protected?
Morvan hills to the west
What is a priority for growers with respect to Pinot Noir?
Ripeness of skins and seeds (difficult in cool vintages)
What are the four major environmental threats?
- Spring frost
- Hail
- Untimely rain
- Drought-stress
Is there much vintage variation?
Yes, marked vintage variations due to northerly location
What measures can reduce hail damage?
- Sorting tables (damaged or rotten berries)
- Hail netting
- Seed thunderclouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation
When is hail a problem?
- April–May: damage of early growth -> reduced yields or even total loss of the crop
- Hail later in the season: fruit damage and rot
Is irrigation permitted?
NO
When and why is water-stress a problem? And what is the effect?
- Very hot vintages
- Grape shrivelling and vines shut down
Describe the topography of vineyards (incl. elevation, aspect)
- Range of hills oriented north-south
- Elevations: 200-400 metres
- Aspect: East-facing, with some south-east or southerly in aspect
Why are the best sites located mid-slope?
- Well-draining, shallow soils
- Good sunlight interception
- Comparative frost protection
- Better ripening potential
Compare vineyard at the very top and bottom of the slope
- Top: very poor, thin soil and exposed to cooling winds
- Bottom: deeper soils and vulnerable to frost
Where are the best south, south-east facing slopes in Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais?
- Côte Chalonnaise: Bouzeron and Rully
- Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé
What are the two main soil types?
- Limestone
- Clay
Describe the proportion of limestone and clay across the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, and Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais
- Côte de Nuits: Dominated by limestone (Pinot Noir)
- Côte de Beaune: Deep soil and more clay (Chardonnay)
- Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Mixed
Why is the depth of the soil a typical problem and what characteristics does it lead to?
- Movement of soils down the slopes by erosion (even in gently sloping vineyards)
- Thinner soils at higher elevations: too little soil for vines to thrive
- Deeper soils at the bottom: poorer drainage and more clay with greater fertility (-> increased shading -> less ripe fruit)
What two grape varieties had significant plantings in the early 20th century?
- Aligoté
- Gamay
Chardonnay
What are the budding/ripening times and their consequences?
- Early budding: susceptible to spring frosts
- Early ripening: suitable to grow in a cool region
Chardonnay
Suitable for higher yields?
Yes, without loss of quality
Chardonnay
What is it susceptible to?
- Grey rot
- Powdery mildew
- Millerandage
- Grapevine yellows
Chardonnay
What is the typical style in the Côte d’Or? (aromas, body, acidity)
- Ripe citrus, melon, and stone fruit
- Medium to medium(+) body
- Medium(+) to high acidity
Chardonnay
What is the main challenge for producing high quality?
Vigour management to avoid excessive yield and shading
Pinot Noir
What are the budding/ripening times and their consequences?
- Early budding: susceptible to spring frosts
- Early ripening: suitable to grow in a cool region
Pinot Noir
Suitable for higher yields?
No, would result in lower quality
Pinot Noir
What is it susceptible to?
- Millerandage
- Downy and powdery mildew
- Botrytis bunch rot
- Fan leaf and leaf roll viruses
Pinot Noir
What is the main challenge for producing high quality?
Whether the fruit will ripen sufficiently to achieve the desired ripeness
What is the trade-off for producers in choosing appropriate clones?
- Plant a single clone -> more uniform fruit profile
- Plant a mix -> greater diversity in grape characteristics and potentially more resistance to disease
Pinot Noir
Describe the typical style (aromas, tannins, alcohol, acidity, ageing)
- Strawberry, raspberry and red cherry flavours with village wines and above having light, oak- derived flavours (smoke, clove)
- Low to medium tannins (Grand cru wines can have medium (+) tannins)
- Medium alcohol
- High acidity
- Develop earth, game and mushroom notes with time in bottle
In what aspects do clones vary?
- Yield
- Disease tolerance
- Speed of ripening
- Fruit characteristics
Vineyard Management
What are the three main trellising methods?
- Cordon de Royat
- Guyot
- Poussard-Guyot
Vineyard Management
What is the aim of Poussard-Guyot?
- Softer pruning method
- Pruning wounds only on the upper part of the cordon
- Reduce incidents of trunk diseases
Vineyard Management
What is the downside of Poussard-Guyot?
Requires skilled vineyard workers