France: Jura & Savoie Flashcards
What is the principal grape of blended Kaefferkopf wines? What is Kaefferkopf?
Kaefferkopf is the 51st Grand Cru of Alsace. Blends from this GC must be 60-80% Gewurztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, and maximum of 30% Pinot Gris.
What Grand Cru is Clos Ste Hune made from?
Rosacker
What is the only Alsatian Grand Cru that allows for Sylvaner?
Zotzenberg
What is Bugey Cerdon?
AOP for Métode Ancenstrale sparkling rosé from Savoie, produced from Gamay and Ploussard.
Bastardo is also known as what?
Trousseau, Trousseau Noir, Cabernet Gros
In what year did Alsace receive AOC status?
1962
What was the last of the major French growing regions to receive AOC status? In what year?
Alsace; 1962
What two communes is Alsace divided between? Which contains more Grand Crus and is thought to produce higher quality wine?
Haut Rhin (in the south) and the Bas Rhin (in the north); The Haut Rhin has 2/3 of the Grand Crus of Alsace and is thought to produce higher quality wines.
What is the local pink sandstone of Alsace called?
Grés de Vosges
What are the four noble grapes of Alsace?
Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer
What grapes are allowed to be varietally labeled under the Alsace AOP? What percentage of the grape must a bottle contain to be varietally labeled? What is the exception to this rule?
Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, Pinot Noir; 100%, except Auxerrois can be blended with Pinot Blanc and still varietally labeled.
What does “Edelzwicker” translate to?
“Noble mixture”
What does it mean to find “Gentil” on a bottle of Alsace wine?
Gentil is a superior designation for blends; must contain at least 50% noble grapes
How many Grand Crus are there in Alsace? When were they designated?
51 total: 25 in 1983, 25 in 1985, and 1 in 2006
What was the last Grand Cru of Alsace to be designated? In what year?
Kaefferkopf in 2006 (over 20 years after the last designation in 1985)
What are the exceptions to the rule that Grand Cru Alsace wines must be varietal wines from noble grapes?
Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf are allowed to blend; Zotzenberg can use Sylvaner varietally
Is hand harvesting mandatory for Grand Cru Alsace?
Yes
What is the minimum alcohol for Alsace Grand Cru?
Riesling & Muscat: 11%Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer: 12.5%
What is the largest Grand Cru in Alsace? Smallest? What is the size of each?
Kanzlerberg at 3 ha; Schlossberg at 80 ha
Name two producers who abstain from the Grand Cru system in Alsace. What are their main issues with it?
Trimbach & Hugel; politics have outweighed terroir in the division of Grand Cru land and yield requirements are outrageously high.
When were the designations for late harvest wines created in Alsace? What are they, and what qualities do each try to express?
1984; Vendanges Tardives – emphasis on varietal purity; Selection de Grains Nobles – suppress varietal character in favor of botrytis
What is passerillage?
The development of complex flavor/chemical compounds that come from grapes being isolated from the nourishment of the vine and dehydrated
What are the minimum sugar levels at harvest for VT and SGN wines?
VT: 235 g/L for Muscat & Riesling; 257 g/L for Pinot Gris & GewurztraminerSGN: 276 g/L for Muscat & Riesling; 306 g/L for Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer
What AOPs of Alsace is Chardonnay allowed in?
Cremant d’Alsace AOP
What is the main grape used for Cremant d’Alsace AOP? What other grapes are used?
Pinot Blanc; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois
Where is Côtes de Toul AOP? What styles of wine from what grapes are made there?
Lorraine; reds from Pinot Noir, whites from Auxerrois and Aubin, rosé in a vin gris style from Gamay and Pinot Noir
Where is the Moselle AOP? What style of wine is made there from what grapes?
Lorraine; white, red, and rosé, principally from Auxerrois & Pinot Noir
What is the climate and soil of the Jura?
Continental climate, very mountainous, with Jurassic limestone and marl, some clay at lower sites
What red grapes are allowed in production of Côtes du Jura AOP wines?
Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir
What is the primary white grape of the Côtes du Jura AOP? What grape is allowed to be blended with it?
Chardonnay; Savagnin
What is Savagnin locally known as in the Jura?
Naturé
What grape approved for the Cotes du Jura AOP may not be used in its vin de paille production?
Pinot Noir
What are the three communal appellations of the Jura?
Arbois AOP, L’Etoile AOP, and Chateau Chalon AOP
What styles of wine are made in Arbois AOP? What commune may append its name to Arbois?
White, red, and rosé; Pupillin
What appellation of the Jura takes its name from a local fossil shaped like a star?
L’Etoile
What styles of wine are made in L’Etoile and what grapes are allowed?
Only white wines generally produced in an oxidative style; Chardonnay, Savagnin, and Poulsard (only small amounts allowed)
What is Château Chalon?
An AOP for vin jaune in the Jura
What are the aging requirements for Château Chalon?
Must be kept in barrel until December 15th of the 6th year following harvest.
What grapes are allowed in the Château Chalon AOP?
Savagnin only
What is the main difference between vin jaune and sherry?
Vin jaune is not fortified.
What is the name and size of the bottle that vin jaune is bottled in?
Clavelin; 62 cl
Under what appellations can vin de paille be made in the Jura?
Arbois, L’Etoile, or Côtes du Jura
Is vin de paille a botrytis infected wine?
No; ripe but not botrytised grapes are picked then left out to dry
What is the minimum amount of time that grapes must be left out to dry for vin de paille?
6 weeks
What is the minimum must weight for vin de paille? Because of this, what is the resultant structural profile of the finished wine?
320 g/L; high alcohol, sugar content, and acidity
What are the aging requirements for vin de paille?
Must be aged for a minimum 3 years before release, with at least 18 months in neutral oak
What methods of production may be used in Cremant du Jura AOP?
Traditional method sparkling wines only
What is Macvin du Jura? What colors may it be? What are its aging requirements?
A vin de liqueur made in the Jura; may be white, red, or rosé from the Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Poulsard; must be aged for at least 1 year in oak after mutage
What lakes moderate the continental climate of Savoie?
Lake Bourget & Lake Geneva
What is Lake Geneva known as in France, and what growing region’s climate does it most affect?
Lac Léman; Savoie
What is the most commonly grown grape of Savoie?
Jacquère
What is the synonym for Roussanne in Savoie?
Bergeron
Where is Chignin-Bergeron and what kinds of wine are made there?
A cru in the Vin de Savoie AOP; 100% Roussanne
Where are Marignan, Ripaille, and Crépy? What is the predominant grape grown?
All crus of the Vin de Savoie AOP on the southern shores of Lake Geneva; min. 80% Chasselas
Name four AOPs of Savoie other than Vin de Savoie AOP.
Roussette de Savoie AOP, Seyssel AOP, Bugey AOP, Roussette de Bugey AOP
What is a synonym for Altesse? What two appellations are based on this grape?
Roussette; Roussette de Savoie AOP & Roussette de Buge AOP
What is the grape of still wines from the Seyssel AOP? Sparkling wines?
Still wines - 100% Altesse; Sparkling wines - min. 10% Altesse, can be blended with Molette & Chasselas
What style of wines can be made in the Bugey AOP?
The traditional Bugey Cerdon – methode ancenstrale rosés from Gamay and Poulsard – as well as still wines of all three colors
Name the two Muscats grown in Alsace.
Muscat à Petit Grains Blanc Muscat Ottonel
What is the parentage of Auxerrois Blanc?
it is a Gouais Blanc x Pinot cross
How many major soil types are there in Alsace? Name three.
There are 13. Volcanic, granite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, limestone, marl, sand, loess, and loam (alone or in combination).
