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WSET Level 4 - D3 > France - Rhône Valley > Flashcards

France - Rhône Valley Flashcards

1
Q

What is the climate in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: Continental
  • Southern: Mediterranean
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2
Q

What are the red grape varieties in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A

Northern: Syrah
Southern: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsaut and Mourvèdre

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3
Q

What are the white grape varieties in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne
  • Southern: Blends based on Grenache Blanc
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4
Q

What is the area under vine in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: 4,000 ha
  • Southern: 66,000 ha
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5
Q

What is the difference in appellations between Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: mainly clearly defined AOCs (known as cru)
  • Southern: individual AOCs AND large volumes of basic Côtes du Rhône AOC and IGP wine
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6
Q

How much wine is produced by Côtes du Rhône AOC and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC?

A

60%

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7
Q

How much of the wine is red, white, rosé?

A
  • Red: 74%
  • White: 10%
  • Rosé: 16%
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8
Q

How much of the vineyards are organic?

A

8%

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9
Q

Syrah
Is it a vigorous variety?

A

Yes

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10
Q

Syrah
How is it trained and why?

A
  • Plants are tied to 1 or 2 poles (trellising not possible)
  • To protect it from Mistral wind
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11
Q

Syrah
Describe the typical style (color, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannin)

A
  • Deep ruby
  • Medium to pronounced intensity
  • Violet, plum (red plum in cooler years and sites, black plum in warmer years and sites), blackberry with black pepper and herbal notes
  • Medium to high acidity
  • Medium to high tannins
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12
Q

Syrah
What does it add to Southern Rhône blends?

A
  • Structure
  • Fruit
  • Color
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13
Q

Grenache Noir
Does it produce high or low yields?

A

High yields

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14
Q

Grenache Noir
Early or late ripening?

A

Late -> needs warm climate

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15
Q

Grenache Noir
How is it trained?

A
  • Bush vine, pruned short to contain its vigor
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16
Q

Grenache Noir
What soil is most suitable?

A

Dry, low fertility soil

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17
Q

Grenache Noir
What are its characteristics regarding sugar accumulation?

A
  • Accumulate sugar quickly
  • Good for Vin Doux Naturel
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18
Q

Grenache Noir
What does it contribute to the Southern Rhône blend? (color, aromas, alcohol, tannins, acidity)

A
  • Pale ruby
  • Ripe red fruit (strawberry, red plum, red cherry), spicy and herbal notes
  • High alcohol
  • Low to medium tannins
  • Low acidity
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19
Q

Mourvèdre
What is the budding/ripening time?

A
  • Late budding
  • Late ripening
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20
Q

Mourvèdre
What type of climate does it need?

A
  • Warm to hot
  • Otherwise will not ripen fully
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21
Q

Mourvèdre
How is it trained?

A

Cordon system or bush vines

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22
Q

Mourvèdre
Does it produce high or low yields?

A

Low yields

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23
Q

Mourvèdre
What is it prone to in the winery and where is it aged?

A
  • Prone to reduction -> adequate access to oxygen
  • Typically aged in old oak
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24
Q

Mourvèdre
How is it reacting to drought?

A
  • Not drought resistant
  • Needs small but regular amounts of water (chalky soils are good)
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25
Q

Mourvèdre
How is it used?

A

Almost always as part of a blend

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26
Q

Mourvèdre
What does it contribute to the blend? (color, aromas, alcohol, tannins)

A
  • Deep ruby colour
  • Blackberries, blueberries and violets
  • High alcohol
  • High, firm tannins
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27
Q

Cinsault
Does it produce high or low yields?

A

High yields

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28
Q

Cinsault
What is the budding time?

A

Late-budding

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29
Q

Cinsault
How does it react to heat and drought?

A

Drought and heat resistant

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30
Q

Cinsault
How is it typically used?

A

As a small part of Southern Rhône blends

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31
Q

Cinsault
What does it contribute to the blend? (color, intensity, aromas, alcohol, tannins)

A
  • Light ruby
  • Medium to medium(+) intensity
  • Fresh red fruit (raspberry, red cherry)
  • High alcohol
  • Low to medium tannins
32
Q

Cinsault
Is it suitable for ageing?

A
  • Aromas most prominent in the first year
  • Highly suitable for early drinking reds and rosés
33
Q

Viognier
How is the budding time?

A

Early budding

34
Q

Viognier
What are its yields and how is it grown?

A
  • Low yields
  • Trellis or poles to prevent wind damage
35
Q

Viognier
How does the timing of harvest influence the quality?

A
  • Too early: Needs full ripeness for pronounced aromas
  • Too late: lose flavor and acidity, and rapidly gain sugar -> unbalanced wine
36
Q

Viognier
Describe the typical style (color, intensity, aromas, alcohol, acidity)

A
  • Medium lemon
  • Pronounced intensity
  • Honeysuckle, apricot, and peach
  • Medium to high alcohol
  • Low acidity
37
Q

Viognier
How can it additionally be used?

A

Up to 20% in some Northern Rhône red wines from Syrah

38
Q

Marsanne
What is the budding time?

A

Late-budding

39
Q

Marsanne
What is its vigor and yields?

A
  • High vigor
  • Yields need to be kept low
40
Q

Marsanne
What soil does it thrive on?

A

Stony, low fertility soil

41
Q

Marsanne
Describe the typical style (color, intensity, aromas, texture, acidity, body, alcohol)

A
  • Medium lemon, sometimes gold
  • Low intensity
  • Honeysuckle, lemon, and apricot
  • Oily texture
  • Medium acidity
  • Full body
  • Medium to high alcohol
42
Q

Marsanne
How is it usually used in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: Single-varietal or blended with Roussanne
  • Southern: Usually part of a blend
43
Q

Roussanne
What is the budding time?

A

Late-budding

44
Q

Roussanne
What soil does it thrive on?

A

Low fertility, well-drained soil

45
Q

Roussanne
What is it vulnerable to? What does that mean?

A

Strong wind -> careful site selection

46
Q

Roussanne
What is easier and therefore, more grown? Marsanne or Roussanne?

47
Q

Roussanne
Describe the typical style (color, intensity, aromas, acidity, alcohol)

A
  • Medium lemon, sometimes gold
  • Medium to medium(+) intensity
  • Pear with herbal notes
  • Medium to medium(+) acidity
  • Medium to high alcohol
48
Q

Roussanne
How is it used in Northern and Southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: Blend with Marsanne
  • Southern: Blend with Clairette and Grenache Blanc
  • In both: Single varietal wines possible
49
Q

Grenache Blanc
What is its budding time?

A

Early budding

50
Q

Grenache Blanc
Where is it mainly grown and how is it used?

A
  • Southern part
  • Used for dry white wines and Vins Doux Naturels
51
Q

Grenache Blanc
What does it contribute to a wine? (intensity, aromas, alcohol, acidity)

A
  • Low intensity
  • Ripe green fruit and some floral notes
  • High alcohol
  • Low acidity
52
Q

Clairette
How is its vigor and yields?

A
  • High vigor
  • Needs to be pruned short to contain vigor
53
Q

Clairette
What soil does it thrive on? And where is it mostly grown?

A
  • Low fertility, dry soils
  • Southern Rhône
54
Q

Clairette
What is the ripening time?

A

Late ripening

55
Q

Clairette
What is it mostly resistant to?

56
Q

Clairette
What does it have a tendency to?

A

Oxidizing in the winery

57
Q

Clairette
How is it used?

A

White blends in Southern Rhône

58
Q

Clairette
What does it add to the blend? (Aromas, alcohol, acidity)

A
  • White flower, fennel, apple and grapefruit notes
  • High alcohol
  • Low to medium(–) acidity
59
Q

Bourboulenc
What is its ripening time?

A

Late ripening

60
Q

Bourboulenc
In what environment does it thrive? Hence, where is it planted?

A
  • Warm and dry locations
  • Southern Rhône
61
Q

Bourboulenc
How is it used and what does it contribute? (aromas, acidity, alcohol)

A
  • White southern Rhône blends
  • Lemon
  • Medium(+) acidity
  • Medium alcohol
62
Q

Winemaking
What is Grenache Noir prone to and how is it, hence, handled?

A
  • Prone to oxidation (premature loss of color)
  • Typically fermented and aged in concrete vats or stainless steel tanks
63
Q

Winemaking
What is Syrah prone to and how is it, hence, handled?

A
  • Prone to reduction
  • Pumped over more often and often aged in oak to provide gentle oxidation
64
Q

Production of red Cru-level wines
Describe the winemaking options until pressing (incl. harvest)

A
  • Harvested by hand
  • Destemmed, chilled and cold soaked
  • OR wholebunch vinification to promote more intense aromatics
65
Q

Production of red Cru-level wines
How is fermentation conducted?

A
  • Cultured or ambient yeasts
  • Warm fermentation temps
  • Maceration on the skins for 20–30 days with punch-downs, pump-overs or rack and return
66
Q

Production of red Cru-level wines
How are the wines aged?

A
  • Typicall, maturation for 12–24 months
  • Large oak vessels used for Grenache Noir
  • Small barrels for Syrah and Mourvèdre
  • Proportion of 20–30% new oak
67
Q

Inexpensive high-volume red wines
What are the winemaking options until fermentation?

A
  • Harvested by machine
  • Hand picking and carbonic maceration is an option
  • Large producers may use flash détente or thermovinification to gain a low-tannin, fruity style quickly
68
Q

Inexpensive high-volume red wines
Describe fermentation and ageing

A
  • Cultured yeasts
  • Mid-range temperatures
  • Short maceration
  • Stored in stainless steel for a few months
69
Q

Rosé Winemaking
Describe the production steps

A
  • Short, cold maceration (12–48 h)
  • Fermentation as for white wine
  • Typically aged in oak or concrete large vats or stainless steel
  • Some age in old small oak barrels to add texture
70
Q

White Winemaking
Describe the production steps

A
  • Mid-range temperatures
  • Malo sometimes avoided
  • Mostly aged in large old oak or stainless-steel vessels
  • Some wines are matured and fermented in oak
  • Lees stirring is sometimes avoided
71
Q

Wine Business
What are the major négociants, where are they located, and where do they operate?

A
  • Guigal, Jaboulet, and Chapoutier
  • Northern Rhône
  • Across the whole region
72
Q

Wine Business
What is an example for a co-op in northern and in southern Rhône?

A
  • Northern: Cave de Tain
  • Southern: Cellier des Princes
73
Q

Wine Business
How much is exported and what are the top export countries?

A
  • 1/3
  • USA, UK, Belgium
74
Q

Wine Business
What is a trend regarding the businesses involved in production and why is it happening?

A
  • More growers make their own bottlings
  • Values of wines have risen
75
Q

Wine Business
What are the three top appellations and where and for what are the wines sold?

A
  • Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • En Primeur and investment market

WSET Level 4 - D3 (56 decks)

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