Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir and Zinfandel/Primitivo Flashcards
What types of climate is Pinot Noir best suited for?
- Cool
* Moderate
What flavor characteristics are common for Pinot Noir?
• Red Fruit: - strawberry - raspberry - red cherry
• Very good or outstanding examples can age:
- mushroom
- forest floor
The Pinot Noir levels of acidity and tannin are…
- high acidity
* low to medium tannin
Where are the important regions in France for Pinot Noir?
- Bourgogne/Burgundy
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Nuits-Saint-George
- Beaune
- Pommard
Where are the important regions in USA for Pinot Noir?
- Sonoma
- Carneros
- Santa Barbara County
- Oregon
Where are the important regions in Chile for Pinot Noir?
• Casablanca Valley
Where are the important regions in South Africa for Pinot Noir?
• Walker Bay
Where are the important regions in Australia for Pinot Noir?
- Yarra Valley
* Mornington Peninsula
Where are the important regions in New Zealand for Pinot Noir?
- Martinborough
- Marlborough
- Central Otago
What type of Climate is Zinfandel/Primitivo best suited for?
• Warm
What are the varietal characteristics of Zinfandel/Primitivo?
- ripens unevenly
- full body
- high alcohol
- medium to high acidity
- medium to high tannin
What are the style and aging characteristics of Zinfandel/Primitivo?
• rosé and red wines • red wines often oaked • very good or outstanding examples of red wines can age: - earth - meat
Where are the important regions in Italy for Primitivo?
• Puglia
Where are the important regions in USA for Zinfandel?
• California
Oak aging for Pinot Noir is most often done in:
small, new barrels
large, neutral barrels
Large, neutral barrels
What is arguably the single most important region in the world for Pinot Noir?
Burgundy, France
The most acclaimed vineyards of Burgundy are found in a particular part of the region called the ___ ___, which is divided into 2 sections: a northern half and a southern half.
What are the names of those 2 sections?
Most acclaimed vineyards in the Côte d’Or.
• Northern half: Côte de Nuits
• Southern half: Côte de Beaune
In Burgundy, which direction do the best vineyards face?
Why?
South and southeast
To take advantage of as much sunlight as possible to ripen the grapes in this cool-to-moderate climate.
List the appellation hierarchy of Burgundy from lowest to highest.
- Bourgogne AOC
- Village
- Premier Cru
- Grand Cru
Describe the differences between a Bourgogne AOC wine and a Village wine.
Bourgogne AOC will show lighter body, less intensity, and less longevity.
Village-level wines will show more flavorful and complex characteristics, and be better suited for aging than Bourgogne AOC.
Name 3 famous villages for Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits.
- Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
- Vosne-Romanée AOC
- Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC
Name 3 famous villages for Pinot Noir in the Côte de Beaune.
- Pommard AOC
- Volnay AOC
- Beaune AOC
How do Village wines compare with Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines in Burgundy?
Village wines show flavor intensity, good complexity and length; they are also able to age a few years in the bottle.
Premier and Grand Cru wines are the best of the best. They are the most complex, the most concentrated, the most intense, and the vineyards are always mid-slope where the sun shines the longest. They can age for many years, even decades.
Why do some Zinfandels/Primitivos show flavors of dried fruit?
Because individual berries within a cluster can raisinate and give prune-like flavors to the wine.
What grape makes White Zindandel?
Zindandel
White Zinfandel is dry or medium-sweet?
Medium-sweet
How is White Zinfandel typically made?
- Short maceration on the skins to make it pink
* Yeasts removed before fermentation finishes to keep it sweet
