Grapes and wines of Burgundy

Question 1

Describe the climate and weather in Chablis, and vineyard management techniques used to mitigate

Answer 1

Chablis has a cool continental climate
Susceptible to spring frosts (as late as May) and localised Summer hailstorms. Can destroy a considerable amount of crop.
Sprinklers and heaters are used as protective measures

Question 2

Why does vineyard location matter in Burgundy?

Answer 2

Vineyard location is extremely important in determining appellation hierarchy and quality. Factors include aspect, frost protection, and soil types.
-Basic village-level appellation: flat sites or at the bottom of slopes
-Premier Cru/Grand Cru appellations: mid-slope
Mid-slopes are less susceptible to frost.
Best slopes have a south or east aspect, maximising warmth and protecting from prevailing westerly winds
-Soil variation: due to the varied geological history of the site, soil types vary significantly over small areas. This is often linked to subtle changes in wine style, although exact amount is subject to debate.
-Soils on hillsides are shallower with better drainage, while those on flat lands are deeper and more fertile

Question 3

Describe a classic Burgundian Pinot Noir wine

Answer 3

In youth: flavours of red fruit
Evolve into flavours of earth, mushroom, game as wine matures
High acidity and low to medium levels of tannins, but varies according to vintage, producer and vineyard

Question 4

List the winemaking techniques to make Pinot Noir. How long is Pinot Noir typically aged in barrel?

Answer 4

Varies from producer to producer
Use of whole bunches is gradually gaining popularity (i.e. a version of semi-carbonic maceration where grapes are gradually crushed by punch downs and left to continue fermentation on skins).
Best wines typically undergo 16-18months ageing in barrel, and are aged in a proportion of new oak.

Question 5

Describe generally how Chardonnay style varies across Burgundy

Answer 5

Varies dramatically across Burgundy:
Chablis: steely, lean, high acid
Cote d'Or: complex and highly expressive
Macon: fuller-bodied, riper-fruit
Best examples of Chardonnay are well-balanced and complex, can mature in bottle for a decade or more.

Question 6

List winemaking techniques used to make Chardonnay. How long is Chardonnay typically aged in barrel?

Answer 6

Barrel fermentation, barrel ageing (6-9months), MLF, use of lees during maturation

Question 7

What other varieties can be found in Burgundy, and what sort of wine do they produce?

Answer 7

Aligote: neutral wines with high acidity. Can make high-quality wines where it achieves full-ripeness, but these sites are usually reserved for more profitable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Gamay: early-drinking red wine, ripe berry fruit and low tannins. Can’t be used above regional appellation level (village level and above is reserved for Pinot Noir)

Question 8

Describe the hierarchy of Chablis and its relation to vineyard location

Answer 8

Basic village Chablis: north-facing slopes and flatter land
Petit Chablis: lesser vineyards of the group planted on slopes with favourable south-facing aspects
Premier Cru/Grand Cru Chablis: south-facing hillsides

Question 9

Describe the style of Petit Chablis and Chablis

Answer 9

Can be very austere with green fruit and high acidity.

Better examples displaying riper fruit flavours

Question 10

Describe the styles of Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru

Answer 10

Riper, more concentrated fruit (citrus, rather than green apple)
More body than lesser Chablis, while still balanced by high acidity
Grand Cru and some Premier Cru are fermented in portion in old oak which gives rounder texture and subtle flavours. Some prefer to retain purer fruit flavours by fermenting and storing wines in stainless steel or concrete

Question 11

Which wines and corresponding styles are best represented by Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune?

Answer 11

Cote de Nuits produces many of the fullest-bodied, longest-lived Pinot Noir (all red GC except one found here)
Cote de Beaune produces fruitier Pinot Noir but is best known for its Chardonnays (all white GC except one found here)

Question 12

In the Cote de Beaune, which villages do NOT produce both white and red wine

Answer 12

Pommard and Volnay only produce red wine

Question 13

List the villages with the highest reputation for white wines

Answer 13

Meursault
Puligny-Montrachet
Chassagne-Montrachet

Question 14

What type of wine can a Cote de Nuits-Villages be

Answer 14

Red or white, produced from any vineyard in Cote de Nuits that does not quality for a more famous village appellation

Question 15

What type of wine can a Cote de Beaune-Villages be

Answer 15

ONLY red, can come from any of the villages on Cote de Beaune (some exceptions exist)

Question 16

Describe a typical wine from Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits and Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune

Answer 16

Because vineyards are at a higher altitude and therefore cooler, with greater exposure to winds (West), wines are typically lower bodied with less concentration

Question 17

Describe a typical wine of Cote Chalonnaise, with reference to vineyard location

Answer 17

A Cote Chalonnaise wine can be red (Pinot Noir) or white (Chardonnay), and is typically lighter and matures earlier than the Cote d’Or wines.
This is because the vineyards are at higher altitude (cooler), so harvest is later and less reliable.
Vineyards are on hillsides but their aspect is less consistently towards the east

Question 18

List the four village appellations of the Cote Chalonnaise in from north to south, and what each are best known for in terms of wine production

Answer 18

Rully (more white than red, important sparkling wine production)
Mercurey (red wines have highest reputation)
Givry (red wines have a good reputation, smallest appellation)
Montagny (only white wines)

NO GC, each have PC’s.

Question 19

List the key villages of Cote de Nuits from North to South with corresponding most famous Grand Cru sites

Answer 19

• Gevrey-Chambertin (Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Chambertin)
• Vougeot (Clos de Vougeot)
• Vosne-Romanée (La Tâche, Romanée-Conti, La Romanée)
• Nuits-Saint-Georges

Question 20

List the key villages of Cote de Beaune from North to South with corresponding most famous Grand Cru sites

Answer 20

• Aloxe-Corton (Corton, Corton-Charlemagne)
• Beaune
• Pommard
• Volnay
• Meursault
• Puligny-Montrachet (Montrachet)
• Chassagne-Montrachet (Montrachet)

Question 21

List the grape varieties of Mâconnais

Answer 21

Chardonnay - most widely planted
Gamay - more typical for reds
Some Pinot Noir

Question 22

Describe a typical good Mâcon wine

Answer 22

Red or white
White: good balance of fresh apple and citrus fruit, medium acidity, medium to full body. Possible hint of creaminess from MLF
Red: light and fruity, made for early drinking

Question 23

Describe a typical Mâcon Villages wine

Answer 23

White wine that is good value for money, e.g. from Lugny
Can come from any one or a combination of Mâconnais villages
Similar in style to white Mâcon but with more ripeness, body, and character

Question 24

What are the two most famous villages of Mâconnais? Describe vineyard locations

Answer 24

Pouilly-Fuissé
Saint-Véran

Vineyards are planted on limestone slopes of the Roche de Solutré with east and south-east exposures. Slopes are like amphitheatres, acting like natural suntraps which help ripen and produce some of the richest and ripest Chardonnays in Burgundy.

Question 25

Describe a typical Chardonnay from Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran

Answer 25

Rich, ripe notes of tropical and stone fruit, usually matured for a period of time in barrel which adds toasty oak flavours and enhances texture

Question 26

Describe the appellation hierarchy of Burgundy from lowest to highest

Answer 26

Regional appellations:
Hierarchies are based on vineyard locations/site quality
Lowest rank: Regional appellations
-Bourgogne Rouge/Blanc can come from anywhere in Burgundy, typically made of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
-Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits/Hautes Cotes de Beaune (slightly more restricted areas)
- Mâcon (red or white), Mâcon Villages (white only)

Commune/Village Appellations:
-Just the name of the commune is usually given on label e.g. Gevrey-Chambertin. If wine comes from a single vineyard, the name of the vineyard may feature

Single Vineyard: Premier Cru and Grand Cru

• more than 600 PC vineyards between Chablis, Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise. ‘Premier Cru’ must be stated on label
• Top of hierarchy: Grand Cru. 33 in Cote d’Or, 1 in Chablis. Only vineyard name is on label, with Grand Cru.

Question 27

What is a monopole?

Answer 27

A vineyard that is only entirely by a single owner

Question 28

What is the sparkling wine from Burgundy known as? How is it made?

Answer 28

Crémant de Bourgogne

Traditional method with min. 9 months on lees.