L3 - The Northern Rhone Chapter 19 Flashcards
Describe the Northern Rhone AOC
Northern Rhone
-Syrah is the only black grape permitted in this region.
-Northern part of the broader Rhone Valley which follows the Rhone Valley. This is the northern most limit where Syrah will grow.
The river valley is very narrow & steep region. Best vineyard sites are planted on steep south-facing slopes.
-Climate is moderate but grapes ripen bc of the aspect and the Rhone river which reflects sunlight
-Cold northernly winds known as mistral can easily damage Syrah vines.
-The slopes are so steep that machinery cannot be used, and vineyard work must be done by hand, which makes these wines expensive to produce
What are typical characteristics of Syrah from the Northern Rhone?
-Syrah is a thick skinned, dark grape that tends to produce deeply colored wines
– Fresh black-fruit flavors (black cherry, blackberry),
– herbal or floral aromas/
notes,
– black pepper aromas (Northern Rhone).
NOTE : Lesser sites in the Northern Rhone produce light wines with simple black fruit , herbaceous flavors and slightly grippy tannins.
But south-facing slopes in Cote Rotie and Hermitage, can produce fuller bodied wines with berry flavors and hints of pepper, often complemented by notes of meat and leather after a little aging.
Describe wines made from Viognier grapes in the Northern Rhone.
-Viognier is an aromatic grape variety
-Mainly grown in moderate climates
-typically dry with low to medium acidity
-high alcohol (because the varietal does not develop signature aromas until very late in the season, when they have achieved a high level of sugar and ripeness)
-medium to full body
-Aroma & Flavors:
–Floral aromas (blossom)
–Stone-fruit flavors (peach, apricot)
-most wines fermented in inert vessels, although some proportion are aged in new oak (light flavors of vanilla so as not to overpower delicate floral aromas)
-very small number of wines are made in an off-dry style
-Finest examples come from Condrieu AOC, which sits below Cote Rotie and above Saint Joseph.
What other white varietals as grown in the Northern Rhone aside from Viognier?
Marsanne and Roussanne are usually blended together
Marsanne (has richness and weight)
Roussanne (has acidity and perfumed characteristic but not as much as Viognier)
Can develop hazelnut aromas in bottle
Describe wines from the Cote Rotie in the Northern Rhone.
This is the northern most region of Rhone valley and the limit of Syrah’s ability to grow.
Cote Rotie translates to “roasted slope” which means tehy are well exposed to sun
Only red wines can be produced here, but a percentage of up to 20% of viognier can be added to the wines, although this is rarely done with more than a small percentage
Wine characteristics:
-deeply colored,
-full-bodied
-spicy
-best have an aromatic, floral freshness
-textural elegance that distinguishes them from Hermitage
Describe wines from the Saint Joseph region in the Northern Rhone.
Saint Joseph runs along the western bank of the Rhone, below Condrieu and above Cornas
-Majority of wines here are red, but there some whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
-Have a flavor intensity and structure similar to Hermitage
-Light-bodied wines (can incorporate carbonic maceration) with notes of pepper-perfumed aspects of the Syrah grape and even olive notes
Describe wines from the Hermitage region in the Northern Rhone.
Hermitage is located on a south-facing slope behind the town of Tain-l’Hermitage
This area is divided into different sites (called Lieux-dits)
They vary in steepness and aspect which gives the wines subtly different style and body. The best wines will have a blend of wines from these different sites, although some producers will produce from only one specific Lieux-dits
Red hermitage si generally the fullest of all the Northern Rhone wines and ages well.
1/5 of the production is white wines from Roussane and Marsanne, and very rarely up to 15% of these grapes can be blended with the Syrah.
Describe wines from the Crozes-Hermitage region in the Northern Rhone.
-Most important in terms of volume
Crozes-Hermitage lies in the vineyards on hte mixed terrain surrounding the hills of Hermitage
-red wines are made from Syrah (with option of adding up to 15% Roussane and Marsanne
-quality and style depends on the location
-lighter wines from higher yielding flatter sites in the south
-more complex, concentrated wines from vines growing on steeper slopes in teh north which may aged in oak
(not as prestigious as Hermitage or Cote Rotie)
