Northern Rhone Flashcards
What are the two major cities either side of the northern Rhone?
Vienna in the North
Valence In the south
What are the permitted grape varietals in the Northern Rhone?
(R) Syrah
(W) Viognier. Roussanne. Marsanne.
What Appellations in the Northern Rhone only produce red wine?
Cote Rotie
Cornas
What appellations in the Northern Rhone only produce white wine?
Condrieu
Chateau Grillet
Saint-Peray
What appellations in Northern Rhone Produce both Red and White wine?
Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage
St-Joseph
What is the climate in the Northern Rhone?
Warm continental climate
What is the most northerly appellation of the Rhone valley?
Cote Rotie
What is the Maximum blend of white grapes into a cote rotie? And what white grape is permitted?
maximum of 20% viognier (although most producers will be well below, usually up to 5%)
What are the rules with blending viognier into cote rotie?
Maximum of 20% can be used.
Grapes MUST be co-fermented.
What are the benefits of co-fermenting Viognier in cote rotie?
In poor years the over ripe viognier acts as a natural chaptalization within the wines when added to Syrah.
When co-fermented together, viognier helps to stabilize the colour of Syrah?
How long does a Cote rotie take to reach maturity?
Upwards of 10yrs
Tell me about the slopes in cote rotie?
The vines in cote rotie are planted of some of the steepest slopes in France.
They are south facing for maximum sun exposure and protection from the cool northerly winds.
The soil is schist and each vine has its own stake.
What does Cote rotie translate to?
Roasted slopes
What is Chateau-Grillet?
Chateau Grillet is a single vineyard appellation (monopole) and one of the smallest AOC’s in France, (3.5ha).
It produces wine made from 100% Viognier.
What is Condrieu AOC?
Condrieu is an appellation which only produces white wines made from 100% Viognier.
The best wines from Condrieu come from a monopole called Chateau Grillet.
What are the two most important slopes within Cote Rotie?
Cote Brune
Cote Blonde
Where is St-Joseph located?
St-Joseph overlaps the south of Condrieu and extends south on the west side of the Rhone to the north of St-Peray
What Grapes are permitted with in St-Joseph?
(R) Syrah
(W) Marsanne. Roussanne
What percentage of white wine may be blended into St-Joseph red wines?
Maximum 10% Marsanne / Roussanne
What was the region of Hermitage named after?
Named after Gaspard de Sterimberg, (sterum-bear) a knight from the crusades who retired on the hill to live the rest of his life a a hermit.
Where is Hermitage located?
Hermitage is based on the south facing slopes of a hill overlooking the town of Tain on the east banks of the river.
What percentage of white wines may be blending into Hermitage red wine?
Maximum of 15% Marsanne. Roussanne.
Although most red wines are made from 100% Syrah
What is the Hermitage Vin Paille AOC?
For the small production of vin de Paille (desert wine) produced in the region.
What are the rules of wine making on Crozes-hermitage
This is the land surrounding the hill of hermitage.
The same rules aply to crozes hermitage as they do to hermitage.
Red and white wine is permitted
red wine from a minimum of 85% syrah with a maximum of 15% marsanne roussanne.
White wines made from marsanne roussanne.
What wine is produced in Cornas?
Red wine production made from 100% Syrah
What Grapes are used to make wine from St-Peray?
Rousanne & Marssanne.
What wine is made in St-Peray?
100% White wine made from Marsanne and Roussanne.
80% of the production is sparkling wines made in the traditional champagne method.
What is the Cote du Rhone AOC used for?
This is a basic AOC labelling used rarely in the northern Rhone. Wines will be labelled as Cote du Rhone if they do not meet the requirements of the stricter AOC guidelines.
What AOC are situated on the Left bank of the Rhone river in the north of Rhone?
Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage
What AOC’s are on the right bank of the Rhone river in northern Rhone. Name them North to south.
Cote-rotie Condrieu (grillet is in condrieu) Chateau-Grillet St-Joseph Cornas St-Peray
