Northern Rhône Flashcards
What is the min. potential alcohol for an Hermitage Rouge?
10.5% abv
Name two grapes allowed in Cremant de Die?
Clairette
Aligote
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
What domaine produces “Ermitage Cuveé Cathelin” in exceptional vintages?
Jean-Louis Chave
How much Viognier is allowed in a Saint-Joseph AOP rouge?
0%! (Marsanne and Rousanne are allowed up to 10%)
Name Guigal’s the three “La-La” iconic Cote-Rotie wines (and their respective years they were established)
La Mouline (1966)
La Landonne (1978)
La Turque (1985)
Name the Northern Rhône based AOP that is based on 100% Syrah
Cornas AOP
Which AOP are the Cote Brune and Cote Blonde located?
Côte Rôtie AOP
List the styles of wine permitted for Hermitage AOP and grapes allowed for each:
BLANC: Marsanne/Roussanne
ROUGE: min. 85% Syrah w/ up to 15% Marsanne/Rousanne
VIN DE PAILLE (BLANC): Marsanne/Rousanne
Name the three overlapping AOP’s in the Northern Rhône based (for the most part) on Clairette
Crémant de Die AOP
Clairette de Die AOP
Coteaux de Die AOP
Cornas is divided into what four Lieu-dits?
Les Chaillot
Les Reynards
Les Cote
Les Mazards
Vin de Paille Ermitage grapes must be dried a minimum of _______ days before being vinified
45 days
What were the original three communes of Condrieu?
Condrieu
Verins
Saint-Michel-Sur-Rhône
Who is the current owner of Chateau Grillet?
François Pinault (Chateau Latour)
The slope of Hermitage overlooks which town?
Tain l’Hermitage
Arzelle is the local name for the rich, powdery mica topsoil most prevalent in which AOC?
Condrieu AOP
True or False: St. Peray may produce both red and white wine.
False- St. Peray only produces whites
Wines under Coteaux de Die AOP are made from which grape?
100% Clairette
Delas is now owned by which major Champagne house?
Louis Roderer (1993)
What’s the main red grape of Chatillon-en-dois and the min. % required in the blend?
GAMAY (min. 75%) w/ Syrah and Pinot Noir
What is the name of the granite soil of Cornas?
Gore
Which AOP produces a Gamay dominated wine?
Chatillon en Dois
Which AOP produces a white wine from Chardonnay and Aligote?
Chatillon en Dois
Which AOP can produce Methode Dioise Ancestral? (What’s the dominant grape?)
Clairette de Die: (Min. 75% Muscat a Petits Grains & Clairette)
Which AOP’s must be 100% Clairette in N. Rhône?
Clairette di Die (Blanc Mousseux)
Coteaux de Die (Blanc)
Which departments make up the N. Rhône?
Rhône
Drome
Ardeche
Loire
What’re the communes that make up Côte Rotie?
Saint-Cyr-sur-Rhône
Ampuis
Tupin-Semons
What’s the max combined amount of white grapes that can be in Hermitage Rouge?
15% of Marsanne and Rousanne
What’s the thin powdery topsoil called in Condrieu?
Arzelle- rich in decomposed mica
Cuvée Cathelin is made by what producer?
Domaine Jean Louis Chave
Name three years in which Cuvee Cathelin was produced?
1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2015
The Lieu-dits of “Les Reynards” and “La Côte” are found in which AOP?
Cornas
What’s the primary grape in Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale?
Muscat a Petit Grains (min. 75%)
In what N. Rhône AOP will you find wines made from Gamay, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligote?
Châtillon-en-Diois
Name three producers of Côte-Rôtie AOP
Jamet
Guigal
Rostaing
Ogier
Name a Cornas producer that produces Cornas “Chaillot” and “Reynards”.
Thierry Allemand
Which lieux dit is the base of Chave’s famous Hermitage Blanc?
Peleat
Does the Northern or Southern Rhône produce more wine?
Southern Rhône (produces 10 times more than Northern
Name three Cornas producers
Thierry Allemand
Courbis Brothers
Auguste Clape
Jean Luc Columbo
Domaine du Tunnel
Which AOP would we be in if we were drinking some wines from “Mauves?”
Saint Joseph
What’re the six original communes for Saint Joseph? (Any pneumonics to help remember them?)
Glun (Glen)
Lemps (Loves)
Tournon (Titties)
Vion (Very)
Mauves (Much)
St Jean du Muzols (Sir)
Does St- Peray produce red wine?
No
What % of Côte Rotie’s vineyards does Guigal own?
40%
Does the Côte Brune or Côte Blonde have more granitic soils?
Côte Blonde
How long are Guigal’s “La-La wines” aged in oak?
42 months
Smallest AOP of Rhône Valley?
Chateau Grillet AOP- 3.8 ha (9.4 acres)
How long do grapes for Hermitage Vin de Paille have to be dried?
45 days
What’s the name of the major Co-op in Crozes Hermitage?
Cave de Tain
Does Roussanne or Marsanne have higher acidity?
Roussanne
Who makes “Offerus” in Saint-Joseph AOP?
Jean-Louis Chave Selections (negociant project of the Chave family.
Who makes “Ampodium” in Côte-Rôtie AOP?
Rene Rostaing
Who makes “Chateau d’Ampuis” in Côte-Rôtie AOP? (Is the style more modern or traditional?)
Guigal (traditional)
Who makes “La Belle Helene” in Côte-Rôtie AOP?
Stéphane Ogier
Who makes “Coteaux de Vernon” in Condrieu AOP?
Georges Vernay
Who makes “La Chapelle” in Hermitage AOP?
Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Who makes “Domaine des Tourettes” in Hermitage AOP?
Delas Frères
What is Delas’s “flagship wine”?
Le Bessards
Who owns Delas?
Roederer (also owns Deutz)
Which AOP uses Gamay in Northern Rhône?
Chatillon en Dios
What’re most wines from Seyssuel sold as?
Colline Rhodianess
Which AOP is Domaine Jamet based in?
Côte-Rôtie
Name three “La Landonne” producers
Guigal
Rostaing
Jean-Michel Gerin
Who produces “La Belle Hellene” in Côte-Rôtie?
Michel & Stephane Ogier - first bottled by Stéphane’s father and named after his mother. (grapes come from Côte Rozier and are oldest vines of estate)
Who produces “Coteaux du Vernon” from Condrieu?
Georges Vernay
What may wines from the village of Chauvenay be sold as?
Saint Joseph or Condrieu
Who produces “Ampodium”?
Rostaing (from Côte Rôtei)
Who produces “Le Terre Brulee”?
Jean- Luc Columbo (Cornas)
Which river flows through Clairette de Die?
Drôme (left tributary of the Rhône)
Grape and min. % for Clairette de Die Method Ancestral? (What’s min. R.S g/L?)
Min. 75% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains
(min. R.S: 35 g/L)
Côte Rôtie min. abv?
10.5% abv
Condrieu min. abv?
11.5% abv
What AOP is Cote-Bonnett vineyard located in? (Name one producer that labels as such.)
Condrieu (Domaine R. Rostaing)
Name of the large Co-op in Crozes Hermitage?
Cave de Tain
In which AOP is Domaine Combier based?
Crozes-Hermitage
When was Saint Jospeh AOP established? (Year it expanded?)
1956 (Expanded in 1968)
Name the producer that makes “Lancement” from Côte-Rôtie
Stephane Ogier (comes from old vine Syrah on the Côte Blonde; 100% de-stemmed and vinified in stainless steel)
Is a wine from “Bessards” or “Le Meal” more likely to be accessible when young?
Le Meal
Name the three wines produced by Domaine Yves Cuilleron from Côte-Rôtie?
Bassenon
Terres Sombres
Madiniere
Name the largest winery in Hermitage
Jaboulet
What domaine did Guigal purchase in 1995?
Chateau d’ Ampuis
Name the three wines Domaine Jamet produces from Côte-Rôtie
Côte-Rôtie
Côte Brune
Fructus Voluptus
Which AOC is a single vineyard famous for its Viognier?
Chateau Grillet
The thin, topsoil rich w/ powdery, decomposed mica found in Condrieu is known as…..
Arzelle
How much Viognier can you co-ferment in Côte-Rôtie?
20%
Le Méal, les Bessards, Gréffieux, Beaume, and Péléat are climats from which AOC?
Hermitage
Name all the grapes you can use for Châtillon-en-Diois AOP
Gamay, Chardonnay, Aligote
What’s the min. alcohol % of Hermitage Blanc?
11%
What’re the AOP’s of the Drome River?
Coteaux de Die, Cremant de Die,
Clairette de Die, Chatillon en Dios
What AOP is around the town of Ampuis?
Côte-Rôtie
Who produces “Luminescence” in Condrieu and name the years it was made
Guigal; only made in 1999, 2003, 2015 from very over-ripe harvests
Saint-Péray AOP is authorized for what style of wine?
Blanc
Blanc Mousseux
Of Thierry Allemand’s Cornas “Les Chaillots” and “Reynard”, which wine is produced from older vines? (Which soil is more granitic?)
“Reynard” is produced from older vines AND more granitic than “ Les Chaillots”
Which famed producer bottles Condrieu “Vernillon”?
Domaine Jamet
Who’s the current owner of Chateau- Grillet? (What other brands do they own?)
François Pinault (Kering- Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga)
Proportion of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains cannot exceed what percent of the blend of Crémant de Die AOP?
10%
What’re the five appellations for Syrah in Northern Rhône?
Hermitage AOP
Crozes-Hermitage AOP
Cornas AOP
Côte-Rôtie AOP
St.- Joseph AOP
Name a few top producers of Syrah in Hermitage
Jean-Louis Chave
Delas
M. Chapoutier
Who is the largest producer in Côte-Rôtie that is also located behind the riverside town of Ampuis?
E. Guigal
How much (max %) can St.- Joseph red wines be blended with both Marsanne and Roussanne?
10%
How much (max %) can Côte-Rôtie red wines be blended with Viognier?
20%
What collection of vineyards is physically the smallest red wine appellation of the Northern Rhône AND also known for their Syrah being traditionally rustic and slow to develop in bottle?
Cornas
True or False: Soils in St.- Joseph (south-end), Crozes-Hermitage, and St.- Péray become heavier w/ clay as you come from Condrieu.
True- thin topsoil that’s rich w/ powdery, decomposed Mica give way to heavier clay soils as you head south.
What’s the difference between Côte Blonde vs. Côte Brune soils in Côte-Rôtie? What styles might one expect from both?
Côte Blonde- composed of schist soil (soft rock that flakes & breaks easily) makes for “softer, more elegant, racy” style.
Côte Brune- composed of clay soil makes for “bigger, rustic, tannic” style
Name the N. Rhône regions that only produce whites (still or sparkling)
Condrieu (still)
Ch. Grillet (still)
St. Péray (sparkling)
Clairette de Die (sparkling)
Coteaux de Die (still)
Hermitage producers Gérard Chave and Chapoutier have the traditional options of drying either Marsanne or Roussanne grapes for a rare dessert wine
Hermitage Vine de Paille
What’s the name of the river that flows through Clairette de Die and Chatillon-en-Dios?
Drôme
Primary grape in Clairette de Die Methode Diosie Ancestrale?
Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains (min. 75%)
Who produces “Luminescence” (dessert wine from Condrieu) and which three vintages were they only ever made?
Guigal; made only in 1999, 2003, 2015 from very overripe harvests
Name the (producer/bottling/vintage) of the very first single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie made
producer: (Guigal)
bottling: (La Mouline)
vintage: (1966)
Name a few of the Hermitage wines Chapoutier produces?
L’Hermite
Le Meal
Greffieux
Pavillon
Soil of Hermitage
Granite
Name two producers of “La Landonne”
Guigal
Rostaing
Delas
What is “Vitis Vienna”?
A Producer organization promoting the Seyssuel region NE of Côte-Rôtie (between Vienne & Lyon); proposed dossier for AOC
In what Rhône region will you find the Crussol Ridge?
St. Péray
What is the size of a demi-muid?
600L
Name the sparkling AOC’s of Northern Rhône
St. Péray
Clairette de Die
Creamant de Die
What is the name of the wind that blows through Hermitage?
La Bise
What’s the max yield for Hermitage Vin de Paille?
max 15 hl/ha
True or False: Rhône river is the only major river flowing directly into the Mediterranean Sea.
True
Where does the Rhône river start and end?
starts in the Swiss Alps (upstream from Lake Geneva )and ends in the Mediterranean Sea
Where does the Saône river meet the Rhône river?
In Lyon
Soil type for Côte Blonde
silice, limestone/gniess, sand
Soil type for Côte Brune
Clay-oxyde de fer (Iron oxide)
Mica - schiste
True or False: Côte Brune is further north and smaller than Côte Blonde.
True
Most of the vineyards in the valley are on which bank of the river? (Why?)
Right bank of the Rhône river (to catch the sun)
True or False: The entire N. Rhône Valley is smaller than all of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
True
The course of the Rhône river can be divided into 3 sectors, what are they?
1) lying respectively in the Alps
2) between the Alps and the Jura Mtns.
3) from Lyon to the Mediterranean Sea
Which river cuts through Crozes-Hermitage?
Isère river
Grape cross of Syrah
Dureza X Mondeuse Blanche
Rhône river’s northernmost appellation
Valais
Name two major villages in Côte-Rôtie
Ampuis
Tupin
Max R.S for wines of Condrieu AOP
4 g/L
Côte Bonnette, Côte Châtillon, Vernon, Chéry, Chanson are lieu-dits from which AOP?
Condrieu
Who produces the Condrieu bottle “La Doriane”? (Name the two vineyards used to blend)
Guigal (blend of Côte Châtillon & Colombier Vineyards)
True or False: Château Grillet is one of the only 2 single-estate appellations in France (along w/ Romanee-Conti)
True
Who was the Château Grillet owner previous to François Pinault (Latour) owning it since 2011?
Neyret-Gachet Family
Name the only two red wine appellations on the left bank of the Rhône river
Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage
Jaboulet’s famous flagship “La Chapelle”, is located in which climat?
L’ Hermite
JL Chave and Pierre Gonon are based across the Rhôe river in which village?
Mauves (south of Tournon)
Which behemouth co-op owns over 50 acres in Hermitage, produce most of the region’s IGP and half of all Crozes-Hermitage?
Cave de Tain
True of False: As a rule of thumb, Cornas expects to be warmer than other parts of the N. Rhône during harvest time.
True
Who produces the Côte-Rôtie “Classique” (now called “Cuveé Ampodium” in the U.S)?
René Rostaing
Which producer has highest amount of holdings in Hermitage?
Chapoutier
Name the producer who make a micro-cuvée from Ex-Voto
Guigal
Name the producer who makes a micro-cuvée from Le Reverdy
Ferraton
Name the producer who makes a micro-cuvée from Les Rocoules
Marc Sorrel
Name the producer who makes micro-cuvées of both L’Ermite & Le Méal
Chapoutier
“Gore” is another name for the granite soils in this AOP
Cornas
Which AOP marks the end of the Northern Rhône?
St. Péray
What’s Jean Louis Chave’s monopole called and in which AOP?
“Clos Florentin” in St. Joseph
Max white grape % in Côte-Rôtie
max 20% - Viognier
Max white grape(s) % in St. Joseph
max 10% - Marsanne & Roussanne
Max white grape(s) % in Crozes-Hermitage/Hermitage
max 15% - Marsanne & Rousanne
Max white grape % in Chateau Grillet
(must be) 100% Viognier
Which AOP has most total output in the N. Rhône?
Clairette de Die AOP
What are the white grapes used for Chatillon en Dios AOP?
Aligote
Chardonnay
What are the red/rosé grapes used for Chatillon en Dios AOP?
Min. 75% Gamay (+ Syrah, Pinot Noir)
In 2003, this producer started his own cooperage (the only one in N. Rhône)
Guigal
The steepest vineyard of all the LaLa’s and the only vineyard in Côte-Rôtie that gets morning sun all the way to night.
“La Turque”- due to amphitheatre style of Côte-Rôtie
True or False: “La Mouline” is not a single-vineyard, but instead a trademarked name.
True- it’s inside the lieu-dit Côte-Blonde
