Northern Rhone Flashcards
What is the climate of the Northern Rhone?
Continental
-greater seasonal temperature shifts
-more rainfall than Southern Rhone
-fewer annual hours of sunshine than Southern Rhone
What is the wind that blows through the Northern Rhone Valley?
Mistral wind
When does the Mistral wind have the biggest impact in the Northern Rhone?
In the winter and spring.
Where does the Mistral wind come from?
The Massif Central
What affect does the Mistral wind have on the vines?
-It dries the vineyards.
-Prevents mold and mildew from taking hold
What is the soil that defines much of the Northern Rhone?
Heat retaining granitic and schistous soils
What is the main soil and of Cote-Rotie, Condrieu and Hermitage?
-Steep slopes with schist and granite.
-Sand and loess topsoil
What prevents the vineyards in the Northern Rhone from eroding?
Terrace construction
Why are the vineyards in the Northern Rhone prone to eroding?
Sand and loess topsoil.
What is the soil of Condrieu?
Thin topsoil that is rich and powdery decomposed mica called arzelle.
What is arzelle?
The thin topsoil of Condrieu
-rich and powdery decomposed mica
What appellations in the Northern Rhone have higher proportions of clay?
Saint Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Saint-Peray
What percentage of Viognier is allowed in Cornas?
None
-100% Syrah
What white grape and up to what percentage is allowed to be blended in Cote-Rotie?
Up to 20% Viognier
Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are allowed to have up to what percentage of what white grape blended into it?
Up to 15% Marsanne/Rousanne
Can Saint-Joseph rouge have white grape blended into it? If so, what grape and how much?
Up to 10% Marsanne/Rousanne.
What appellation in the Northern Rhone is the farthest North?
Cote-Rotie
How steep are the vineyards of Cote-Rotie?
55 degree gradient or more
What does Cote-Rotie translate to?
Roasted slope
What are the two most famous areas of Cote-Rotie?
Cote Brune
Cote Blonde
-both are the heart of the appellations terroir
What vineyard site in Cote-Rotie can fetch first growth prices?
La Landonne
Name 3 negotiants of Hermitage.
Chapoutier
Jaboulet
Delas
Name 7 important producers of Cote Rotie
E. Guigal (modern)
Bernard Levet (traditional)
Jamet (traditional)
Georges Vernay (modern)
Rene Rostaing (both)
Clusel-Roch (both)
Jasmin (traditional)
Where is La Chapelle located?
Hermitage
What is La Chapelle named for?
It is named for a small hillside chapel that stands in commemoration of Gaspard de Stérimberg, the legendary Crusader-turned-hermit.
La Chapelle is located within what climat in Hermitage?
L’Hermite