Northern Rhône Flashcards
What is topography of the Northern Rhône Valley?
Narrow and steep valley. Best sides are on the steep south-facing slopes.
What are the winds that come through the valley?
The Mistral winds (from the Alps and Massif Centrale)
What are the pros and cons of the Mistral winds?
Pro: help inhibit fungal disease, help inhibit pests and creatures
Con: Can be strong enough to damage vines/harvest
What is a common VTS type in the N. Rhône?
Individual Stake or tepee stakes
What are the grape varietals of the N. Rhône?
Syrah
Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne
What are common characteristics of Syrah from the N. Rhone?
deep color; ripe, soft tannins; concentrated black fruit; some black pepper. Carbonic maceration used for less expensive wines.
Describe Viognier from N. Rhône.
Exotic apricot, spice, floral, rich mouthfeel/viscosity
low acid, high alcohol
late-ripening
What makes Marsanne and Roussanne a good match?
Marsanne: Richness/Oily texture, Weight, and Marzipan
Roussanne: Acidity and Perfumed fruit/Waxy mineralogy (susceptible to rot/wind damage)
They can age well
List the appellations of Northern Rhône from North to South.
Côte-Rôtie Condrieu Château Grillet Saint-Joseph Crozes-Hermitage Hermitage Cornas St-Péray Clairette de Die Chatillon-en-Diois
What does Côte-Rôtie translate to?
Roasted Slopes
What is the permitted percentage of Viognier in Côte-Rôtie?
20%
What type of wine is made in Condrieu?
White only; Viognier
What kind of viticulture is used in Condrieu?
Steep, well-exposed, terraced vineyards
Where is Château Grillet AC located?
Within the AC of Condrieu.
Which side of the Rhône River is St-Joseph located?
West bank
What is the percentage permitted for Viognier/Marsanne/Roussanne in the ACs of Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and St-Joseph
Côte-Rôtie - 20% Viognier
Crozes-Herm/Hermitage - 15% Mars/Rouss
St-Joseph - 10% Mars/Rouss
* often co-fermented with Syrah.
What are the potential benefits of co-fermentation?
Stabilizes the color
Moderates tannin extraction
Near what town do the best wines in St-Joesph come from?
Tournon
On which bank is Tournon located?
West/Right Bank
Here is Hermitage located?
A single Contained Hillside vineyard coming out of the village of Tain-l’Hermitage.
List the climats of Hermitage.
l'Hermite le Méal les Bessards Gréffieux Beaume Péléate
List the 4 lieu-dits of Cornas.
Les Reynards
La Côte
Les Chaillot
Les Mazards
How did Hermitage get its name?
From the hillside Chapelle (which is the namesake of Jaboulets most premium wine) which commemorates Gaspard de Stérimberg, the legendary crusader-turned-hermit who lived a life of asceticism on top of the hill.
What is the granite soil called in Cornas?
Gore
Which AC is the smallest in Northern Rhône?
Cornas, with just over 100 ha of planted land
What are some important viticultural differences Cornas utilizes that separate it from the rest of N. Rhône?
Whole-Cluster Ferm instead of destemming
Old demi-muids rather than new oak barriques
What kind of wine is permitted in St-Péray?
White only with Marsanne and Roussanne.
