Northern Rhone

Question 1

What is the difference between the Rhône Septentrionale and the Rhône Meridionale?

Answer 1

Septentrionale refers to the north

Meridionale refers to the south

Question 2

What are the major soil types of the Northern Rhone?

Answer 2

Granite and schist bedrock, with fine sand and loess overtop. In the south, starting near the southerly limits of Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph, more clay appears.

Question 3

What is arzelle?

Answer 3

Powdery soil of decomposed mica.

Question 4

Why coferment red and white grapes?

Answer 4

To stabilize color and tannin extraction

Question 5

What styles and varietals are allowed for Côte-Rôtie?

Answer 5

Red only: Syrah plus max 20% viognier

Question 6

What are the departement and communes of Côte Rôtie?

Answer 6

Rhône: Saint-Cyr-sur-Rhône, (Verenay,) Ampuis, Tupin-Semons (North to South)

Question 7

What are the La La wines of Guigal?

Answer 7

La Landonne
La Mouline
La Turque

Question 8

Name three producers of La Landonne

Answer 8

Guigal
Rene Rostaing
Delas Freres

Question 9

What is the shared encepagement of Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage?

Answer 9

Red: Syrah plus max 15% Marsanne/Roussanne
White: Marsanne and Roussanne

Question 10

What are the soils of Hermitage?

Answer 10

Granite with schist, mica, and gneiss topsoil

Question 11

Name five lieu-dits of Hermitage

Answer 11

West to East, South to North
La varogne
LES BESSARDS, L'HERMITE (containing la Chappelle)
LES GRÉFFIEUX, LE MÉAL
BEAUME
PÉLÉAT, Rocoule, Maison Blanche
Les Diognières, Les Murets, L'Homme
La Croix
Torras et les Garennes

Question 12

Name the four major producers of Hermitage

Answer 12

Jean-Louis Chave
Delas-Freres
M. Chapoutier
Jaboulet

Question 13

Who produces La Chapelle?

Answer 13

Jaboulet

Question 14

Who produces La Guiraude?

Answer 14

Alain Graillot (Crozes-Hermitage)

Question 15

What are the department and communes of Hermitage?

Answer 15

Drôme: Tain-l’Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Larnage (South to North)

Question 16

What is vin de paille?

Answer 16

A dessert wine from Hermitage made from dried grapes

Question 17

What are the max yields for Hermitage Vin de Paille?

Answer 17

15hl/ha, the lowest in France

Question 18

What is Gore?

Answer 18

The naked granite soils of Cornas

Question 19

What is the only 100% Syrah appellation in the Northern Rhône?

Answer 19

Cornas

Question 20

In what department is Cornas?

Answer 20

Ardèche

Question 21

What are the four lieux-dits of Cornas?

Answer 21

Les Reynards, Les Mazards, La Côte, Les Chaillot

Question 22

What commune is the original heart of St-Joseph?

Answer 22

Tournon-sur-Rhône, southwest of Tain l’Hermitage across the river

Question 23

What departments does St-Joseph cover?

Answer 23

Loire, Ardèche

Question 24

What is the encepagement for St-Joseph?

Answer 24

Red: Syrah plus max 10% Marsanne/Roussanne
White: Marsanne and Roussanne

Question 25

What are the departments of Condrieu?

Answer 25

Rhône, Ardèche, Loire

Question 26

What are the original 3 communes of Condrieu? When was the appellation expanded?

Answer 26

Condrieu, Vérin, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône (North to South)

1967

Question 27

What is the minimum potential alcohol for dry Condrieu and Château-Grillet?

Answer 27

11.50%

Question 28

What are the requirements for sweet Condrieu?

Answer 28

RS: min. 45 g/L
Must weight: min. 220 g/L
13% potential alcohol
Harvested in tries
Chaptalization is prohibited

Question 29

What is the sole grape allowed in Condrieu and Château-Grillet?

Answer 29

Viognier

Question 30

What are the department and communes of Château-Grillet?

Answer 30

Loire: Vérin, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône

Question 31

Who owns Château-Grillet?

Answer 31

François Pinault of Latour

Question 32

Name three producers of Condrieu

Answer 32

Yves Cuilleron, André Perret, Georges Vernay

Question 33

What are the styles and encepagements for Saint-Péray?

Answer 33

Blanc sec et Mousseux: Marsanne and Roussanne

Question 34

Along what river (and in what department) will you find Clairette de Die and Châtillon-en-Diois?

Answer 34

Drôme

Question 35

What are the requirements for Crémant de Die?

Answer 35

min. 55% Clairette plus Aligoté, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
Traditional method
Aged en tirage for 12 months
min. 3.5 atmospheres of pressure
max 15g/L RS

Question 36

How does Clairette de Die Blanc Mousseux differ from Crémant de Die?

Answer 36

Clairette de Die is 100% Clairette.

Aging en tirage is 9mos v. 12 for the Crémant

Question 37

What is Clairette de Die Méthode Dioise Ancestrale?

Answer 37

min. 75% Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains plus Clairette, made via méthode ancestrale, containing min. 35 g/L of RS

Question 38

What is Coteaux de Die?

Answer 38

A still wine AOP for 100% Clairette

Question 39

What are the styles and varietal requirements for Châtillon-en-Diois?

Answer 39

White: Chardonnay and Aligoté

Rosé/Red: min. 75% Gamay plus Pinot Noir and Syrah (min. 60% Gamay for the assemblage)

Question 40

What is the minimum potential alcohol for reds of the Northern Rhône?

Answer 40

10.50%

Question 41

Who is Gaspard de Stérimberg?

Answer 41

The Crusader-turned-hermit of Hermitage who built the chapel there (legendarily). Jaboulet’s La Chapelle is named for the chapel; his white Le Chevalier de Stérimberg is named for the man himself.

Question 42

What are the departments of the Northern Rhône?

Answer 42

Rhône (Côte-Rôtie)
Loire (Condrieu)
Ardèche (S. to St. Peray)
Drôme (Hermitage to Châtillon)