Northern Rhone Flashcards
When did viticulture arrive in the Rhone Valley?
Romans brought viticulture to the Southern Rhone in 125 BCE, and the Northern by the 1st century CE
When was Rhone syrah being blended into Bordeaux for strength?
18th and 19th centuries
Where does the Mistral blow from?
South from the Massif Central
Which appelations can blend white grapes, and in what percentages?
Cote-Rotie (max 20% Viognier)
Crozes Hermitage and Hermitage (max 15% Marsanne and Roussanne)
St Joseph (max 10% Marsanne and Roussanne)
Name the AOPs of the Northern Rhone, North to South
- Cote-Rotie AOP
- Condrieu AOP
- Chateau-Grillet AOP
- Saint-Joseph AOP
- Crozes-Hermitage AOP
- Hermitage AOP
- Cornas AOP
- Saint-Peray AOP
- Chatillon-en-Diois AOP
- Clairette de Die AOP
- Coteaux de Die AOP
- Cremant de Die AOP
Who is the largest producer in Cote-Rotie AOP?
E. Guigal
What percentage of Rhone Valley wine is produced in the Northern Rhone?
Less than 5%
Which AOP of the Northern Rhone produces the greatest volume?
Crozes-Hermitage produces more than 50% of the Northern Rhone’s volume
Name the producers who dominate Hermitage’s production
Jean-Louis Chave, Delas, Chapoutier and Jaboulet
Who is Hermitage named after?
Gaspard de Sterimberg, a medieval crusader turned hermit in the mid 13th century.
Name 5 Lieux dits of Cote-Rotie AOP located in Ampuis
Cote Blonde Cote Brune Chavaroche La Roche La Landonne Rozier Cote-Rozier La Vialliere La Taquiere Gerine Les Moutonnes Marsanne Lancement
Name 5 lieux dits of Cote-Rotie AOP outside of Ampuis
Le Remilly Cumelle Le Mont La Servonniere Le Village Maison Rouge Maisons Blanches Tupin Coteaux de Tupin
What are the communes of Cote-Rotie AOP?
Ampuis
Saint-Cyr-sur-Rhone
Tupin-Semons
Which AOPs of the Northern Rhone require manual harvesting?
Cote-Rotie AOP Condrieu Cht Grillet Hermitage Cornas
Difference between Cote Blonde and Cote Brune
Cote Brune is north w Mica-Schistous rock.
Cote Blonde is south, with gneiss
Minimum alc for reds from the Northern Rhone AOPs
10.5% abv
min alc for Condrieu and Cht Grillet
11.5%
What are terraces in Cote-Rotie AOP locally known as?
Cheys
Who currently owns Chateau-Grillet AOP?
Francois Pinault, purchased in 2011 from Neyret Gachet
Can Condrieu AOP be chaptalized?
Yes, unless the wine has over 45 g/l rs
What is the name and appellation of Chateau Grillet’s second wines?
Cotes-du-Rhone AOP (2011)
Condrieu AOP “La Carthery” (2018)
What is the minimum alcohol for white and red in Saint-Joseph?
10.5% for both
What are the original communes of Condrieu AOP?
Condrieu
Verin
Saint-Michel-sur-Rhone
What departments contain Saint Jospeh AOP?
Ardeche and Loire
How many communes in Saint Jospeh?
26 communes
What is the department of Crozes-Hermitage AOP?
Drome
What are the permitted training methods of Crozes-Hermitage AOP?
Cordon de Royat
Gobelet
Principal soils of Crozes-Hermitage AOP
North: Granitic slopes (similar to Hermitage)
South: Alluvial, glacial origin
Principal soils of Saint Joseph AOP
Schist and gneiss on granite bedrock
Communes of Hermitage AOP
Tain-l’Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage
Larnage
Minimum alc levels for Hermitage AOP
Blanc: 11%
Rouge: 10.5%
Vin de Paille: 19.5% (12.5% acquired)
Hermitage Vin de Paille requirements
Grapes must be picked at 170 g/l, dried for min 45 days to a min 350 g/l sugar.
Max yield is 15 hl/ha
Name some lieux-dits of Hermitage with any specific soils and styles
L'Hermite- Sand, fine loess Les Bessards-Sandy gravel topsoil, sturdy Les Beaumes Le Meal-limestone, larger stones, aromatic wines Les Murets La Croix Peleat Les Rocoules Les Greffieux-clay Maison Blanche L'Homme
Hermitage soils
Granite with topsoils of mica, schist and gneiss
Where are the most famous climats of Hermitage located? Name some
on the western end of the hill, where it’s warmest.
Which climats of Hermitage are monopoles?
La Croix- Jaboulet (sells some of it)
Les Vercandieres- Chave. Walled plot
Peleat- Chave, Most of his blanc comes from here
Which climats of Hermitage are mainly Marsanne?
Chante Alouette L'Homme La Croix (mostly) Les Doignieres (also Roussanne) Doignieres et TorrasLes Murets Les Roucoules (some roussanne) Maison Blanche (also Roussanne) Torras et les Garennes
Which climats of Hermitage are 100% Syrah?
Les Beaumes Les Grandes Vignes (Gros des Vignes) Les Greffieux Plantieres Varogne Les Bessards (mostly)
Name the major Lieux-Dits of Cornas
Reynard Chaillot La Cote Les Mazards Thezier Le Pigeonnier La Geynale Cayret Sauman CHampelrose Les Saveaux-Nord/Sud Les Cotes Patou
Where are most of the Cornas lieux-dits located within the appellation?
West
Which appellations of the Northern Rhone can make sparking wine?
Saint-Peray
Clairette de Die
Cremant de Die
What is the aging minimum for St Peray Mousseaux?
12 months from date of tirage, no minimum lees time
What river does the town of Die lie on?
The Drome River, a tributary off the Rhone branching to the west
What is the cepage of Chatillon-en-Diois AOP?
Blanc: Chard and Aligote
Rouge: min 75% Gamay, plus PN and Syrah (min 60 gamay in assemblage)
Rose: same as rouge
What is the style and cepage of Coteaux de Die AOP?
dry, still white
100% Clairette
What is the assemblage of Cremant de Die AOP?
Clairette, Aligote, max 10% Muscat
Cepage requires min 55% Clairette in vineyard
Max rs for Cremant de Die AOP?
Max 15 g/l rs
Cepage/assemblage of Clairette de Die AOP
Mousseaux (traditional)- 100% Clairette
Methode Dioise Ancestrale- min 75% Muscat Blanc a petit grains, plus Clairette
RS for Clairette de Die AOP?
Methode Traditionelle: max 15 g/l
Ancestrale: min 35 g/l
Minimum pressure and lees aging for Clairette de Die AOP?
Methode Traditionelle- 3.5 atm, 9 mo on lees
Ancestrale- 3 atm, 4 mo on lees
How is Clairette de Die often produced?
Through transfer method
Who produces most of the Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale?
The local co-op “Cellier Hannibal” makes 3/4 of all production
What is Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale often labeled as/called locally?
“Tradition”
How does Methode Dioise Ancestrale differ from Methode Ancestrale?
Methode Dioise Ancestrale uses the transfer method, similar to Asti. Base wines are slowly (several months) fermented in steel at low temps. The wine is then filtered to remove most but not all of the yeast, bottled, and fermentation continues in bottle until 7-8.5% abv. After min 4 months (usually 6-12) it is filtered again and immediately transferred to new bottles. Tirage and dosage are prohibited.
What years has Chave produced Cuvee Cathelin?
Barrel Selection 1990 1991 1995 1998 2000 2003 2009 2010
What was the inaugrural vintage of Jamet Cote Rotie?
1976
What years did Allemand only produce one bottling?
1990
2002
2003
What is the blend and inaugural vintage for each of Guigal’s LaLas?
La Mouline 1966 89% Syrah, 11% Viognier La Landonne 1978 100% Syrah La Turque 1985 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier *Ex Voto started in 2001 Cht d'Ampuis started in 1995
What was the inaugural vintage of Jaboulet’s La Chappelle?
it’s a barrel selection
inaugural vintage is unclear. Maybe 1919?
1961 is legendary
What producers bottle La Landonne cuvees?
Guigal Renee Rostaing Jean-Michel Gerin Delas Xavier Gerard
What estates are owned by Francois Pinault?
Chateau Latour
Domaine d’Eugenie (formerly Rene Engel)
Eisele Vineyard (formerly Araujo)
Clos de Tart
