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WSET 3 Wine Specification and SAT > Principal Grape Varieties > Flashcards

Principal Grape Varieties Flashcards

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1
Q

Cabernet Sauvignon: characterize

A
  • Late ripening
  • Needs at least moderate climate to ripen
  • High color, flavor, tannin
  • Blackcurrant and black cherry
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2
Q

Cabernet Sauvignon: likely winemaking approaches

A
  • Lower fermentation temp (26 - 30 C) to limit tannin extraction
  • Limit cap extraction
  • Possibly extended post-ferm maceration to soften tannins
  • Blending with other grape varieties, especially Merlot
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3
Q

Dolcetto: characterize

A
  • Earlier ripening than Nebbiolo and Barbera
  • Deep color (often purple)
  • Black plums, red cherries, dried herbs
  • Ageable for several years
  • Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
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4
Q

Barbera: characterize

A
  • Late-ripening
  • Medium to deep color
  • Low to med tannins
  • High acidity
  • Red cherries and plums, sometimes black pepper
  • Can be youthful and fruity or barrel-aged to give spicy flavors
  • Barbera d’Asti DOCG
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5
Q

Nebbiolo: characterize

A
  • Late-ripening
  • Little color
  • High acidity and tannins
  • Sour cherries, herbs, sometimes dried flowers
  • Developing aromas of truffles, tar, and leather
  • Benefits from barrel and bottle ageing
  • Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG
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6
Q

Sauvignon Blanc: characterize

A
  • Early ripening
  • Well suited to cool climates
  • Can be blended with another variety to give more body and richness (e.g., Semillon)
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7
Q

Riesling: characterize

A
  • Late budding and mid to late ripening (depending on style)
  • Well suited to cool climates
  • High acidity even when picked late
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8
Q

Chardonnay: characterize

A
  • Early budding
  • Can thrive in a wide range of climates (though it is susceptible to frost)
  • Acid declines the riper it gets
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9
Q

Pinot Gris/Grigio: characterize

A
  • Early budding and early ripening
  • Loses acid as it ripens
  • Can have an oily texture when ripe
  • Pinot Grigio clones tend to be larger than Pinot Gris clones, and thus produce more neutral wines (with less flavor concentration)
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10
Q

Sangiovese: characterize

A
  • Late ripening
  • High acid and tannin
  • Red cherries, plums, dried herbs
  • Usually aged in oak to soften tannins and add spicy flavors
  • With bottle age, meaty and gamey
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11
Q

Montepulciano: characterize

A
  • High levels of color and tannins
  • Medium acidity
  • Black plums and cherries
  • Most are simple and fruity, but some are matured in oak for a short time
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12
Q

Gewurtztraminer: characterize

A
  • Skins have light pink tinge, giving golden color to some wines
  • Full-bodied with a rich, oily texture
  • Low to med acidity
  • High alcohol
  • Pungent aromatic spicy nose (lychees, roses, sweet baking spices)
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13
Q

Viognier: characterize

A
  • Full-bodied
  • Low acidity, high alcohol (as aromas develop only very late in the season)
  • Perfumed aromas of blossom and apricots, and flavors of stone fruits
  • Grapes need careful handling so wines do not develop overtly oily character
  • New oak increasingly used, but careful use so as not to overwhelm aromas
  • Usually dry; very small number off-dry
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14
Q

Grüner Veltliner: characterize

A
  • Full-bodied, high acidity
  • Citrus or stone fruit, with hints of white pepper
  • Develops honey and toast
  • Majority: stainless steel, some some old oak. Some age a proportion of their best in new oak barriques
  • Can produce fresh but unexciting wines at high yields
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15
Q

Chenin Blanc: characterize

A
  • High acid, non aromatic
  • Dry through sweet (including noble rot) and can be used for sparkling
  • Fresh apple through tropical fruit, depending on ripeness
  • Dry: steely, smokey
  • Developing honey, toast, and hay
  • Ripens unevenly, so several passes may be required (and hand harvesting)
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16
Q

Chenin Blanc: which five places is it found?

A
  • Savennières (west of Anjou-Saumur): Dry, full-bodied, harvested late
  • Coteaux du Layon (west of A-S): Sweet, noble rot wines)
  • Paarl (South Africa coastal)
  • Swartland (South Africa coastal): old vines
  • Worchester (South Africa Breede River Valley): high-volume and distillation
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17
Q

Muscadelle: characterize

A
  • Found in Bordeaux
  • Pronounced grapey, floral flavors
  • Important supporting role in sweet and dry white production, but only a small percentage
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18
Q

Melon Blanc: characterize

A
  • Ripens early and is frost-resistant
  • Suited to cool climate
  • Muscadet wines
  • Dry, high acidity, light body, med alcohol (~12%), green fruit
  • Not ageable
  • Muscadet Sur Lie
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19
Q

Torrontés: characterize

A
  • Med body and acidity
  • Intense fruity, floral perfume, with flavors of stone fruits and melons
  • Widely planted in Salta (esp. Cafayate–the best), La Rioja, San Juan, and Mendoza
20
Q

Cortese: characterize

A
  • Pale and light-bodied
  • High acid and aromas
  • Citrus, green apples, pears
  • Gavi DOCG: Altitude and sea breezes lengthens ripening to enhance acidity
  • Norm is cool ferm with steel, but some use old oak and lees stirring to add complexity
  • Most ready to drink, but the best can age
21
Q

Verdejo: characterize

A
  • Highly susceptible to oxidation and was used to make Sherry-like wines
  • Protective winemaking: light-bodied, med to high acid, melon and peach
  • Lees stirring and barrel ferm: richer, fuller-bodied style
22
Q

Albariño/Alvarinho: characterize

A
  • Thick-skinned, and thus resistant to fungal disease
  • High in acidity, citrus and stone fruit
  • Can be made into richer, fuller-bodied style with MLC, oak and lees stirring
  • Found in Rías Baixas and in Vinho Verde (especially in Vinho Verde Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço)
23
Q

Semillon: characterize

A
  • Thin skin and susceptible to noble rot
  • Sauternes, Barsac (sweet wines)
  • Riverina, New South Wales (sweet wines)
  • Hunter Valley (harvested early (low alc, high acidity), protective ferm, neutral in youth developing honey/toast)
  • Barossa Valley (old: fuller, oaked; now: fresh, unoaked)
24
Q

Garganega: characterize

A
  • Med to high acidity
  • Med body
  • Pears, red apple, stone fruit, sometimes white pepper (no oak)
  • Developing almonds and honey
  • Higher acidity in limestone/volanic hills because it is cooler (Classico)
  • Soave DOC, Soave Classico DOC, Recioto di Soave DOCG
25
Q

Merlot: characterize

A
  • Earlier budding and ripening than Cab Sauv
  • Int’l style: late harvested, deep purple color, concentrated blackberry and plum, soft velvety tannins
  • Bordeaux style: harvested earlier for med body and alc, higher acidity, fresh red fruit and vegetal/leafy
  • More supple skins, so less rigorous extraction than cab
  • 12-18 months in oak common
26
Q

Pinot Noir: characterize

A
  • Early budding and ripening
  • Thin skin
  • Best in cool to mod climates
  • Lots of clones
  • Possible whole bunch ferm
  • Common for hot (above 30 C) ferm for more tannin/color/flavor for longer-aged wines
  • 12-24 in oak, often mostly old
  • Developing forest floor and mushrooms
27
Q

Pinot Noir: name where top quality is found (7 countries and the specific regions)

A
  • Burgundy
  • Baden (Germany)
  • Los Carneros and Sonoma (CA)
  • Martinborough, Marlborough, Central Otago (NZ)
  • Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania (Australia)
  • Walker Bay (SA)
  • Casablanca Valley (Chile)
28
Q

Cabernet Franc: characterize

A
  • Less body and tannin than Cab Sauv
  • Contributes vibrant fruit and floral to Bordeaux blend (but can be herbaceous when unripe)
  • Grown in Chinon and Bourgueil (Loire) and Saumur-Champigny (Loire - was light now fuller bodied)
  • Light/fruity from sandy soils; fuller-bodied, more tannic from southerly slopes with limestone and clay
  • Used in blend with Cab Sauv in Cabernet d’Anjou (med-dry to med-sweet Rosé)
29
Q

Syrah: characterize

A
  • Small with thick, darkly colored skins
  • Can range from med-bodied with pepper and fresh black fruit to smooth and full-bodied with intense, very ripe fruit and liquorice
  • Developing meat and leather
  • In hotter climates, can decide between max extraction and a more restrained style (earlier harvesting, gentler cap mgmt, portion of whole bunch ferm, post-ferm maceration, larger/older oak)
30
Q

Grenache/Garnacha: characterize

A
  • Late-ripening variety
  • Needs warm or hot climates; drought tolerant
  • Thin-skinned
  • High in alcohol, low in acidity, full body, soft tannins, red fruit
  • Usually blended
  • Pre-ferm maceration is common to extract flavor and color before alc levels rise
  • Some do portion of whole bunches to enhance red fruit
  • Usually no post-ferm maceration
  • Usually matured in large old oak foudres, as new oak can overwhelm fruit
31
Q

Grenache/Garnacha: name the blending partners

A
  • Priorat: Carignan
  • Rioja Oriental: Tempranillo
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Syrah, Mourvèdre
  • Languedoc and Roussillon: Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault
  • Australia: Cabernet Sauvignon
32
Q

Mourvèdre/Montrastrell: characterize

A
  • Thick-skinned
  • Needs hot, sunny climate; drought-tolerant
  • Deeply colored and very high in tannins
  • Dense black fruit, gamey and meaty
  • At northern limit in Southern France, requiring warmest sites (e.g., Bandol–where full body high tannin wines need bottle age to show bramble, meat, liquorice)
  • Dominant in Jumilla and Yecla; most there youthful and fruity.
33
Q

Gamay: characterize

A
  • Early budding and early ripening
  • If not managed, can produce large yields with dilute flavors
  • Best in granite soils with low nutrients
  • Low to med tannin and body
  • Fragrent aromas of raspberry and cherry
  • Styles range from light and fruity to those that can age.
34
Q

Corvina: characterize

A
  • Med color, low to med tannins, high acidity
  • Other varieties blended to increase color and tannin
  • In Valpolicella, foothills with limestone, clay, volcanic gives more acidity (Classico); in gravel and sand, less acidity and more fruit
35
Q

Aglianico: characterize

A
  • Deep color, high acid and tannin, black fruit, develops earthy, forest floor
  • Matured in oak
  • At its best in Taurasi DOCG (in Campania)
36
Q

Negroamaro: characterize

A
  • At high yields, fruity
  • With controlled yields, full body, med tannins and acid, high alcohol, baked red and black fruit
  • Many of best from Salice Salentino DOC (in Puglia)
37
Q

Zinfandel/Primitivo: characterize

A
  • With high yields, fruity
  • With controlled yields, full body, med tannins and acid, high alc, and very ripe berry fruit
  • In California, can have small residual sugar, subtle herbaceous, red and black fruits, dried berries, and liquorice.
  • Ripens unevenly
  • White Zinfandel (Rosé) is made from early-picked grapes, usually fruit, pale, med-sweet, and low in alc
38
Q

Nero d’Avola: characterize

A
  • Med to full body, med acidity and tannins, plums and black cherries
  • Often made fruity, but best producers make it concentrated and complex
  • Dominant black grape in Sicily
39
Q

Graciano: characterize

A
  • Highly valued but difficult to grow
  • Small quanities used to add concentrated black fruit, acidity, and tannins to structure
  • Mostly grown in Rioja
40
Q

Carmenère: characterize

A
  • Late ripening
  • Best in warmest and sunniest
  • Full body, high tannin
  • Herbaceous when unripe, but when right balance between black fruit and herbal
  • Grown primarily in Chile, especially Aconcagua Valley, Cachapoal Valley floor, Colchagua Valley
41
Q

Malbec: characterize

A
  • Deeply colored, full body, smooth high tannins, black fruit
  • In Argentina, most matured in new oak
  • Can be floral at higher altitude
  • Mostly a varietal in Argentina, but can be blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and/or Petit Verdot.
  • Also most important variety in Cahors
42
Q

Pinotage: characterize

A
  • Can be light/fruity with red flavors, or very fully body, rich, spiced berries
  • When fermented or aged in oak, coffee or chocolate
  • Can be blended with international varieties to make a “Cape Blend”
  • Pinot Noir x Cinsault
43
Q

Tempranillo/Cencibal/Tinta Roriz/Aragonês: characterize

A
  • Early ripening, thick skin
  • Med acid
  • Best either (i) hot with large diurnal range or (ii) moderate cooled by ocean or altitude.
  • Varietal: Semi-carb maceration “Joven” wine
  • Long-lived when blended with Garnacha, Graciano, Cariñena/Mazuelo, or Cab Sauv.
  • Grown throughout northern and central Spain
44
Q

Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc: characterize

A
  • Orvieto DOC (Umbria): blend with Grechetto
  • Light body, med to high acid, ripe grapefruit and peaches
  • Frascati DOC (Lazio): blend with Malvasia
  • Med body, med to high acid, citrus (sometimes with Malvasia providing floral, orange blossom)
  • Also in Côtes de Gascogne as dry, light-body, green apple
45
Q

Muscat: characterize

A
  • Refers to a number of grape varieties
  • Low to med acid, light to med body, aromatic with orange blossoms, rose, grape
  • Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (or Sárga Muskotály): more aromatic, but prone to poor fruit set and rot
  • Muscat Ottonel: less aromatic, but more reliable
  • Used in fortified muscats and Asti DOCG
46
Q

Carignan/Cariñena/Mazuelo: characterize

A
  • Late ripening
  • High tannin, acid, color, but lacks fruit or finesse
  • Was popular because of high yields
  • Small amount blended with Tempranillo (in Rioja) and Garnacha (in Priorat) can enhance structure
  • Old vines in Cariñena, Calatayud, and Priorat can give greater intensity
47
Q

Vidal: characterize

A
  • Hybrid
  • Little character when made into a dry white
  • High-quality icewine, but without the acid structure and aromatic complexity of Riesling
  • Niagara Peninsula (Ontario, Canada)

WSET 3 Wine Specification and SAT (11 decks)

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