Regions Flashcards
Where is Côte d’Or?
Heart of Burgundy.
Moderate climate.
Ideal conditions for Chardonnay.
Where is Côte de Beaune?
Southern half of Côte d’Or where most of Chardonnay is grown.
Mersault
Village in Côte de Beaune.
Famous for Chardonnay
(Full-bodied, complex with flavours including citrus, white stone, tropical fruit, oak, spice, and savoury notes)
Puligny-Montrachet
Village in Côte de Beaune.
Famous for Chardonnay
(Full-bodied, complex with flavours including citrus, white stone, tropical fruit, oak, spice, and savoury notes)
Le Montrachet
Chardonnay vineyard, wines judged to be the very finest dry white wines in the world.
Chablis
Chardonnay region in Burgundy. Cool climate Bone-dry wines with high acidity Can be quite austere Green fruit and citrus notes Many have smoky, flinty, mineral signature. Oak flavours are not detectable.
Mâconnais
Most southerly region for white Burgundy
Also source for moderately priced Chardonnay (sold as Mâcon)
Mâcon
Found in Mâconnais
Source for moderately priced Chardonnay
Light, fruity (melon, citrus)
Little or no oak.
Pouilly-Fuissé
Far south of Mâconnais.
Chardonnay
Full-bodies
Tropical fruit (pineapple, melon) and oak flavours.
What white grape variety comes from Burgundy?
Chardonnay. Variety rarely appears on the labels of these wines.
Chablis is always made from Chardonnay.
Australian Chardonnay Regions and Style
Yarra Valley
Adelaide Hills
Margaret River
Classic style pronounced fruit (fresh citrus and melon) and well-integrated oak flavours
New Zealand Chardonnay Regions and Style.
Marlborough
High, natural crisp acidity
Pronounced citrus and tropical fruit flavours and mineral notes
Best have pronounced oak flavours.
USA Chardonnay Regions and Styles
California - Russian River - Sonoma - Carneros Regions that are cooked by the ocean breezes.
Style varies
Many full-bodied
Intense, rich citrus and ripe peach flavours
Heavily Oaked
Some can be savoury and reminiscent of those from Côte d’Or.
Chardonnay regions in Chile and style.
Central Valley
- Casablanca Valley (north west of Santiago)
Cool sea breezes to slow ripening
Style: banana and melon flavours
Barrel fermented
Oak aging
Chardonnay regions in Argentina and style.
Mendoza Provence.
High altitude and cool nights
Style: intense fruit flavours
Spicy oak character
South African Chardonnay regions and style.
Walker Bay
Cooler, coastal area
Variety of styles.
Montée De Tonnerre
A single vineyard of Premier Cru quality.
Chablis
Bourgogne AC
Burgundy - Classic region for Pinot Noir
Medium body red
Balance of red-fruit and savoury aromas
Light tannins
Ned to high acidity
Gevrey-Chambertin
Village in Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
Pinot Noir
Intense, complex and lengthy wines.
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Village in Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
Pinot Noir
Intense, complex and lengthy wines.
Beaune
Village in Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
Pinot Noir
Intense, complex and lengthy wines.
Pommard
Village in Côte dr Beaun, Burgundy
Pinot Noir
Intense, complex and lengthy wines.
Le Chambertin
Grand Cru Red Burgundy
Grand Cru red burgundies offer the most powerful, long-lives and complex Pinot Noir wines in the world.
Pinot Noir Regions in Germany and Style.
Southern regions of Pfalz and Baden
Cool climate
Light-bodied
Pronounced, perfumed red berry fruit
Light tannins
New Zealand Pinot Noir regions and Style
Central Otago (riper, more intense styles) Marlborough (lighter)
Generally more full-bodied
Lower acidity
More intense fruit
Spicy notes accompany red fruit flavours (cherry, strawberry)
Australian Pinot Noir Regions and Styles.
Yarra Valley
Mornington Peninsula
Cooling effects of ocean and/or altitude.
Styles vary
Light and delicate with fragrant aromas
Richer fruit flavours (strawberry, plum, dark cherry) and more structured, riper tannins.
USA Pinot Noir Regions and Styles
California - Carneros - Sonoma - Santa Barbara Cooler Areas
Fuller-bodied
Intensely fruity
Red fruit flavours (strawberry, red cherry)
Some have animal and vegetal characteristics (leather, meat, wet leaves)
Oregon
Moderate climate.
Pinot Noir Regions in Chile and Style
Casablanca
San Antonio
Intensely fruity
Flavours of strawberry jam.
Pinot Noir in South Africa
Walker Bay
About Bordeaux
Classic home for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties.
Moderate, maritime climate, long warm autumns.
Region in southwest France where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet.
What are the two zones within Bordeaux? What are their dominant Varieties?
Left Bank (West and south of the Gironde and Garonne) - Cabernet Sauvignon
Right Bank (North and East of the Gironde and Dordogne) - Merlot
About red wine from Left Bank
Cabernet Sauvignon
- best sites are on gravel mounds
- med to full bodied wines
- high level of tannin and acidity
- medium alcohol
- long length
- can be tough when young but tannins soften with age
- black fruit (blackcurrant, black cherry) and toasty fragrant oak develop into vegetal, tobacco and cedar complexity.
Main Appellations in Left Bank
From North to South:
Médoc
Haut-Médoc
Graves
Médoc
Appellation in north Left Bank known for Cab Sauv.
Haut-Médoc
Appellation in Mid Left Bank known for Cab Sauv.
Includes communes Pauillac and Margaux)
Graves
Appellation in South Left Bank known for Cab Sauv.
Includes commune Pessac-Léognan
Pauillac
Commune in Haut-Médoc, Left Bank, Bordeaux.
Grows Cab Sauv
Margaux
Commune in Haut-Médoc, Left Bank, Bordeaux.
Grows Cab Sauv
Pessac-Léognan
Commune in Graves, Left Bank, Bordeaux.
Grows Cab Sauv
About red wine from Right Bank
Merlot dominant variety
- softer wines than Left Bank
- medium tannin levels
- medium acidity
- red fruit character (plum, red berry)
- develop cedar and tobacco notes as they age.
Main Appellations in Right Bank
Saint-Émilion AC
Pomerol AC
Saint-Émilion AC
Appellation in Left Bank, Bordeaux
Merlot Variety
Pomerol AC
Appellation in Left Bank, Bordeaux
Merlot Variety
Bordeaux AC
Premium quality Bordeaux wine made outside the most prestigious appellations.
- require higher alcohol than basic Bordeaux AC
- medium-bodied Reds
- medium tannin and acidity
- mix of red and black fruit flavours from Merlot and Can Sauv components.
- best consumed young
Bordeaux Supérieir
Premium quality Bordeaux wine made outside the most prestigious appellations.
- require higher alcohol than basic Bordeaux AC
- medium-bodied Reds
- medium tannin and acidity
- mix of red and black fruit flavours from Merlot and Can Sauv components.
- best consumed young
Australian Cab Sauv Regions and Styles
Coonawarra
- Cabernet often displays intense, structured wines
- cassis, mint and eucalyptus flavours with black fruit (black cherry) and oak notes (toast, vanilla)
Margaret River - Cab Sauv and Cab Sauv-Merlot blends
- high tannin
- black fruit and herb flavours (blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf)
New Zealand Merlot/ Cab Sauv Regions and Styles
Hawke’s Bay
- varietal and blends
- high acidity, and tannins
- herb aromas (cedar, blackcurrant leaf)
California Can Sauv regions and styles
Napa Valley (Can Sauv and Merlot)
Rutherford Oakville - high levels of soft, ripe tannin - deeply coloured - black cherry and oak flavours
Alexander Valley
- soft-textured, full bodied
California Merlot Regions and Styles
Napa Valley (Cab Sauv and Merlot)
- full-bodied
- soft black fruit, fruitcake and oak
Other USA Cab Sauv/Merlot regions and styles.
Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington State
- deeply coloured
- full-bodied
Style and regions in Chile for Cab Sauv and Merlot.
Maipo Valley
Colchagua
Cachapoal
- varietal and blended wines
- pronounced herbal characteristics (green bell pepper, blackcurrant leaf)
- intense black fruit flavours (black cherry, blackberry)
Style and regions in Argentina for Cab Sauv.
Mendoza - hot region, moderated by altitude
- blended with Malbec
- aged in oak for a long time before release, gives meaty, leathery flavours
- modern styles are much fruitier
Style and regions in South Africa for Cab Sauv and Merlot.
Stellenbosch
- close to Bordeaux style
- high tannin and acidity
- varietal and blends
- less intense fruit and more herb flavours
Where is Sauvignon Blanc grown in France?
Loire Central Valley
Bordeaux
Sauv Blanc Style from Loire Central Valley
- Cool climate
- dry, high acidity, medium body
- green fruit and herbaceous aromas (gooseberry, grass, blackcurrant leaf, nettle)
- steely character
Villages in Loire Central
Sancerre Pouilly-Fumé - face each other across the Loire - cool climate - Sauvignon Blanc
Where is the Village of Sancerre?
Loire Central
Sauvignon Blanc
Where is the Village of Pouilly-Fumé?
Loire Central
Sauvignon Blanc
Bordeaux Sauv Blanc style and Villages
Most a blend of Sémillon and Sauv Blanc
- dry wines with medium to high acidity
- medium or full-body
- sometimes oaky flavours
Pessac-Léognan AC
Graves AC
Sauternes (sweet wines)
Pessac-Léognan
Bordeaux
Sémillon/ Sauvignon Blanc
Graves AC
Bordeaux
Sémillon/ Sauvignon Blanc
Sauternes
Bordeaux
Sweet wines
Sémillon/ Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand Sauv Blanc regions and styles
Marlborough, South Island
- cool climate
- expressive style
- increasingly experimental
- more restraint
- hints of oak
- lees flavours
- full body
- classic style is
- dry
- high acidity
- no oak
- medium-body
- intense, pungent, clean, varietal flavours (passion fruit, gooseberry, green pepper, blackcurrant leaf)
Australian regions and styles for Sauv Blanc
Adelaide Hills
- intensely fruity
- clean style
California Sauv Blanc regions and styles
Napa Valley
- labelled as ‘Fumé Blanc’
- may be unoaked, lightly, or heavily Oaked
- medium-body
- high acidity
- herbaceous varietal character (grass, asparagus)
- spicy, oaky flavours (toast, liquorice, vanilla)
Sauv Blanc regions and styles in Chile
Casablanca San Antonio - cooler regions - herbaceous, fruit led - highly aromatic - aromas of citrus, green apple, grassy notes
Sauv Blanc regions and styles in South Africa
Constantia (cooling air from the sea)
Elgin (cooling altitude)
Broadly two styles
- pungent and fruit driven, lighter in body, less intense and complex
- use oak, less pungent, can bottle age, gaining toasty complexity
