Regions and choices Flashcards
Merlot winemaker options
Usually single varietal, often blended w/ Cab Sauv to moderate heavier tannin and add red-fruit flavors letting them be drank younger.
Lighter style doesn’t get oaked, full bodied style is oaked, developing dried fruit and tobacco over time.
Light to full bodied
oaked or unoaked
simple or complex
Merlot regions - France
France Moderate climate in Bordeaux
- Left Bank Bordeaux
- Medoc
- Graves
- Sauternes
- Right Bank Bordeaux- most fameous Merlot dominated wines
- St Emilion AOC
- Pomerol AOC
- Languedoc-Roussillion - warmer southern region. Labeled Pays d’Oc IGp. Single varietal across all quality levels and blends w/ CS, Grenache, Syrah.
AOCs
- Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Superior AOC come from anywhere in Bordeaux
Outstanding versions are full bodied w/ aromas of black fruit and flavors from oak maturation. Can age in bottle, developing dried fruit and tobacco.
Merlot Regions
France (Bordeaux)
US (Napa and Sonoma)
Chile (Central Valley)
Merlot regions - non-France
US
- Blends and single varietals across all quality levels from areas across California.
- Fruity, medium bodied wines labeled “California”
- Concentrated, full-bodied examples come from Sonoma and Napa.
- Flavors from oak (vanilla, coconut, smoke) added from oak. New barrels for very good wines, staves or chips from high volume producers
Chile
- Warm/dry Central valley gives high yields of Merlot. Taste is soft, medium bodied for high volume/immediate consumption. Altitude can allow for fresher styles.
South Africa
- Stellenbosch area has moderate to warm climate depending on altitude and sea breeze. Can make complex, age worthy Merlots.
Australia
- typically blended with Cab Sauvignon in the Margaret River Region
New Zealand
- Mostly comes from Hawke’s Bay in the North Island. Moderate climate w/ lots of rainfall. Styles range from light and fruity to full bodied and long lived. Single or blend.
Cab Sauv winemaker options
Sometimes single, often blended w/ Merlot to soften tannins, lower acid, add fresh red fruit flavor and let the wine be drank earlier. Blending is important in cooler vintages in moderate climate.
New CS is unpleasantly tannic. Aging in oak barrels adds smoke, vanilla, cloves, cedar. Can be aged for a long time.
medium to full
typically oaked
Gamay winemaker options
Boujolais (south of Burgundy) winemakers use techniques to maximize color and minimize tannin extraction.
This can give aromas of banana and candy.
light to medium body
typically unoaked
typically early drinking
Grenache/Garnacha winemaker options
Often a blend w/ Syrah, Tempranillo, Mouvedre, They add color, acidity, tannin.
Most are unoaked, but v. good quality Grenache are matured in barrels. Typically new oak so as not to kill the red-fruit flavors.
Can develop complex flavors of earth, meat, dried fruit.
usually blended
red or rose
Pinot Noir winemaker options
Usually single varietal
Exception is sparkling, usually matured in larger/older oak. Best have subtle oak aromas (smoke, cloves, vanilla)
Usually consumed young, but older varieties get tertiary flavors (forest floor, mushroom)
Pinot Noir locations
France
US
Chile
New Zealand
Australia
South Africa
Pinot Noir France locations/appellations
In Burgundy, mostly Cote d’Or
- Cote de Nuits (north)
- Gevrey - Chambertin AOC
- Nuits - Saint - Georges OC
- Cote de Beaune (south)
- Beaune AOC
- Pommard AOC
Bourgogne AOC - light- medium body, low tannin, high acidity and fresh flavors. Drunk young, lack flavor intensity
Village wines - As noted above - refer to specific vineyards offer more flavor intensity complexity and finish length.
Premier Cru, Grand Cru. Most complex/intense. South/SE facing wines. Concentrated fruit flavors (strawberry/cherry) Subtle oak (smoke, clove, vanilla) tertiary flavors (forst floor, mushroom)
Pinot Noir non-Franch locations
US - California mostly too warm, but coastal areas depend on cool breezes and fog to cool the winery.
- Los Carneros - cooled by San Pablo Bay
- Western Sonoma - cooled by Pacific
- Santa Barbara County - cooled from west/south
- Oregon - generally cooler/mostly moderate
Chile - Casablanca Valley north of Santiago
South Africa - Walker Bay
Australia - Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Cooling breezes from Southern Ocean. Wide variety from light to riper.
New Zealand - Marlborough and Martinborough. Central Oteago in the south produces strongest, ripest PN, full body, matured.
Syrah/Shiraz winemaking options
Used to add color, black fruit flavors/tannins to blends, but is often single variety. “Rhone Blends” add Grenache.
Usually has oak maturation to softn tannins and add smoke/spice. Some can be bottle aged for 10 years +. This adds leather, meat, earth.
Single/blend
medium to full
oak fermentation typical
Zinfandel/Primitivo winemaking options
Rose or Red
oak or none?
Reisling winemaking options
Lots of harvest options
dry to sweet
light to full body
unoaked
Chenin Blanc winemaking options
Lots of harvest optinos
Dry to sweet
Oaked or unoaked
