Rhone Flashcards
Northern Rhone climate
continental
Southern Rhone climate
Mediterranean
Distance between north and south rhone? what grows there?
50km
very few grapes grown
Land under vine in Northern Rhone?
under 4,000ha
vs. 66,000ha in South
Land under vine in Southern Rhone
66,000ha
4,000ha in North
Cote du Rhone and Cote du Rhone Villages AOCs producer what % of all Rhone wine
60%
AOC wine in Rhone: Breakdown of red, white and rose (2018)
Red: 74%
Rosé: 16%
White: 10%
What % of Rhone vineyard certified organic
8%
Rhone: volume of AOC vs IGP?
AOC: 70% (2.5m hl)
IGP: 30% (1.1m hl)
Syrah protected from Mistal how?
Careful training and tying in
Why does Syrah have individual plants tied to one or two poles in Northern Rhone?
Steep slopes, trellising not poss
Syrah susceptible to what pests and diseases?
Mites
BBR
Syrah decline
What is Syrah decline?
Disease where the leaves turn red, the graft point breaks up and the vine dies
Typical style for Northern Rhone cru?
Deep ruby
Medium-pronounced violet, plum (red in cool years/sites, black in warm), blackberry, black pepper, herbal
Medium-high acid and tannin
Grenache yields high or low?
High
Syrah adds what to Southern Rhone blends?
Structure, fruit, colour
Grenache ripens early or late?
Late
Autumn rains
Grenache does well on what soils?
Dry, low fertility soils (it’s vigorous)
Grenache susceptible to what?
Coulure Downy Phomopsis BBR Bacerial necrosis/bacterial blight
How is bacterial necrosis/bacterial blight combatted?
Planting only disease free stock
Avoiding contaminated pruning tools
Grenache accumulates high sugar levels. So what?
Can be an issue in dry wines (high alcohol) but suitable for VDN
Grenache contributes what to Southern Rhone blend?
Pale ruby colour Ripe red fruit (strawb, red plu, red cherry) Spicy and herbal High alcohol Low to medium tannin Low acidity
Mourvedere buds early or late
Buds late
Good vs spring frost
Mourvedre ripens early or late
Late
Only thrives in warm to hot climates
Needs high temperature at end fo season to ripen fully - can be undderipe
Mourvedre produces high or low yields?
Only low yields
What does Mourvedre add to a Southern Rhone blend?
Deep ruby colour
Intense blackberry, blueberry, violet
High alcohol
High, firm tannin
Mourvedre is prinicpal variety in which AOC in France?
Bandol AOC (Provence) Red and rosé
Cinsault buds early or late?
Late budding (like Mourvedre)
Cinsault produces high or low yields?
High yields (vs. Mourvedre which has low yields only)
Cinsault prome to what?
Esca eutypa chlorosis (on limey soils) Mites grap emoths
Why is Cinsault suitable for early drinking styles?
Lifted aromas (fresh red raspberry, cherry) are most prominent in first year after rwine is made
Viognier buds early or late?
Early
Spring frost
Why is Viognier usually grown on trellis or poles?
Prevent wind damage (Mistral)
Rhone: Viognier yields tend to be what?
Low and unpredictable (due to poor flowering and fruit set)
Why is timing important for picking Viognier?
Needs to be fully ripe for typical pronounced aromas
But if left too long = lose flavour and acidity, gain too much sugar = lose balance
Rhone: Viognier style
Medium lemon
Pronounced honeysuckle, apricot, peach
Medium to high alcohol
Low acid
Marsanne buds early or late?
Buds late
Avoid frost
Marsanne is productive and vigorous. So what?
For high quality win,e yields need to be kept low
Best on stony and low tertile soils
Good on slopes of Northern Rhone
What is harder to grow, Marsanne or Roussane?
Roussanne is more difficult to grow successfully (variable yields because of coulure, suspceitle to powdery, BBR and mites)
Rhone: Roussanne style
Medium lemon (or gold)
Medium to medium (+) intensity pear, herbal
Medium to medium (+) acidity
Medium to high alcohol
Similar in colour and structure toMarsanne, but ages quicker
Grenache Blanc buds early or late
Buds early
Only occasionally a frost problem = south of France and Spain
What does Grenache Blanc add to a blend
Low intensity ripe green fruit
Floral
High alcohol
Low acid
Clairette has high or low vigour?
High vigour
Best in low fertility dry soils (eg Southern Rhone)
Contain Clairette’s high vigour how/
Pruned short, excessive buds removed
Why does Clairette need careful handling in the winery?
It oxidises easily
Clairette mostly used for what in Rhone?
White blends in Southern Rhone Freshness and fruit White flower, fennel, apple and grapefruit High alcohol Low to medium (-) acid
Bourboulenc ripens early or late
Late ripening
Why is Bourboulenc resistant to botrytis bunch rot (BBR)?
loose bunches and thick skins
What is Bourboulenc used for?
White southern Rhone blends
Lemon flavour
Medium (+) acid
Medium alc
Grenache Noir prone to oxidation, so how is it handled in Rhone?
Oxidation and premature loss of colour
Ferment and age in concrete or stainless steel
(vs. Syrah, prone to reduction)
Syrah prone to reduction, how is it handled in Rhone?
Pumped over often
Aged in oak = gentle oxidation
Why are red cru level wines sometimes made with whole bunches in Rhone?
More intense aromatiacs
Extraction temp for red cru level Rhone?
Generally warm: enchance extraction of colour, flavour and tannin
How to maximise extraction in red cru level Rhone?
Cold soak 1-3 days before ferment
Warm ferment
maceration on skins 20-30 days (w/ punch down, pump over, racka dn return)
Typical maturation for red cru level Rhone?
12-24 months in large oak (Grenache) and small barrels (Syrah, Mourvedre) with 20-30% new oak
Red cru level Rhone: hand or machine harvest?
Hand
Small crates, whole unbroken berries
Inexpensive red Rhone: hand or machine harvest?
Machine
Some crushing = process quickly to avoid bacterial infection
Inexpensive red Rhone: why would you do carbonic maceration?
Enhance colour and fruit intensity
Low tannins, suitable for early drinking
Need to harvest by hand though
Achieve a low-tannin easy drinking style of inexpensive red Rhone how?
Carbonic maceration
Flash detente
Thermovinification
Saignée rose method aka
Short maceration
Tavel rosé made how?
Short maceration
Grapes pressed after cold maceration on skins (12-48hrs)
Ferment completed for a white wine
Making Tavel rosé: how to control depth of colour, flavour intensity and tannin?
Length of cold maceration (12-48 hours)
High-end Rhone rosé might be aged in what?
Old small oak, for texture
more usually: large oak, concrete
Is Tavel rosé a byproduct of red winemaking?
No, it’s the main event