Rhône Flashcards
What is the Syrah decline decease?
- Fatal phenomenon affecting Syrah exclusively, known as dépérissement, whereby a part of the trunk swells and becomes bulbous, generally around the graft, forming splits in the wood. The vine may continue to function normally for a few years but eventually the leaves redden prematurely during summer, vigor rapidly declines and, within a year or two, the vine is dead
What is the crossing of Syrah?
- Mondeuse Blanche
- Dureza
How is called the traditional vine training for Syrah in northern Rhône?
- Échalas
Where can we find Gamay Noir in Rhône Valley?
- Châtillon-en-Diois
Galopine is a synonym of which grape variety?
- Old local name for Viognier in Condrieu
Where can we find the highest concentration of Chardonnay and Aligoté in Rhône Valley?
- Châtillon-en-Diois
What are the pros for stems inclusion?
- It can increase freshness
- Deeper aromatic complexity
- Lower alcohol (partly by dilution as stems contain water, partly due to stem matter absorbing alcohol
- Textural relief in the finished wines
What is the renowned area labeled as IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, that may be recognized as a Cru in a couple years?
- Seyssuel
Who is producing the cuvée Sotanum? What is it?
- Les vins de vienne
- Syrah from Seyssuel area
What is the typical soil of Condrieu?
- Arzelle, a soft decomposed granite, mica, shist and clay
How is called the terrasses in Côte Rôtie? What’s the name of the walls?
- Chaillés
- Walls: Cheys
What is the blend allowed in Côte Rôtie?
- Min 80% Syrah with max 20% of Viognier
What is the pre-clonal old vine material of Syrah that is planted in Côte Rôtie?
- Serine
What is the traditional method of vinification in Côte Rôtie?
- Whole bunches- sometimes crushed, sometimes not
- Fermenting in large open-top wooden containers with punching down followed by submerging the cap under the surface of the juice.
- Wines would then be matured in old barrels, either 225l, 600l or larger
René Rostaing inherited from which two legends of Côte Rôtie?
- Albert Dervieux
- Marius Gentaz
What is the aging of all the La-La-La cuvées of Guigal?
- 42 months in 100% new oak
Who owns le Vignes de l’Hospice? Where is it located?
- Guigal, St-joseph (vignes de l’Hospice cuvée)
Among the La-La-La cuvées of Guigal, which one is 100% Syrah?
- La Landonne
What is the Ermitage cuvée of Guigal?
- Ex-Voto
Who is producing Côte Rôtie La Belle Hélène?
- Ogier
Who is producing Condrieu Terrasses de l’Empire?
-Vernay
What are the three originals sites of Condrieu?
- Condrieu
- Verin
- Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône
Which cru in Northern Rhône is in 3 different départements?
- Condrieu (Rhône, Loire, Ardèche)
Which Condrieu sites are shared with St-Joseph? (4)
- Chavanay
- Malleval
- Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf
- Limony
Who is the current owner of Château Grillet?
- François Pinault from Artémis
Château Grillet straddles the border between which communes?
- Vérin
- Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône
What is the soil in Château Grillet?
- Shares a similar soil to certain areas of condrieu
- Biotite granite, with plenty of mica and quartz under a sandy soil
What are the communes of production in Côte Rôtie (3)?
- Turpin et Semons
- Ampuis
- St-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône
True or False, Côte Brune is located north of Côte Blonde
- True
What’s the difference of soils between Côte Blonde and Côte Brune?
- Côte Brune: Dark schist with mica schist
- Côte Blonde: Granite, quartz with white mica
Côte Rozier, Grandes places, Lancement and Maison Rouge are located in which AOP?
- Côte Rôtie
Which region was previously known as Vin de Mauves and Vin de Tournon?
St-Joseph
What restriction Château Grillet have that is not required for Condrieu in the Cahier des charges?
- Vines must be planted on Échalas
- Max 37 hl/ha (Condrieu is 41 hl/ha)
- The wine must be dry
- The wine must be sold in fluted Alsace-style bottles
What are the original communes of production of St-Joseph?
- Glun
- Mauves
- Tournon
- Lemps
- Saint-Jean-de-Muzols
- Vion
What is the blend for red St-Joseph?
- min 90% Syrah
- max 10% Marsanne/Roussanne
What is the blend for white St-Joseph?
- Marsanne/Roussanne
The two legends of St-Joseph Raymond Trollat and Jean-Louis Grippat sold their vineyard to which iconic estate?
- Trollat: Domaine Gonon
- Grippat: Guigal (Les vignes de l’Hospice)
What is the cuvée of white St-Joseph from Gonon?
- Les Oliviers
What is the sweet wine produced by Guigal? How many vintages as been produced?
- Luminescence Condrieu
- Three vintages (1999, 2003, 2015)
Which AOP is on the other side of Rhône River of St-Joseph?
- Crozes-Hermitage & Hermitage
Which region have a zone called Châssis?
- Crozes-Hermitage
True or False, Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage is a single vineyard cuvée
- False, a blend of 7 climats based on Bessards
What is the single vineyard cuvée de Jean-Louis Chave St-Joseph (since 2015) ?
- Clos Florentin
Who is producing l’Hermite cuvée?
- Chapoutier
What are the two cuvées of white Hermitage made by Jaboulet?
- La Chapelle (also produced in red)
- Chevalier de Stérimberg
Chaillot & Reynard climat are found in which AOP?
- Cornas
True or False, La Chapelle from Jaboulet is a single vineyard wine from Chapelle climat
- False
- Jaboulet does not own any vine in the climat La Chapelle (but owns the Chapelle building itself)
- The cuvée is a blend of Le Méal, Les Bessards, Les Greffieux, la Croix
What is the blend allowed in Crozes-Hermitage rouge?
- Min 85% Syrah with max 15% of Marsanne/Roussanne
What is the blend allowed in Hermitage rouge?
- Min 85% Syrah with max 15% of Marsanne/Roussanne
What is the blend allowed in Cornas?
- 100% Syrah
What is the major soil type in Cornas?
- Granite
Which AOP in Northern Rhône is producing Vin de Paille?
- Hermitage
What is the compact alluvial soil name in Hermitage?
- Poudingue
Where can we find sparkling wine in Northern Rhône? What is the aging?
- Saint-Peray
- May be released 12 months after tirage, no minimum time on lees
What grape varieties are used in Saint-Peray?
- Marsanne
- Roussanne
Where is Côtes du Rhône Brézème?
- South of Valence, on the east side of Rhône
Which cities delimited the Côtes du Rhône region?
- Vienne
- Avignon
What is the difference between Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages?
- Restricted to 95 communes instead of 171
- Crossing like Caladoc aren’t permitted
- lower yields (44 instead of 51)
- Higher alcohol (12% instead of 11.5% or 10.5% north of Montélimar)
Can a wine be labelled as Côtes du Rhône if it’s 100% Syrah?
- No
- Must contain two principal varieties (one must be grenache) and these make up at least 66% of the blend
- exception for wine coming north of Montélimar
Name a Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic name in Ardèche?
- St-Andéol (red only)
Name a Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic name in Drôme
- Rochegude
- St-Maurice
- Rousset-les-Vignes
- St-Pantaléon-les-Vignes
- Suze-la-Rousse (red only)
- Nyons (red only)
Name a Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic name in Gard
- Chusclan (red, rosé)
- Laudun
- St-Gervais
- Signargues (red only)
Name a Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic name in Vaucluse
- Roaix
- Séguret
- Valréas
- Visan
- Sablet
- Massif d’Uchaux (red only)
- Plan de Dieu (red only)
- Puymeras (red only)
- Ste-Cécile (red only)
- Vaison-la-Romaine (red only)
- Gadagne (red only)
What is the newest Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic name?
- Nyons since 2020 in Drôme
What’s the major river for Vacqueyras and Gigondas?
- l’ouvèze
What are the 5 communes of production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
- Orange
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Courthézon
- Bédarrides
- Sorgues
What’s the minimum alcohol for Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
- 12,5%
- It is the highest in France
What are the six first AOP created in 1936?
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Arbois
- Tavel
- Cognac
- Cassis
- Monbazillac
True or False, Châteauneuf-du-Pape does have the same blending requirements than Côtes du Rhône Villages
- False, there are no further rules regarding blending. For red wines, all varieties (the 13 allowed) are permitted, but white and red musts need to be blended prior to vinification
Explain the concept of “rapé” in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Any wine grower is imposed to produce, a percentage of rapé (wine made of discarded grapes), variable between 5 and 20% of the quantities asserted to be Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The office of the federation of the producers of wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape fixes each year the imposed minimum percentage. If a producer goes beyond of the annual output or don’t respect the rules for rapé he will lose the right to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape
What is the pruning method authorized for Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Picpoul Noir and Terret Noir in Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
- Gobelet
What is the oldest estate of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
- Château la Nerthe
Emmanuel Reynaud is behind which estate?
- Château Rayas
What is the blend of Château Rayas Réservé rouge?
- 100% Grenache
Describe the event ‘la prime à l’arrachage’ that happened in the southern France in the 1990
- The EU vine-pull schemes in the 1990s gave financial incentives to winegrowers to replace it with so-called “improving” varieties such as Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre
What is the traditional vine training for Grenache?
- Bush vine, it does have a great longevity
What is the crossing created by Grenache Noir and Malbec?
- Caladoc
What is the original name of Vaccarèse? Where can we find the highest amount of hectare?
- Brun Argenté
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
What style of wine is produced in Gigondas?
- White (since 2022)
- Rosé
- Red
Where can we find the highest concentration of Vermentino in Rhône Valley? What is the local name?
- Luberon
- Rolle
What is the sole AOP in Rhône Valley who allowed a small amount of Picardan?
- Châteauneuf-du-pape
What is the young vine cuvée of Château Rayas?
- Pignan
What is the project of Château Rayas in Vacqueyras?
- Château des Tours
Which estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is renowned by using all 13 allowed grape varieties with a high proportion of Mourvèdre?
- Château Beaucastel
What is the red prestige cuvée of Château Beaucastel?
- Hommage à Jacques Perrin
- Inaugural 1989
What is the white prestige cuvée of Château Beaucastel?
- Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
Who is producing cuvée Marie Beurrier?
- Henri Bonneau
What is the minimum aging for Rasteau VDN Ambré (blanc/rosé) or tuilé (rouge)?
- further 30 months in oxidative aging
What is the minimum aging for Rasteau Hors d’âge (blanc/rosé/rouge)?
- min 60 months in oxidative aging
What is the minimum aging for Rasteau Rancio (blanc/rosé/rouge)?
- like hors d’âge (60 months) & green rim and nutty aromas
What was the first AOP to be infected by Phylloxera?
- Lirac, American vines were planted in 1962 by Monsieur Borty
What style of wine is produced in Lirac AOP?
- White
- Rosé
- Red
In which Cru of Southern Rhône can we find the greatest percentage of Cinsault planting?
- Tavel
In Tavel AOP, malolactic is usually encouraged or blocked?
- usually blocked to retain acidity
What is the winemaking technique for rosé of Tavel AOP?
- Once picked, grapes are cold macerated for between 12 and 48 hours before being pressed. It must be analyzed to respect the color density required for the appellation.
Is there a mandatory intensity of color for Lirac rosé?
- no, unlike Tavel
What is the only cru in Drôme department?
- Vinsobres
What is the major wind in Rhône Valley?
- le Mistral
What style of wine is produced in Vinsobres?
- Red
What are the three crus that approach and scale the Dentelles de Montmirail?
- Gigondas
- Vacqueyras
- Beaumes-de-Venise
What is the maximum yield of Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise?
- 17 hl/ha
What type of Muscat is allowed for Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise? What color the wine can be?
- Muscat blanc à petits grains
- Muscat rouge à petits grains
- White, rosé or red
What style of wine is produced in Beaume-de-Venise?
- Rouge only
True or false, manual harvesting is mandatory in Cairanne
- true, it is
What style of wine is produced in Cairanne?
- Blanc
- Rouge
Where’s located Château Saint Cosme?
- Gigondas
What are the three crus in Southern Rhône who are producing the three colors?
- Vacqueyras
- Lirac
- Gigondas
What style of wine is produced in Châtillon-en-Diois?
- White (Chardonnay & Aligoté)
- Red/rosé (min 60% Gamay + pinot noir and or syrah
True or False, Clairette de Die represent 50% of the production in the Diois
- False, 95% of the production
What grape varieties are used for Clairette de Die méthode Ancestrale (Dioise)?
- min 75% Muscat à petits grains blancs
What grape varieties are used for Clairette de Die méthode Brut (traditionnelle)?
- 100% Clairette
What is the minimum RS for Clairette de Die méthode Ancestrale?
- 35g/l
What is the maximum RS for Clairette de Die méthode Brut?
- 15 g/l
What is the minimum aging for Clairette de Die méthode Brut?
- 9 months
What is the minimum aging for Clairette de Die méthode Dioise?
- 4 months
What is the major grape variety for Côteaux de Die?
- 100% clairette blanche (10% of clairette rose is tolerated)
What is the major grape variety for Crémant de Die?
- mainly Clairette
What style of wine is produced in Grignan-les-Adhémars?
- considered between Northern and Southern Rhône
- Syrah makes up over a third of plantings and Viognier over half
Clairette de Bellegarde is within which AOP?
- Costières de Nîmes
What is the most important red grape variety in Côtes du Vivarais?
- Syrah, min 40% after there’s 30% of Grenache
What style of wine is produced in Côtes du Vivarais?
- White
- Rosé
- Red
What is the most important red grape variety in Duché d’Uzès?
- Syrah for red wine, Grenache for rosé
What is the most important white grape variety in Duché d’Uzès?
- Viognier
Which appellation surrounds the town of Carpentras?
- Ventoux
What is the most south-westerly appellation in the Rhône Valley?
- Costières de nîmes
What are the grape varieties allowed in Clairette de Bellegarde?
- 100% Clairette blanche
Which vintage is considered as the most difficult one between 2012, 2013, 2014 in Rhone Valley
- 2014
- An inconsistent year, with a rain in June and July leading to disease pressure. Fine weather in August and September yielded excellent results for some growers, while other had more difficulty
2016 was the most successful in Northern or Southern Rhône?
- Southern, both was a great vintage, but almost perfect for southern Rhône (99/100 WS)
2015 was the most successful in Northern or Southern Rhône?
- Northern, considered as the new benchmark
2017, 2018 and 2019 were all good vintages, but which one was the trickiest in Northern Rhône
- 2018, wet early season, but hot and dry summer
What is the minimum alcohol of Hermitage Blanc?
- 11%
What is the main grape varietal for Gigondas Blanc ?
- Clairette blanc (min. 70%)
What are the eligible communes for Rasteau VDN?
- Sablet
- Rasteau
What river does the Clairette de Die AOP lie along?
- Drôme
What is the most recent Côtes du Rhône village to be upgraded to AOP cru status?
- Cairanne
What was the first vintage of production for “Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin?”
- 1990
- Top cuvée of J.L. Chave
- On top vintage only 200 cases produced
Who is the producer of “Cuvée Ampodium?”
- René Rostaing
What is the first vintage of “Hommage à Jacques Perrin?”
- 1989
Cave de Tain is a cooperative in which appellation?
- Crozes-Hermitage
What is the most southerly AOP of the Northern Rhône Valley?
- St-Péray
Who produce cuvée Côe-Rôtie Fructus Voluptas ?
- Jamet
Who produce cuvée Condrieu Vernillon ?
- Jamet
Who produce cuvée Condrieu La Bonette ?
- René Rostaing
True or False ? E. Guigal produce an Ermitage blanc cuvée, made of Marsanne and Roussanne.
- True
Who produce cuvée Côte-Rôtie Sereine Noire ?
- Gangloff
Who produce cuvée Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine ?
- Gangloff
True or False ? Château Grillet is a biodynamic farming estate.
- True
- Certified Organic since 2016
- Stop the use of herbicide in 2011
Who produce cuvée Condrieu Vertige ?
- Cuilleron
What is the top cuvée of Alain Graillot, produced only in top vintages ?
- Crozes-Hermitage, La Guiraude
- A barrel Selection
- Inaugural 1988
Who improved winemaking techniques in Cornas, recently ?
- Jean-Luc Colombo
- Destemming
- Use of new oak barrels
- Where do we find Montagne de Crussol ?
- St. Péray
- Huge hill of limestone
3 reasons why Grenache is well suited to Southern Rhône.
- Grenache is late ripening, so warmer mediterranean summer / climate needed
- Galets retain heat, help to ripen Grenache
- Grenache has high tolerance to drought, a common problem in Southern Rhône
River of Côtes-du-Vivarais ?
- Ardèche River
What style of wine is produced in Beaume-de-Venise?
- Rouge only
What are the white grapes authorized for Crozes-Hermitage AOP ?
- Marsanne
- Roussannne
River flowing East, through Hermitage / Crozes-Hermitage ?
- Isère
What are the white varietals used for Ch. Rayas Blanc ?
- Clairette
- Grenache Blanc
What is the primary grape of Clairette de Die “Méthode Ancestrale” ?
- Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains
What is the minimum amount of Grenache required in Gigondas Rosé/Rouge ?
- 50% min.
Grapes used for Hermitage vin de paille must dry for a minimum of _______ days ?
- 45
In which century the Roman Catholic Popes presided in Avignon ?
- 14th
- Courthézon is a commune within … ?
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Best vintage for Northern Rhône between : 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 ?
- 2001
What is the new single vineyard of Guigal on Côte Rôtie?
- La Reynarde
What is the difference of rain between Valence and Avignon?
- 915 mm in Valence
- 660 mm in Avignon
What is the minimum % of Grenache in a Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages?
- C-D-R is 30% minimum of Grenache
- C-D-R-V is 40% minimum of Grenache
- except for wines north of Montélimar
In which wine region is located Lirac and Luberon?
- Provence
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Rhône Valley
- Rhône Valley
What is the average planting of Grenache in Chateauneuf-du-Pape? (%)
- 80%
Where can we find Muscat à Petits Grains noirs?
- rosé and red Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and as a minor component for Clairette de Die rosé and Crémant de Die
What are the three parcels of Château Rayas?
- Le Couchant
- Le Levant
- Le coeur
What is the Condrieu cuvée of Chateau Grillet?
- La Carthery
What is the Côtes du Rhône from Rayas?
- Pialade
What is the Côtes du Rhône project of Emmanuel Reynaud?
- Château de Fonsalette