Rhône Flashcards
What is another (French) name for the Northern Rhône?
Rhône septentrionale
What is another (French) name for the Southern Rhône?
Rhône méridionale
Who moved his court from Rome to Avignon?
Pope Clement V
Who constructed the (now-ruined) papal palace in the South Rhône? (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Pope John XXII
What is the first appellation/AOC in France and when?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1936, following the phylloxera plague.
Name the North-Rhône appellations from north to south
Côte-Rotie
Condrieu
Château Grillet
St-Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Hermitage
Cornas
St-Péray
Coteaux, Crémant and Clairette de Die
Châtillon-en-Diois
What is the difference in climate between the north and south Rhône?
The north is more continental, while the south is more mediterranean
What is a very big climatic influence in both the south and north Rhône?
The Mistral wind
It is very strong, but it dries the vineyards to get rid of mildew
What is defining soil in the North Rhône?
Heat-retaining granitic and schistous soils
Côte-Rotie, Condrieu and Hermitage have steep terraces with this bedrock
What is arzelle?
Thin topsoil near Condrieu, rich with powdery, decomposed mica
What is more the soil of St Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Péray?
More clay-heavy
Describe a typical Syrah from the North-Rhône?
The wines are full-bodied, firm, and savory.
Aromas of smoke, grilled meat, olive, lavender, and peppercorn. Typically fermented and aged in large oak foudres, although some producers are now experimenting with new barriques.
What is the only appellation in the North Rhône where Syrah has to be 100% in the wine?
Cornas
What can winemakers add in a Syrah in Côte-Rotie?
20% of Viognier
What can winemakers add in a Syrah in (Crozes-)Hermitage?
15% of Marsanne & Roussanne
What can winemakers add in a Syrah in St Joseph?
10% of Marsanne & Roussanne
Why would winemakers add white wine grapes in Syrah based wines in the North Rhône?
Co fermenting offers stabilizing red wine colour and moderating tannin extraction
What is Côte-Rotie known for in terms of geography?
Some of the steepest vineyards in France
What does Côte-Rotie translate to?
The roasted slope
Where is E. Guigal located?
Ampuis (Côte-Rotie)
What are the two most important communes within the Côte-Rotie?
The Côte Blonde, south (softer, earlyier-developing)
–> schist & granite soil
The Côte Brune, north (heavier, smoky)
–> More clay, schist
Name 4 very well known producers in Hermitage
Jean-Louis Chave
Jaboulet
M. Chapoutier
Delas
Cave de Tain (co-op)
Name a very well known producer in the Côte-Rotie
E. Guigal
Who was the crusader turned hermit?
Gaspard de Stérimberg
Who was Gaspard de Stérimberg?
The crusader who lived on the top of the hill in Hermitage, which is named after him. Where he found condolence in making wine after all the horrors from the crusades.
What does hermit mean?
A person living in solitude
What is the premier wine of Jaboulet?
La Chapelle, named after the chapel of Gaspard de Stérimberg
What are the most important climats of Hermitage?
L’Hermit
Le Méal
Les Bessards
Gréffieux
Beaume
Péléat.
What is a typical Cornas Syrah like?
Traditionally rustic, impenetrable in their youth, and slow to develop in the bottle.
What is the soil called in Cornas?
Gore: Granite soil
What makes Cornas so hot?
The Gore soil
Shielded from the Mistral
What are four noteworthy lieux-dits of Cornas?
Les Reynards
La Côte
Les Chaillot
Les Mazards.
What is the smallest appellation of the North Rhône?
Château Grillet
What is a demi-muid?
An 600L oak barrel, mostly used in the Rhône
Who is Auguste Clape?
A producer in Cornas, the standard-bearer for the traditional wines of the appellation, not using destemming, but whole-cluster fermentation and no new oak barriques, but the old demi-muids of the region
What style of wine may Cornas AOP produce?
Only red
What style of wine may Côte-Rotie AOP produce?
Only red
What styles of wine may the Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage and St Joseph AOPs produce?
White and red
What styles of wine may Condrieu produce?
Only white
What do Marsanne and Roussanne add respectively to the blend?
Marsanne adds broad, oily texture and marzipan characteristics
Roussanne adds acidity and waxy minerality
What style of wine may Saint-Péray AOP produce?
Whites only made of Marsanne and Roussanne
Sparkling mousseux in méthode traditionelle
What old style of wine may be produced in Hermitage as well?
Vin de paille
Describe vin de paille in the Rhône
A rare dessert wine produced in Hermitage, made of dried Marsanne or Roussanne grapes.
Revived by Gérard Chave in the 1970s and again by Chapoutier in the 1990s.
What grape may be used in Condrieu?
Only Viognier
What soil is in Condrieu?
Decomposed granite
Describe Château Grillet
A monopole AOP within Condrieu AOP, more historical acclaim than real current value. 100% Viognier
In which départment is the North-Rhône?
Rhône
Drôme
Ardèche
Who owns the Château-Grillet?
Artémis Vineyards (François Pinault, also owns Château Latour)
What soil does Château-Grillet have?
Granitic sand
What is the Drôme?
A tributary river of the Rhône
What grapes does Coteaux de Die AOP use?
Clairette
Give the Crémant de Die AOP specifications
Clairette Min 55%
Aligoté Min 10%
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains Max 10%
Traditional method
9 months lee ageing
Must be harvested manually
Max. 15 g/l residual
3.5 atmospheres
What styles can Clairette de Die AOP be made in?
Mousseux Blanc Méthode Traditionelle
Mousseux Blanc Ancestral
Mousseux Rosé Ancestral
Give the Clairette de Die AOP Blanc Traditionelle specifications
100% Clairette
3.5 atmospheres
9 months sur latte
Traditional method
Max. 15 g/l residual
Give the Clairette de Die AOP Blanc Ancestral specifications
Min. 75% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains + Clairette
Methode ancestral
4 months sur latte
3 atmospheres
Min. 35 g/l residual
Give the Clairette de Die AOP Rose Ancestral Specifications
Min. 75% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains + Clairette and Gamay (max. 10%)
Methode ancestral
4 months sur latte
3 atmospheres
Min. 35 g/l residual
What wines does Châtillon-en-Diois AOP produce?
Whites from Aligoté and Chardonnay
Reds and rosé from Gamay
How long is the Rhône river?
400km
Name three producers under who Viognier is starting to thrive again
Georges Vernay
Yves Cuilleron
André Perret
What is the general soil of the North-Rhône?
Granite
What city marks the break of North and South Rhône?
Montélimar
What are the only AOPs in the North-Rhône located on the left/east bank?
(Crozes-)Hermitage
Name two famous Cornas producers
Auguste Clape and Thiery Allemand
What were the original communes of St-Joseph?
Glun
Mauves
Tournon
St-Jean-de-Muzols
Lemps
Vion
Chavanay
When did St-Joseph expand their amount of communes, how many are there now?
1969
26 communes
How many communes can be considered for the Côtes du Rhône AOP?
47 in North Rhône
124 in South Rhône
Name four great Côtes du Rhône producers
Chapoutier
Jean-Louis Chave
Gonon
Guigal
What IGP is located in and around the North-Rhône?
Collines Rhodaniennes IGP
What are the La La’s of Guigal? Describe each one
La Landonne: Côte Brûne. Longevity and backbone. 100% Syrah
La Mouline: Côte Blonde. Velvety and perfumed (Around 10% Viognier)
La Turque: Côte Brûne. Slightly aromatic like Mouline, but mineral backbone of Landonne. Around 5% Viognier.
All aged for 42 months in new oak. 100% destemmed and co-fermented
Name two other “mainstream cuvées” by Guigal
Blonde et Brune
Château d’Ampuis
What is Vidal-Fleury?
A winery in the Côte Rotie owned by Gugial
What are Les Grandes Palaces and La Viallière?
Two popular lieux-dits in the Côte-Rotie.
LGP is more muscular
Viallière is more floral
Name two well-regarded producers from Condrieu
Georges Vernay
Guigal (La Doriane cuvée)
What is Hermitage’s advantage compared to other AOC’s climate wise?
They are protected from cold north winds due to their facing west to south.
Name some important vineyards of Hermitage
La Varogne
L’Hermite
Les Bessards
Le Méal
Les Gréffieux
Beaume
Rocoule
Péléat
L’Homme
Les Murets
Les Diognières
La Croix
What is Jaboulet’s flagship wine?
La Chapelle.
Consists of the climates Beaume and L’Hermite, named after the famous hermit’s chapel on top of the hill.
Light and aromatic
What style of wine does Péléat in Hermitage give?
Fleshy
What style of wine does Les Gréffieux in Hermitage give?
Owned mostly by Chapoutier
Elegant, aromatic and silky
What style of wine does Le Méal in Hermitage give?
Extremely dense and powerful wines
What style of wine does Bessards in Hermitage give?
The most tannic and longest-lived wines.
What could be climats known for white Hermitage?
Microcuvées
Chapoutier: L’Ermite and Le Méal
Guigal: Ex-Voto
Name well-known Crozes-Hermitage producers
Fayolle
Tardieu-Laurent
How much needs to be Syrah in the blend for Hermitage?
Min. 85% Syrah, rest Marsanne/Roussanne
What are the major grapes for the Southern Rhône red & rosé wines?
Grenache
Syrah
Mourvèdre
Cinsault
Carignan
What is the climate of South Rhône?
Mediterranean
What does garrigue mean as a descriptor?
A mix of mediterranean herbs: lavender, juniper, thyme, rosemary and sage.
What are the large stones of the South Rhône called in Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Galets
What advantage do galets give?
They store heat, releasing it to the vines at night when the temperature swings quite low
How many grapes are accepted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
13 (18 if you count same kind of varieties)
What is Château Rayas described as?
The Burgundy of the South Rhône: Sometimes 100% Grenache, and very elegant style.
What is unique in the AOP requirements of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
It demands producers declassify or discard 2% of their harvest (le râpe). This protects against underripeness.
The min. alcohol required is 12.5%, the highest in France for dry wine.
What grapes are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP?
Grenache (Blanc, Gris, Noir)
Mourvèdre
Syrah
Cinsault
Counoise
Picpoul (Blanc, Gris, Noir)
Terret Noir
Bourboulenc
Clairette/Clairette Rosé
Roussanne
Vaccarèse
Picardin
Muscardin
What grapes need to be used in Gigondas blanc?
Min. 70% Clairette Blanc
What grapes need to be used in Gigondas rouge?
Combined min. 90% of: Grenache (50%), Syrah and Mourvèdre (15%)
Name former Côtes du Rhône villages upgraded to their own AOPs
Gigondas (1971)
Vacqueyras (1990)
Beaumes-de-Venise (2005)
Vinsobres (2006)
Cairanne (2016)
Describe Lirac AOP
Red, rosé and white
Red & rosé: Mostly GS(C)M
White: Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette
What AOP in South Rhône is exclusively dedicated to rosé?
Tavel AOP
Describe Tavel AOP
Exclusively rosé
30-60% Grenache Noir (must have!), Gris, Blanc. Up to 60% other grapes.
Unique soil called Lauses (white calcareous stone) + galets
What are two VdN AOPs in South Rhône?
Rasteau AOP
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP
What is the process of mutage
Adding grape spirit to stop fermentation and retain natural grape sugar
What styles of VdN may be produced in Rasteau and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise?
Blanc, rosé and rouge
What grapes are used in Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise?
Muscat Blanc/Rouge a Petits Grains
What are the principal grapes varieties in VdN of Rasteau AOP?
Grenache Blanc, Gris and Noir
What difference in aromas is there between Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau?
Muscat.. is more fresh and aromatic, Rasteau more tawny.
Does Rasteau AOP allow dry wine?
Yes, since 2010 they allow unfortified red wine.
What was the former name of the Grignan-les-Adhémar AOP?
Côtes du Tricastrin
Where is Luberon AOP located?
South Rhône
Where is Ventoux AOP located?
South Rhône
Where is Côtes du Vivarais AOP located?
South Rhône
What AOP is in all regions of the Rhône, Languedoc and Provence?
Costières de Nîmes AOP
White, rosé and reds from GSM red, GRM blanc
Formerly known as Costières du Gard
Local soil: Gress. Pebbles with sand
What is the single-commune AOP within Costières de Nîmes?
Clairette de Bellegarde AOP
Whites only from Clairette
