Rhône Flashcards
What was the historical importance of the Rhône as pertains the advent of viticulture by the Greeks (600 BCE)?
Used to carry wine and trade from Massalia (Marseilles) into the heart of Gaul.
What is another name for the Northern Rhône? Southern Rhône?
Rhône septentrionale (from Vienne to Valence). Rhône méridionale (from Montélimar to Avignon).
What is vinum picatum?
“Pitched Wine” exported to Ancient Rome from Vienne. Unclear the nature of the wine itself.
What was the name of the papal palace constructed Pope John XXII?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Not used as a term to describe the wines surrounding the palace until the 19th c. (Previously called Vin d’Avignon)
What became the first AOC (AOP) in France in 1936?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The climate of the Northern Rhône is ____________ whereas, that of the Southern Rhône is _____________.
Continental. Mediterranean.
What climatic influence starts in the Massif Central and affects the Rhône and Provence?
Mistral.
What are the soils of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Hermitage?
Heat retaining granitic rock and schistous soil.
What is arzelle? (Locally called in the commune of Condrieu)
powdery, decomposed mica
What are the traditional oak barrels called in the Northern Rhône?
foudres
The soils become heavier with clay in the southern section of St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Péray. True or False?
True
What are the five appellations for Syrah?
Hermitage AOP, Crozes-Hermitage AOP, Cornas AOP, Côte-Rôtie AOP, and St-Joseph AOP
Syrah is blended with white grapes in all five Northern Rhône appellations. True or False
False. 100% Syrah in Cornas.
What is the allowable percentages of white grapes to be added and what varietals are used?
Côte-Rôtie- up to 20% Viognier
Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage- 15% Marsanne/ Roussanne
St-Joseph- 10% Marsanne/ Roussanne
What is co-fermentation and what are the benefits?
Co-fermentation is the practice in winemaking of fermenting two or more grape varieties at the same time. Stabilizing red wine color and moderating tannin extraction
What two slopes nearest Ampuis are considered the heart of Côte-Rôtie’s terroir?
the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde
What is the northernmost appellation in the Northern Rhône?
Côte-Rôtie.
Côte-Rôtie is home to some of France’s steepest vineyards. True or False.
True
Name a cru bottled as a vineyard designate by Guigal, René Rostaing and others?
La Landonne. It can command prices like a first growth Bordeaux.
Name some important climats of Hermitage.
L’Hermite, le Méal, les Bessards, Gréffieux, Beaume and Péléat
What is “La Chapelle”, Jaboulet’s premier wine, named for?
A small hillside chapel that stands in commemoration of Gaspard de Stérimberg, the legendary Crusader-turned-hermit who lived a life of asceticism atop the hill.
What is the name of the village behind which the vineyards of Hermitage rise?
Tain-l’Hermitage
What is the gore?
Naked granite soil- notably present in Cornas, the warmest appellation of the Northern Rhône.
What are the four corners, or lieux-dits, of Cornas?
Les Reynards, La Côte, Les Chaillot, and Les Mazards
Who is the “standard- bearer” for traditional methods in Cornas?
Auguste Clape, eschewing destemming for whole cluster fermentation and new oak barriques for the old demi-muids of the region.
The cool St-Péray AOP exclusively produces what wines?
Marsanne and Roussanne wines
Cornas and Côte-Rôtie may produce only red wine; St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage also produce small amounts of white wines. True or False.
True
What was the area for St-Joseph?
The original delimited area was near the commune of Tournon-sur-Rhône, opposite the hill of Hermitage
What are the predominant soils of St-Joseph?
Clay
What is the smallest red wine appellation in the Northern Rhône?
Cornas.
What is vin de paille? Who?
A rare dessert wine made from dried grapes. Made from Marsanne or Roussanne. Revived by Gérard Chave in the 1970s and more recently by Chapoutier. From Hermitage.
Name two white wine only appellations in the Côte-Rôtie?
Condrieu and Château Grillet (a monopole within Condrieu).
What four minor appellations of the Northern Rhône lie on the Drôme River, a tributary of the Rhône?
Crémant de Die- trad method sparkling from Clairette
Clairette de Die-trad (Clairette) & ancestrale (75% muscat)sparkling
Coteaux de Die- Clairette
Châtillon-en-Diois- Gamay red & rosé. Aligoté & Ch whites
Who released the first estate bottled Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1785?
Château La Nerthe
What are the authorized grapes for Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Grenache (Noir/Blanc/Gris), Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, Picpoul (Noir/Blanc/Gris), Terret Noir, Bourboulenc, Clairette/Clairette Rosé, Roussanne, Vaccarèse, Picardan, Muscardin
What is the Southern Rhône’s largest appellation and the base designation for wines from the entire Rhône Valley?
Côtes du Rhône AOP. Red, white and rosé allowed.
What is the superior appellation for general wines from a specified area in the Southern Rhône?
Côtes du Rhône-Villages. 18 communes can append their name. For red, whites and rosé.
What is the most planted red grape of the Southern Rhône? Next two?
Grenache. Then Mourvèdre and Syrah.
What is the climate of the Southern Rhône?
Mediterranean. Hot summers are tempered by significant diurnal swings, and mild winters follow usually heavy autumnal rains.
What are galets or “pudding stones”?
Larger stones that have been dumped in the valley’s mounds by post-ice age glacial melt. Made of quartzite and smoothed by the river, the galets serve to store heat, releasing it to warm the vines at night.
What wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is dominated by Mourvèdre and, famously, contains all 13 approved varietals?
Château de Beaucastel Rouge
What wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape contains 100% Grenache?
Château Rayas.
What is the minimum potential alcoholic strength of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
12.5% highest for any dry wine in France.
What AOP regulations for Châteauneuf-du-Pape help to insure ripeness?
that producers declassify or discard at least 2% of harvested grapes (le rapé), a process that serves as a safeguard against under-ripeness.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP is for red wine only.
False. Red and white are allowed.
What distinguishes a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
A papal crest embossed on the shoulder of the bottle marks all estate-bottled wines from the appellation.
How many hectares does Châteauneuf-du-Pape have?
Over 3000.
What are the principal grapes for Côtes du Rhône-Villages?
Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah.
What distinct appellation within Côtes du Rhône-Villages was created in 1971?
Gigondas AOP was created for red and rosé wines sourced from the commune’s red clay alluvial soils.
What four distinct appellations exist for wines within the Côtes du Rhône-Villages? Blend wines with a ___% minimum of what grape?
Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise and Vinsobres. All four share the 12.5% minimum potential alcohol. 50% Grenache.
What is one of the only communal appellations dedicated to rosé wine in France? Just south of Lirac.
Tavel AOP. Made from Grenache in a dry style.
What wines can be very similar to the Côtes du Rhône-Villages wines, and are made in red, white, and rosé versions?
Lirac, on the western shore of the Rhône river.
What two appellations exist for Vin Doux Naturel in Southern Rhône?
Rasteau AOP and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP
What is mutage?
The typical process involves the addition of alcohol to the must so that the fermentation process is prematurely stopped.
What are the grapes of Rasteau AOP?
Grenache: Blanc, Gris, and Noir.
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise wines are typically fresher and more aromatic, whereas the Rasteau wines show more tawny flavors. True or False?
True
What do the terms ambré and tuilé indicate? Terminology adopted by vignerons of Rasteau established by producers of Rivesaltes in Roussillon.
White and red, respectively, VDN wines displaying a more oxidative character and subject to at least three years of aging prior to release.
Fresher versions of white and red Rasteau VDN wines are now labeled blanc and grenat.
These, obscure, appellations are located in the Southern Rhône?
Grignan-les Adhémar. (Most Northern). Luberon, Ventoux, Côtes du Viverais, Costières de Nimes, Clairette de Bellegarde Pierrevert
The Southern Rhône accounts for about 95% of all wine produced in the Rhône Valley and it is overwhelmingly devoted to red wine. True or False?
True
What are the soils of the Southern Rhône?
Alluvial soils, deposited over limestone subsoil in the river’s course. Sand, gravel, and clay have been left in the river’s wake.
What is Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most famous lieu-dit?
La Crau.
What is the name given bush vines?
Gobelets
Name a few villages for Côtes du Rhône-Villages?
Cairanne, Chusclan, Gadagne, Laudun, Massif d’Uchaux,
Plan de Dieu, Puyméras, Roaix, Rochegude, Rousset les vignes, Sablet, St-Gervais, St-Maurice, St-Pantaleon-les-vignes, Séguret, Signargues, Valréas, Visan
What are the soils of St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Péray?
Heavier with clay
What are the flavors of Syrah in the Northern Rhône?
smoke, grilled meat, olive, lavender, and peppercorn
What are the general soils of the Southern Rhône?
Alluvial over limestone.
Name some villages that can append their name to the Côte du Rhône-Villages AOP?
Cairanne, Chusclan, Gadagne
Laudun, Massif d’Uchaux, Plan de Dieu, Puyméras, Roaix
Rochegude, Rousset les vignes, Sablet, St-Gervais, St-Maurice
St-Pantaleon-les-vignes, Séguret, Signargues, Valréas, Visan
Which AOP served as the doorway to France’s phylloxera epidemic in 1863?
Lirac AOP (despite its sandier soils)
Rasteau AOP wines are all Vind doux naturel?
False. As of 2010 can also be dry, red unfortified.
Where can the grapes for Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise be sourced from?
Throughout the communes of Beaumes-de-Venis and Aubignan
What are the communes eligible for Rasteau AOP VDN?
Rasteau, Cairanne, and Sablet
Northernmost appellation of the Southern Rhône?
Grignan-Les-Adhémar
What is the topsoil in Condrieu?
Arzelle- rich, powdery, decomposed mica
What grape variety is typically the dominant component in red blends in Southern Rhône?
Grenache.
What is Taille en Archet?
Vine staking to protect against Le Mistral.
What are the allowed varietals of St. Peray?
Marsanne and Roussane
Also known for sparkling wines- Méthode Traditionelle mousseux.
Tavel produces rosé wines and is located in the region of Provence. True or False.
False. Southern Rhône (south of Lirac)
Rosé only based on Grenache.