Rhone Flashcards
What are the primary grapes for north and south Rhone?
Syrah based in the north and Grenache based in the South.
What famous winery was property of the papacy until 1791?
Chateaunef-du-Pape
What are the primary white grape varietals of the Rhone?
Grenache Blanc
Viognier
Blending Grapes:
Bourboulenc
Rousanne
Marianne
What are the characteristics of Rhone?
- Soils rich in minerals: granite schist iron
- Very steep terraced hills
- White wines are produced from Viognier, *Marsanne, Rousanne
- Low Yields
What is the Rhone wine classification?
Cru - single villages
Cotes du Rhone Villages + Village Name
Cotes du Rhone Generic
What are the AOCs of the Northern Rhone?
Côte-Rotie Condrieu (white only) Chateau Grillet Crozes-Hermitage Hermitage Cornas
What are characteristics of Côte-Rotie AOC?
- Red wine appellation, possible to add up to 20% Viognier co-fermented w/Syrah and steep vineyards
- Granite and schist (retain heat throughout the day)
What are the characteristics of Condrieu and Chateau Grillet AOC?
- White wine only appellations made only from Viognier.
* Chateau Grillet is a single vineyard monopole appellation inside Condrieu appellation
Characteristics of Chateau Grillet AOC?
Only Viognier is permitted
Natural amphitheater composed of granitic sands with black mica
Richness of decomposed mica is secret of Chateau Grillet
What are the characteristics of Hermitage AOC?
- Produces mostly red wines and is located on the east of the Rhone River
- Red wines are Syrah based - 85%
- White wines are made with Marsanne and/or Rousanne
- Climate: shielded from North winds; lots of sun
- Produces the most structured, aging, complex expensive wine of Northern Rhone
- Soils: granite
What are characteristics of Crozes-Hermitage AOC?
Produces primarily red wines with Syrah the only red grape permitted under appellation rules
Up to 15% white grapes, Marsanne and Rousanne
Yields are higher compared to ones from the north
What are characteristics of Cornas AOC?
Lies in a concave bowl terrains
100% red wine AOC based on Syrah
Smallest of northern appellations making red wine
What are characteristics of Southern Rhone?
- Mediterranean climate
- Less temperature variability than the north
- consistent weather from year to year
- Landscape is broader and flatter than northern Rhone
- 5 main soil types: galet (polished granite), red sandstones, Clay, silt and sand, limestone
What are characteristics of Côte du Rhone AOC?
- Côte du Rhone AOC produces red, white, and rose wine
- Responsible for 60% of total Rhone production
- Largest single AOC after Bordeaux
- Principal variety: Grenache (min 40%) - Syrah and Mourvèdre blended
What are general rules about Côte du Rhone AOC labeling?
Can be blends of different villages with AOC zone - names of villages do not appear on the label
In what area of France does Rhone begin?
The bottom of France, south of Burgundy
What are characteristics of Northern Rhone?
- Cooler
- Greater temperature variation
- inconsistent weather
- high vintage variability
What are characteristics of Cotes du Rhone Villages?
- Grapes must be grown in one of 17 villages of Cotes du Rhone
- name of village appears on label
- same grape varieties and blending formulas as Cotes du Rhone
- each village has distinctive personality
What are the top Cru villages of Southern Rhone?
- Rasteau
- Vacquerays
- Gigondas
- Chateaunuef-du-Pape
- Tavel AOC
- Lirac AOC
What are characteristics of Rasteau?
- dry reds
- minimum 50% granache noir, 20% syrah and/or mouvedre
- all vineyards facing south
- style of wine: ripe red and dark fruit, generous and warm
What are characteristics of Vacquerays?
given the urgonian limestone and the aridity of the soil, the vines are prone to lower yields = more concentrated wines
What are characteristics of Gigondas?
- red and rose only
- more rustic and powerful rather than elegant
- minimum 50% Grenache noir, 15% Syrah and mouvedre
- soil is mostly limestone and clay
What are characteristics of Chateaunuef-du-Pape?
*is for red and white wine (93% red and 7% white)
*largest grand cru is So. Rhone
*driest region of Cote du Rhone
*13 grapes may be grown, no % mandated
*grape varieties may be fermented separately or co-fermented depending on the estate and vintage conditions
*no maximum or minimum percentages for varietals in the blend
typically grnache is the lead variety for reds folled by Syrah and mouvedre
What are characteristics of Tavel AOC?
- Rose only with a wide array of required grape varieties, both black and white
- 9 grapes: grenache noir (max 15%), cinsault, clairette (max 10%), picpoul, bourboublanc, mouvedre, syrah, carignan, calitor
- crafted using saignee method
