Rhone: Northern Rhone Appellations

Question 1

What percentage of wine production in Northern Rhone is red or white?

Answer 1

• 81% red
• 19% white
  (2019)

No cru is authorized to make rose.

Question 2

Name the appellations of Northern Rhone.

Answer 2

1. Cote Rotie AOC (1940): 9% of total production in Northern Rhone
2. Condrieu AOC (1940): 5%
3. Chateau-Grillet AOC (1936)
4. Saint-Joseph AOC (1956): 35%
5. Cornas AOC (1938): 4%
6. Saint-Peray AOC (1936): 3%
7. Hermitage/L’Hermitage/Ermitage/L’Ermitage AOC (1936): 3%
8. Crozes-Hermitage/Crozes-Ermitage AOC (1937): 41%

All vineyard area in the Northern Rhone is covered by 1 of 8 AOCs, each one is considered a cru, and all lie within the Cotes du Rhone zone of production.

Question 3

Which appellation in the Northern Rhone translates as “roasted slope”?

Answer 3

Cote Rotie AOC

Due to the long hours of sunlight it gets from its southeast-facing aspect.

Question 4

Where are the vineyards of Cote Rotie AOC planted?

Answer 4

On steep slopes on the right bank of the Rhone Valley.

Question 5

What style of wine is produced in Cote Rotie AOC?

Answer 5

Red

Question 6

Which grape varieties are permitted in Cote Rotie AOC?

Answer 6

Syrah is the primary grape.
Viognier, by law, may be added up to 20%, but in practice it typically constitutes 5% or less, if used at all. If used, Viognier is co-planted, co-harvested and co-fermented with Syrah.

Question 7

Where are the vineyards of Condrieu AOC planted?

Answer 7

These terraced vineyards are located on the right bank of the Rhone Valley; most face east.

Question 8

What styles of wine are produced in Condrieu AOC?

Answer 8

• Dry White
• Sweet White: min. 4.5% (45g/l) RS (uncommon)

Although 90-95% of these wines are vinified dry today, most of these wines were sweet in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Question 9

What is the only permitted grape variety in Condrieu AOC?

Answer 9

Viognier

Question 10

What are the characteristics of wines from Condrieu AOC?

Answer 10

Medium- to full-bodied wines of moderate to low acidity.

Question 11

Which appellation is located within the boundary of southern Condrieu?

Answer 11

Chateau-Grillet AOC

These grapes are grown on steep terraces and cover only 8.6ac/3.5ha.
This very small AOC represents 1 of only 2 monopoles outside Bourgogne (the other being Coulee de Serrant in the Loire Valley)

Question 12

What style of wine is produced in Chateau-Grillet AOC?

Answer 12

Dry White: made only from Viognier

Made in the same style as Condrieu.
Wines are aged for 2 years in oak barrels or tanks and can continue to age for 10 or more years.

Question 13

What styles of wine is produced in Saint-Joseph AOC?

Answer 13

• Dry White: Marsanne and/or Roussanne;14% of production
• Red: Syrah may co-ferment up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne; 86% of production

Question 14

What contributes to the variability of the wines from Saint-Joseph AOC?

Answer 14

• This appellation covers a long (37mi/60km) and narrow stretch
• varying aspects

Some wines are concentrated and structured, while others are softer and more fruit-forward.

Question 15

How do the wines of Saint-Joseph AOC compare to the other appellations in Northern Rhone?

Answer 15

These wine mature more quickly than the wines of the other Northern Rhone Crus.

Question 16

Which appellation in Northern Rhone is Celtic for “burned earth”?

Answer 16

Cornas AOC, referring to its warmth.

This is a steep, southeast-facing terraced slope of granite which forms a natural amphitheater protecting the vines from cold winds.
Jean-Luc Colombo describes it as “an island of the south in the north.”

Question 17

What style of wine is produced in Cornas AOC?

Answer 17

Red: 100% Syrah

Question 18

Which appellation in Northern Rhone is Celtic for “burned earth”?

Answer 18

Cornas AOC, referring to its warmth.

This is a steep, southeast-facing terraced slope of granite which forms a natural amphitheater protecting the vines from cold winds.
Jean-Luc Colombo describes it as “an island of the south in the north.”

Question 19

Where is Saint-Peray AOC located?

Answer 19

This is the most southerly of the Northern Rhone Crus. It is situated on the right bank.

Question 20

What styles of wine are produced in Saint-Peray AOC?

Answer 20

• Dry White: [P] Marsanne, Roussanne
• Sparkling White: very little is produced here today, despite being produced since 1825

Question 21

What are some important facts surrounding Hermitage AOC?

Answer 21

• One of the oldest vineyards in France still under cultivation
• It yields one of the longest-lived and most collected wines in the Rhone
• Numerous lieux-dits, which may appear on the label
• Reds are long-lived
• Whites possess almost the same staying power as reds
• Both wine need a few years in bottle to mature

Question 22

What styles of wine are produced in Hermitage AOC?

Answer 22

• Dry White: Marsanne and/or Roussanne; one-third of production
• Red: Syrah may be co-fermented with up to 15% Marsanne and/or Roussanne; two/thirds of production
• Vin de Paille

Question 23

Which appellation is the largest of the Northern Rhone Crus?

Answer 23

Crozes-Hermitage AOC

Its soils are varied, incorporating many sedimentary elements.

Question 24

What styles of wine are produced in Crozes-Hermitage AOC?

Answer 24

• Dry White: Marsanne and/or Roussanne
• Red: Syrah may be co-fermented with up to 15% Marsanne and/or Roussanne

Question 25

How doe the wines of Crozes-Hermitage AOC compare to Hermitage AOC?

Answer 25

• Produce the same wine styles (with the exception of Vin de Paille)
• Use the same grape varieties and the same proportions
• Crozes-Hermitage are lighter, faster-maturing renditions of Hermitage and can represent excellent value

Question 26

Name the appellations of the Diois.

Answer 26

1. Clairette de Die AOC (1942)
2. Cremant de Die AOC (1993)
3. Coteaux de Die AOC (1993)
4. Chatillon-en-Diois AOC (1975)

Question 27

What styles of wine are produced in Clairette de Die AOC?

Answer 27

• Sparkling White
• Sparkling Rose

2 wines are made under this appellation:
* Clairette de Die: a traditional-method sparkling wine made from 100% Clairette
* Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale: a sweet sparkling blend of Muscat & Clairette; Muscat dominates the blend; can be made as white or rose depending on the colour of the varieties used

Question 28

Which grape varieties are permitted in Clairette de Die AOC?

Answer 28

White:
* [P] Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc, Clairette

Rose/Gris:
* [S] Clairette Rose

Red:
* [S] Gamay, Muscat a Petits Grains Rouge

Question 29

What percentage of the Diois’s entire production comes from Clairette de Die AOC?

Answer 29

96%

Most of this is bottled as Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale.

Question 30

What style of wine is produced in Cremant de Die AOC?

Answer 30

Sparkling White: traditional method made mostly from Clairette, Aligote & a small portion of Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc

Question 31

What style of wine is produced in Coteaux de Die AOC?

Answer 31

Dry White: made from Clairette

This small appellation only has 2.5ac/1ha planted.

Question 32

What styles of wine are produced in Chatillon-en-Diois AOC?

Answer 32

• Dry White: A blend of Chardonnay & Aligote (no specific proportions)
• Rose: Based on Gamay
• Red: Based on Gamay

Secondary red grapes include:
* Syrah
* Pinot Noir