Rhone Valley Flashcards
What major river connects Northern and Southern Rhone?
Rhone River
Name the regions of Northern Rhone from top to bottom
Cote-Rotie Chateau Grillet Condrieu St. Joseph Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Cornas St. Peray
Name the regions of Southern Rhone from top to bottom
Cotes-du-Rhone Rasteau Chateaneuf du Pape Gigondas Vacqueyras Beaumes-de-venise Tavel
How many grapes can legally be grown in Rhone
27 grapes
Northern Rhone reds are made from what grape?
100% Syrah
Northern Rhone whites are made from what grapes?
Viognier, or a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne
Southern Rhone reds are made from what grapes?
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
The best vineyards in Northern Rhone are where?
They cling to narrow, rocky terraces on the steep slopes that loom over the river.
What is the greatest threat to top vineyards in Northern Rhone?
Erosion
What have winemakers in Northern Rhone done to combat erosion?
Terraces and stone walls were built to hold the vines in place, if it wasn’t for them they would slide down. They also carry back up any of the precious soil that is washed down the slopes.
What is the climate in Northern and Southern Rhone?
North: Continental
South: Mediterranean
The only red grape permitted in Northern Rhone is
Syrah
What is Syrah a natural cross of? Where did it originate?
mondeuse blanche (white) and dureza (red). IT is thought to have originated in the Rhone-Alps region of eastern France
What flavour is a MAJOR tell that you’re in Northern Rhone?
white pepper
Vine age in Northern Rhone
40-100 years. Yield is low, concentration is CRAZY
Though Northern Rhone is modernizing, what old technique is still a signature here?
INcluding stems along with grapes during fermentation
What does Cote-Rotie mean literally?
“Roasted hillside”
All Cote-Roties are ____ and _____
RED and SYRAH
The best Cote-Rotie vineyards are
on granite slopes with grades up tp 60 degrees, facing due South
What are the non-cotes Cotes of Cote-Rotie?
Vineyards on the plateaus above the slopes, these new vineyards were established when the appellation was extended in the 1970s and 1980s. Most producers willingly declassify the wine made from these vineyards, and simply label them Cotes-du-Rhone.
Within Cote-Rotie are two famous slopes:
Cote Brune and Cote Blonde
What are Cote Brune and Cote Blonde named after?
Legend says a feudal lord’s daughters, one brunette and one blonde. The stereotype is that Brunes are more tannic and powerful, Blondes are more elegant and racy.
Producers in Cote-Rotie, and in Rhone in general, commonly blend grapes from different vineyard sites, T or F
True
What two top French red wines can by law be made with a small quantity of white grapes blended in
Cote-Rotie and Hermitage
Up to _____ % viognier can by law be included in Cote-Rotie. Most producers add less than _____ % though.
20%, 5%.
Condrieu and Chateau Grillet are Northern Rhone’s most famous _____ regions.
White wine
What grape is used to make the wines of Condrieu and Chateau Grillet?
Viognier
Within Chateau Grillet there is one producer, Chateau Grillet. It is a mere 8.6 acres and owned today by
Artemis Group, the parent company of Chateau Latour
Where does Condrieu get its name?
The village of Condrieu sits at a curve in the Rhone River. The name comes from the French ‘coin de ruisseau’, which means “corner of the brook”
Viognier is grown in Condrieu, Chateau Grillet, and Languedoc-Rousillon. Outside of France the leading producer is _________, which grows ten times more viognier than France.
California
What year was St. Joseph established as an appellation?
1956
St. Joseph wines are red and based on Syrah, with up tp 10% of the white grapes _______ and ______ blended in.
Marsanne and rousanne
St. Joseph wine production is ___ % red and ____ % white.
90, 10.
In the 18th and 19th century, France’s most expensive wines came from ______
Hermitage
What does a wine being “hermitaged” mean?
Hermitage was secretly blended into top BDX wines to give them extra depth, colour, and richness.
The appellation of Hermitage is a single _____ foot high hill, with just _____ acres of vineyards clinging to its southern facing slope.
1,000 foot, 300 acres
The soil in Hermitage is
mostly granite, mixed with gravel, flint, and limestone
The only red grape grown in Hermitage is
Syrah
Up to ____ % white grapes are allowed in red Hermitage
15%
The rare white wine Hermitage Blanc is made from what grape/s?
Marsanne and Roussanne
Crozes-Hermitage is ______ x larger than Hermitage
10
Crozes-Hermitage makes red wine from what grape? and white wine from what grapes?
Syrah, Marsanne + Roussane
Crozes-hermitage comes from less distinguished, higher-yielding vineyards. It is usually less concentrated than Cote-Rotie or Hermitage. Its generally _____ the price as well.
Half
Cornas comes from the old Celtic word for
Burnt or scorched earth.
All wine in Cornas is red, T or F?
True, all Syrah
Cornas are commonly aged for how long?
7-10 years
Like Cote-Rotie and Hermitage, Corna’s best vineyards are where?
On dangerously steep hillsides, precariously held in place by ancient terraces and stone walls.
What are the three most important regions in Southern Rhone?
Chateauneuf-de-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras
What is Le Mistral?
The savage, cold wind that blows down the Alps and through the Rhone River Valley, gathering speed and ferocity as it goes.
How is Le Mistral helpful? Harmful?
During growing season is cools down vines, helping the grapes retain acidity. Near harvest is acts like a giant blow dryer, making sure grapes are free of humidity and mold. The wind also causes substantial evaporation, which can concentrate the sugar and acid inside grapes. It can also be so violent that is rips apart vines.
The Chateauneuf “Thirteen”
Reds: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsaut, Muscardin, Counoise, Vaccarese, and Terret Noir
Whites: Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Picpoul, and Picardan
How is soil in the South different than the North?
The North is granite, the South is clay, sandy limestone, or gravel.
What is the leading red grape in the South?
Grenache
Southern Rhone wines are almost always
Blends with multiple grapes
What two types of wine are made in Southern Rhone and not in Northern Rhone?
Roses and sweet wines
What region in Southern Rhone is known for its roses?
Tavel
What is the sweet wine made in Southern Rhone called?
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
What region of Southern Rhone produced more wine than all of Northern Rhone?
Chateauneuf-de-Pape
What is ‘Vin de medecine’ ?
A quick fix of alcohol to boost Burgundy’s strength. Before WWI, much of Chateauneuf’s harvest was sold in bulk to Burgundy to be used as vin de medecine
What does Chateauneuf-de-Pape mean?
New Castle of the Pope
Where does the name New Castle of the Pope come from?
The time in the 14th century when the pope lived in Avignon, not Rome. The pope was Clement V.
What was Chateauneuf-de-Pape called before the 10th century.
Chateauneuf-Calcernier
What feature sets Chateauneuf apart most dramatically?
its “soil” which is composed of largely or smooth, rolled stones. Many vineyards are simply vast rock beds with no visible dirt whatsoever.
What are the large rocks that comprise Chateauneuf’s soil called?
Galets
What percentage of CDP wines are red?
95%
Two important factors in making CDP wines are
incredibly low yield, and the absence of oak
What region in Rhone is required by law to have the lowest yield in all of France? What is it?
CDP, 368 gallons per acre
What are ‘foudres’?
Large, old barrels.
What percentage of Gigondas wine is red?
99%, 1% Rose
In Gigondas, by law, reds must be _____
max of 80% grenache, with a minimum of 15% Syrah and/or Mourvedre. The remaining fraction may be any other red grape except Carignan
What year did Vacqueyras become an appellation?
1990
What are the four main grapes of Vacqueyras?
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsaut
In which region is muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise made?
Beaumes-de-Venise
From which grape is muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise made?
muscat blanc a petits grains
How many grapes can be used to make rose in Tavel?
Nine
Tavel makes 100% rose wines, true or false?
True
What percentage of all Rhone wines are designated as Cotes-du-Rhone or Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages?
70%
Which is higher in quality, Cotes-du-Rhone or Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages
Villages is a step up.
