Rhone Valley Flashcards by Cristine McNelis

Northern Rhone climate

Continental
Cold winters/warm summers
Rainfall in fall and winter
45*N

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Southern Rhone climate

Mediterranean
Mild winters, very warm, dry summers
Drought increasing

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Syrah in N Rhone features and hazards

Feature:

Hazard:
Vigorous- needs training to protect from mistral
Susceptible to bunch rot

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Grenache in S Rhone hazard and features

Feature:
Needs warm climate to ripen
Upright growth - suitable for bush training
Does well do dry, poor soils
Drought resistant
Accumulates sugar quickly for VdN
Hazard:
Late ripening- fall rain
Prone to coulure

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Mourvedre in S Rhone features and hazards

Feature:
Late budding/ late ripening only thrives in warm to hot environments
Hazard:
Needs hot end of season to ripen
Not drought resistant
Low yields
Prone to reduction in winery

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Cinsault in S Rhone hazards and features

Feature:
Late budding
High yielding
Good drought resistance
Hazard:
Restricted yields to produce quality
Prone to chlorosis in high lime soil

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Viognier in Rhone hazards and features

Feature:

Hazard:
Early budding- prone to spring frost
Low and unpredictable yields due to poor flowering and coulure (fruit set)
Must be perfectly ripe for flavor but not too ripe to lose acid

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Marsanne in Rhone hazards and features

Feature:
Late budding - avoid frost
Hazard:
control yields for quality- poor soils of N Rhone

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Roussanne in Rhone hazard and features

Features:
Late budding- frost
Good on poor/ well drained soil
Hazards:
Poor wind resistance
Prone to coulure
Grows less successfully than Marsanne

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Grenache Blanc in Rhone hazards and features

Feature:
Good wind resistance
High yields
Needs warmth
Does well on poor/dry soils
Good drought resistance
Hazard:
Early budding- spring frost
Ripens late - fall rain

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Clairette in Rhone hazards and features

Feature:
Grows well on poor/dry soils - S Rhone
Grows upright - wind resistant
Hazard:
Vigorous- needs short pruning + excessive bud removal
Ripens late - fall rain
Oxidizes easily in winery

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Bourboulenc in Rhone hazards and features

Feature:
Loose bunches/thick skin- fungus protection For late ripening
Likes warm/dry locations
Hazard:

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High quality red wine production in Rhone

-hand harvest- small crate transport for unbroken fruit
-de stemmed chilled cold soaked for color or partial or whole bunches for aromatics
-ferment warmer temps for extraction
-maceration 20-30 days
-maturation 12-24 mos large oak for Grenache and small barrel for Syrah/Mourvedre

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Inexpensive red wine production in Rhone

-machine harvest - some damaged fruit during this means fast fermentation needed to avoid contamination
-hand pick for carbonic maceration a choice for easy drinking wines
-flash detente or thermovinification used for fruity/low tannin
-ferment at mid temps to retain fruit and lower tannins
-short maceration
-stainless short maceration

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What wind runs through the Rhone and what affect does it have on viticulture

Mistral - cold
Decreases vine vigor - lowering yields/concentrating wines
Reduces fungus

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Furthest north appellation in Northern Rhone

Côte Rotie

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Côte Rotie

-Syrah w/ up to 20% Viognier
-steep, terraced slopes
-E/SE facing for sun exposure and N wind protection
-free draining, poor, stony soils
-hand worked
-erosion
-terrace repair

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Côte Rotie wine making

If Syrah and Viognier are used co- ferment
Aromatics emphasized- destem/cold soak
Warmer fermentation for full extraction
Softer and more aromatic than Hermitage and Cornas

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Coondrieu

-Viognier only
-low yields for max intensity
-often S facing vineyards for sun exposure
-steep, poor, stony soils (erosion/wind)
Chte Grillet

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Condrieu winemaking

-stainless or large wood fermentation
-MLC choice (usually done)
-Lees aging 10-12 mos w/stirring

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Saint Joseph

Long/large appellation due to extension in 90s to some not great hillsides
-90% red some white
-Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne

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Hermitage

Historic
1/3 white
-S facing for sun exposure and N wind protection
-hot dry vineyards
-stony, thin soils
-super concentrated, long lived wines
- erosion/terracing/hand worked
-low yield max rarely achieved

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Hermitage winemaking

Traditional
-portion of stems included in ripe vintages
-warm fermentation for max extraction
-long oak maturation 12-18mos

White wines are Marsanne with some Roussanne maturation in oak w/lees stirring for creamy, nutty flavors

Major co-op in Hermitage

Cave de Tain - owns 15% of appellation

Crozes Hermitage influences

Bullseye around Tain L’Hermitage and the hill of Hermitage Large appellation North is continental w/alpine influences from Mistral - long growing season and high diurnal swings = moderate sugar accumulation and high acid South is more temperate but heavy rains in late fall and through winter

Crozes Hermitage

In general deeper more fertile soils than Hermitage- lower concentration but max yield is 45 (low) Machine harvest possible for reducing cost

Crozes Hermitage winemaking

-Destemming -generally made for early drinking w/med tannins -whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

Cornas

Syrah only -S/E facing amphitheater -Mediterranean -wind protection

Cornas winemaking

Tannic intensity Small barrels to soften

Saint Peray

White only - mostly Marsanne some Roussanne -cooler climate -limestone and granite soil - water holding and drainage

Saint Peray winemaking

Stainless or oak Lees w/ possible stirring 10-12 mos

Collines Rhodaniennes

“Hills of Rhone” Red/white/rose grown outside of AOCs Higher yield- double most appellations Grapes other than Syrah/R/M allowed

Topography of S Rhone vs N Rhone and viticulture implications

S Rhone is flatter -machine harvest -little wind protection- low, bush trained vines necessary (suitable for Grenache)

Hierarchy of S Rhone appellations

Côtes du Rhône Côtes du Rhône Villages Côtes du Rhône Villages + named village (22 villages - Seguret) Cru - CdP or Gigondas or Cairanne

AOC regs in S Rhone typically stipulate what regarding varieties

-principal vs complimentary and other varietals -state min proportion of principal

Côtes du Rhône

Covers all (N and S) Rhone Second largest appellation in France behind Bordeaux

Côtes du Rhône varieties

Red - GSM must be 60% (G= 30% min/ SM = 20% min) - Carignan and Cinsault White - Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier must be 80% - Picpoul

Côtes du Rhône villages

Similar to CdR more principal varieties 66%

Gigondas

Vineyards up to 600m Shaded by Dentelles de Montmirail reducing am temps for longer growing season G (50% min) + SM White is Clairette (min 70%)

Vacqueyras

Up to 440m - diurnal but still ripens in cool vintages G (50% min) + SM

Vinsobres

Red only G (50% min) +SM S/SE facing slopes- good drainage, sun exposure, protection from mistral

Rasteau

G (min 50%) + SM Some VdN Low south facing slopes in enclave protected from mistral

Cairanne

G (40% min + SM) Cooler Fruity/approachable reds High quality whites

Beaumes de Venise

Red Shaded by Dentelles de Montmiral G+S (50% min)

Chateauneuf du Pape Red

G+S+M

Chateauneuf du Pape white

Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne

Chateauneuf du Pape

No stipulation of principal varieties Hand harvest Single varietal allowed Poor, fast draining soils reduce yields Galets radiate heat at night

Lirac

GSM and Cinsault = 90%min High sunlight poor soils

Tavel

Rose only 12 allowed varieties none more than 60% Deeper colored rose

Costieres de Nimes

Btw Rhone and Languedoc SW facing slopes - sun exposure Mediterranean breezes GSM min 50% Moving from co-op to estate

Grignan Les Adhemar

G+S min 50% Lighter style

Ventoux

S/W slope of Mount Ventoux - cooling influence- freshness in wines Up to 450m GSM Cinsault and Carignan 1/4 co-op

Luberon

Borders Provence Gentle slopes/flat land GSM

Major companies are located where in the Rhone

North but operate totally

Are co-ops more important in S or N Rhone?

South

Domestic consumption vs export in Rhone

63/37%