Rhone Valley - SE France

Question 1

Rhone Valley:

Answer 1

Southern France - Headwater Switzerland to Mediterranean Coast
Quality: Inexpensive Bistro to Powerful + Emblematic Wines
100 Million+ Gallons of wine produced annually
Collectively: 95% = Red Wine, Rare = White
95% of all wine produced comes from S Rhone Valley
2 Dozen+ AOCs along the Rhone River
Home to the “Castle of the Popes”

~ Major Encompassing AOC ~
Cotes du Rhone-Villages = Superior, delimited area within Cote du Rhone boundaries, red white + rose

Cotes du Rhone = Largest appellation, Basic Quality, most from S, Red White + Rose

Question 2

Rhone Valley Major Grape Varietals:

Answer 2

Syrah: Savory Pepper, Smoke, Grilled meat, Olives, Lavender
Grenache: Ripe to dried red fruit, herbal tones mirrored in local scrubs (lavender, thyme, rosemary), leather + saddle.
Viognier: Peachy, Floral, Oily texture, Lower Acidity, Intense Perfumed aromas
Marsanne + Roussanne: Med/full bod, waxy texture, aromas reminiscent of Apricot Almond & Parsnip
Grenache Blanc: Prone to flavors of Oxidation: Nut + Bruised apple
Mourvedre: S Rhone

Other:
Southern Rhone = Counise, Cinsault,
Fortified - S Rhone = Muscat

Question 3

Syrah - Rhone Red:

Answer 3

~ Savory Pepper, Smoke, Grilled meat, Olives, Lavender ~
Often Bitter Black + Raspberry fruits, Fresh Acidity + Silky Tannins - Med/Full Bod Some producers use new oak.
Traditionally; toasty sweet oak = out of place

N Rhone = Dominant Red
S Rhone = Minor Blending Component

Question 4

Grenache - Rhone Red:

Answer 4

~Ripe to dried red fruit, herbal tones mirrored in local scrubs(lavender, thyme, rosemary), leather + saddle.~
Ripens Easily. Higher in alc + lower in Tannin + More Tartness than Syrah. NEW OAK RARE. Aged in old oak or cement.

S Rhone = Chief Red, major component in red blends
N Rhone = Rarely Encountered

Question 5

Viognier - Rhone White:

Answer 5

~Peachy, Floral, Oily texture, Lower Acidity, Intense Perfumed aromas~ small % of new oak,
Condrieu = Makes 100% Viognier whites
Cote-Rotie = Can be Syrah Fermenting Partner

Question 6

Marsanne + Roussanne - Rhone Whites:

Answer 6

~Med/full bod, waxy texture, aromas reminiscent of Apricot Almond + Parsnip~
Often blended

Question 7

Grenache Blanc - Rhone White:

Answer 7

~Prone to flavors of Oxidation: Nut + Bruised apple~

Usual Component in white blends of S Rhone

Question 8

Northern Rhone:

Answer 8

~Dwarfed by S in volume of production, better regions planted on steep granite hills, more continental climate - drastic seasonal changes + shorter growing season - but warmer than Bordeaux or Burgundy. Indigenous Syrah

Major AOCs N to S:
Cote-Rotie = Syrah, 100% Red, co-fermented with 20% Viognier
Condrieu = Viognier, in E lies Chateau Grillet Monopole of 4 x ha
Saint-Joseph = Syrah, Variable quality, Larger AOC, good intro
Crozes-Hermitage = Syrah, Largest of N, Ordinary, flatter land
Hermitage = Syrah, Premier, SW face hill, above Tain I’Hermitage
Cornas = 100% syrah, small.

Other AOCs S of Cornas, N to S:
Saint-Peray =
Clairette de Die =
Chatillon-en-Diois = most S major AOC Northern Rhone

Question 9

Southern Rhone:

Answer 9

~Produces 95% of entire regions wine. Nearly all red. After Montelimar valley flattens, windswept, arid + warm.~
S of Montelimar to Mediterranean Sea = Southern Rhone
in addition to Red + White.
Primarily Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan + Cinsault.

Left bank reds = full bodied, rich in tannins while young, characterized by aromas: prune, undergrowth, chocolate + ripe black fruit.
Right bank reds = are slightly lighter and fruitier.

Major AOCs N to S:
Gigondas AOC = Similar to C-d-P often lighter bodied. Red + Rose
Vacqueyras AOC = Red, White + Rose
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC = ~Sweet, Floral, Fortified~
Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC = Prestigious: powerful, warming + complex. Hot Vintage: reds can suffer from excess alc + jammy/rasinated. Red + White
Tavel AOC = Only Rose, Best S Rhone for dry rose

Other AOCs N to S:
Cotes du Vivarais = Most N 
Grignan-les-Adhemar
Vinsobres
Rasteau
Beaumes-de-Venise
Lirac
Ventoux
Luberon
Costieres de Nimes = Most S

Question 10

Other Rhone Grapes:

Answer 10

Mouvedre = S Rhone Major Red Blend Component
Counoise = S Rhone Red Blend Component
Cinsault = S Rhone Red Blend Component

Question 11

Cote-Rotie - AOC:

Answer 11

N RHONE, most N Major Rhone AOC, 100% Red, Syrah can be co-fermented with up to 20% Viognier, steepest sloped granite vineyards, Côte Brune(stronger) and Côte Blonde(softer) = heart of appellation’s terroir

Question 12

Condrieu - AOC:

Answer 12

N RHONE, S of Cote-Rotie, Viognier, in E lies Chateau Grillet Monopole of 4 x ha, steeply sloped granite vineyards,

Question 13

Saint-Joseph - AOC:

Answer 13

N RHONE, Syrah, can add max of 10% Marsanne and Roussanne to Red and make small amounts of white. Variable quality, Larger AOC, good intro to region

Question 14

Crozes-Hermitage - AOC:

Answer 14

N RHONE, Syrah, can add max of 15% Marsanne and Roussanne to Red and make small amounts of white. Largest of N, Ordinary, flatter land

Question 15

Hermitage - AOC:

Answer 15

N RHONE, Syrah, can add max of 15% Marsanne and Roussanne to Red and make small amounts of white. Premier, SW face hill, above Tain I’Hermitage, steeply sloped granite vineyards

Question 16

Cornas - AOC:

Answer 16

N RHONE, 100% Syrah, smallest, four quarter/lieux-dits = Les Reynards, La Côte, Les Chaillot, + Les Mazards. Auguste Clape = Appellation Traditional Standard

Question 17

Cotes du Rhone - Appellation:

Answer 17

Largest appellation, Basic Quality, Bistro wines, most from S RHONE, Red White + Rose

Question 18

Gigondas - AOC:

Answer 18

S RHONE, Similar to C-d-P often lighter bodied. Red + Rose - max 80% Grenache, min 15% Syrah +/or Mourvedre, and a max 10% from the other Rhône varietals, minus Carignan

Question 19

Cotes du Rhone-Villages - AOC:

Answer 19

S RHONE, Superior, delimited area within Cote du Rhone boundaries, red white + rose

~ Main Grapes ~
Bourboulenc = Red Accessory, Rose MAIN
Clairette blanche = Rose Accessory, White MAIN
Grenache blanc = Rose Accessory, Red MAIN
~ Grenache noir ~ - S RHONE = Red + Rose MAIN
Marsanne = Rose Accessory, White MAIN
Roussanne = Rose Accessory, White MAIN
Viognier = Rose Accessory, White MAIN

~ Other Grapes ~
Brun Argenté  Locally Camarèse or Vaccarèse= Red + Rose Accessory
Carignan = Red + Rose Accessory	
Cinsaut = Red + Rose Accessory
Clairette rose = Rose Accessory
Counoise = Red + Rose Accessory
Grenache gris = Rose Accessory 	
Mourvèdre = Red + Rose Supplementary 
Muscardin = Red + Rose Accessory 	
Piquepoul blanc =Rose + White Accessory
Piquepoul noir = Red + Rose Accessory 
Syrah - S Rhone = Red + Rose 	Supplementary 
Terret noir = Red + Rose Accessory
Ugni blanc = Rose + White Accessory

Question 20

Vacqueyras - AOC:

Answer 20

S RHONE, Red, White + Rose

Question 21

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - AOC:

Answer 21

S RHONE, Muscat ~Sweet, Floral, Fortified~ excellent dessert or appertif

Question 22

Chateauneuf-du-Pape - AOC

Answer 22

S RHONE, Prestigious: powerful, warming + complex. Hot Vintage: reds can suffer from excess alc + jammy/rasinated. Red + White

Question 23

Tavel - AOC:

Answer 23

S RHONE, Only Rose, Best S Rhone for dry rose

Question 24

Rhones Defining Environmental element:

Answer 24

The cold, dry Mistral Wind, a defining climatic element of Southern Rhône and Provence, blows down from the Massif Central and affects the Northern Rhône in winter and spring.

Question 25

Saint-Peray - AOP:

Answer 25

Near Valance, N RHONE, Exclusively produces Marsanne + Roussanne wines, which may be made in méthode traditionelle mousseux(Sweet) style. Often blended, the more delicate Roussanne adds acidity and waxy minerality to Marsanne’s broader, oily texture and marzipan character

Question 26

Château Grillet - AOP:

Answer 26

N RHONE, a monopole within Condrieu, notable rarity. Château Grillet is often incorrectly cited as smallest appellation in France; this belongs to La Romanée in Burgundy.

Question 27

Coteaux de Die - AOP +

Crémant de Die - AOP:

Answer 27

N RHONE along Drome River, Coteaux de Die AOP and the sparkling wine appellation Crémant de Die AOP offer whites based wholly and partially, respectively, on Clairette.

Question 28

Clairette de Die - AOP:

Answer 28

N RHONE, Drome River, provides two styles of sparkling wines: méthode traditionnelle and méthode Dioise ancestrale.
Clairette = sole grape in traditional method wines

méthode Dioise ancestrale = requires its rustic sparkling wines to contain—confusingly—a minimum 75% Muscat à Petit Grains.

The méthode ancestrale is an old technique of sparkling wine production wherein the wine is bottled without dosage before fermentation has concluded. The wines are disgorged into pressurized tanks and rebottled without liqueur d’expédition. A minimum 35 grams per liter residual sugar remains, implying demi-sec sweetness. Méthode traditionnelle wines are basically brut in style, with a maximum 15 grams per liter of sugar after dosage.