Rhone Valley - SE France Flashcards
Rhone Valley:
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
Rhone Valley Major Grape Varietals:
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
Syrah - Rhone Red:
~ 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
Grenache - Rhone Red:
~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
Viognier - Rhone White:
~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
Marsanne + Roussanne - Rhone Whites:
~Med/full bod, waxy texture, aromas reminiscent of Apricot Almond + Parsnip~
Often blended
Grenache Blanc - Rhone White:
~Prone to flavors of Oxidation: Nut + Bruised apple~
Usual Component in white blends of S Rhone
Northern Rhone:
~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
Southern Rhone:
~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
Other Rhone Grapes:
Mouvedre = S Rhone Major Red Blend Component Counoise = S Rhone Red Blend Component Cinsault = S Rhone Red Blend Component
Cote-Rotie - AOC:
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
Condrieu - AOC:
N RHONE, S of Cote-Rotie, Viognier, in E lies Chateau Grillet Monopole of 4 x ha, steeply sloped granite vineyards,
Saint-Joseph - AOC:
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
Crozes-Hermitage - AOC:
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
Hermitage - AOC:
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
Cornas - AOC:
N RHONE, 100% Syrah, smallest, four quarter/lieux-dits = Les Reynards, La Côte, Les Chaillot, + Les Mazards. Auguste Clape = Appellation Traditional Standard
Cotes du Rhone - Appellation:
Largest appellation, Basic Quality, Bistro wines, most from S RHONE, Red White + Rose
Gigondas - AOC:
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
Cotes du Rhone-Villages - AOC:
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
Vacqueyras - AOC:
S RHONE, Red, White + Rose
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - AOC:
S RHONE, Muscat ~Sweet, Floral, Fortified~ excellent dessert or appertif
Chateauneuf-du-Pape - AOC
S RHONE, Prestigious: powerful, warming + complex. Hot Vintage: reds can suffer from excess alc + jammy/rasinated. Red + White
Tavel - AOC:
S RHONE, Only Rose, Best S Rhone for dry rose
Rhones Defining Environmental element:
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.
Saint-Peray - AOP:
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
Château Grillet - AOP:
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.
Coteaux de Die - AOP +
Crémant de Die - AOP:
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.
Clairette de Die - AOP:
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.
