Rhone Valley & So. France - Certified Sommelier Exam Flashcards
What is the climate &* grapes of Northern Rhone?
More continental - schist and granite soil
Syrah is dominant, with Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussane
What are the appellations of the Northern Rhone?
Côte-Rôtie St-Joseph Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Cornas Condrieu Château Grillet St-Péray Crémant de Die Clairette de Die Coteaux de Die Châtillon-en-Diois Côtes du Rhône
What helps the climate of the Northern Rhone?
Mistral winds dry the vineyards and prevent mold and mildew
What is the soil structure of the Northern Rhone?
Heat-Retaining granitic & schistous soil.
Fine sand & loess topsoil prone to erosion
Near Condrieu, thin powdery topsoil, decomposed mica, called arzelle
heavier clay in South by St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermtage and St-Peray
What is the style of wine in the Northern Rhone?
full bodied, firm, savory, secondary of aroma like smoke, grilled meat, olive, lavendar, peppercorn.
Fermented in large oak foudres
What are the 5 appellations of N. Rhone for Syrah?
Hermitage AOP - Up to 15% Mars/Rouss
Crozes-Hermitage AOP - Up to 15% Mars/Rouss
Cornas AOP - 100% Syrah
Cote-Rotie AOP - up to 20% Viognier
St-Joseph AOP - up to 10% Marsanne/Roussane
Name a Cote-Rotie cru vineyard
La Landonne, a cru bottled as a vineyard designate by Guigal, René Rostaing and others, fetches prices that can equal those commanded by the first growths of Bordeaux.
Major producers of the South facing hill of Hermitage
Singular Jean-Louis Chave
Negociant: Delas, M Chapoutier, Jaboulet
La Chapelle, Jaboulet 1er
Name a venerable producer of Cornas
Auguste Clape has long been considered the standard-bearer for the traditional wines of the appellation, eschewing destemming for whole cluster fermentation and new oak barriques for the old demi-muids of the region
What quality do St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage produce?
a basic level
What wines can Cornas & Cote-Rotie make?
Only Red
What wines can St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage & Hermitage make?
Red with a small amount of white marsanne & roussane
What wines does St-Pernay AOP in N Rhone make?
Exclusive white - Marsanne & Roussane can be made into methode tradtl moussex
What is the dessert wine of N Rhone?
In Hermitage, can dry Marsanne & Roussanne for rare dessert wine: Vin De Paille
What is the monopole of Condrieu?
Chateau Grillet AOP - Viognier
What are the appellations of the Southern Rhone
Côtes du Rhone - Côtes du Rhone-Villages
Gigondas - Vacqueyras
Vinsobres - Beaumes-de-Venise
Rasteau - Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Lirac - Tavel
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - Grignan-les-Adhémar
Côtes du Vivarais - Luberon
Ventoux - Pierrevert
Costières de Nîmes - Clairette de Bellegarde
Duché d’Uzès (added in 2013)
What are the grapes of CHateauneuf-du-Pape
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Cinsault, Counois, Picpul (Noir/Blanc)Gris)
Terret Noir, Bourboulanc, Clairette, Roussane
Picardan, Muscardin
What do each of the grapes of S Rhone bring to the blend?
Grenache - Body, sweet fruit, warmth
Mourvedre & Syrah - structure & depth of Color
Cinsault - finesse & freshness
What is the soil of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
deposited “pudding stones” are called galets. Made of quartzite and smoothed by the river, the galets serve to store heat, releasing it to warm the vines at night.
What are some notable producers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
Ch de Beaucastel - dominated by Mourvèdre & is famously produced from a blend of every auth variety
Château Rayas often releases as a 100% varietal Grenache
Ch Le Nerthe - 1st Estate Bottle in 1785
What is the largest appellation in Southern Rhone?
Cotes du Rhone AOP
Describe wines of Gigondas AOP
Similar to Vacqueyras, Beaumes-deVenise, Vinsobres
Min 50% Grenache, blended w Syrah & Mourvedre
other grapes - excl carignan - max 10% in vinyard
12.5% abv min
What are the wines of Southern Rhones Tavel AOP?
Dedicated exclusively to Rose, based on Grenache, Dry style
What does Cotes de Provence AOP produce?
75% of Appellation output is Rose, must be a blend of grapes: Cinsault Grenache Mourvedre Syrah Tibouren
What are the wines of Bandol AOP in Provence?
Focus is on Mourvedre, 50% blended w Grenache & Cinsault, lesser amnts of Syrah & Carignan
full body, plummy, dense, animal character
18 months in oak, years in the bottle til potential
Name producers of note in Bandol AOP
- Domaine Tempier
- Ch de Pibarnon
- Ch Pradeaux
What are the appellations of Provence?
- Cotes de Provence
- Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence
- Les Baux de Provence
- Coteaux Varois en Provence
- Bandol
- Bellet
- Cassis
- Palette
What are the wines of Fitou AOP of Languedoc-Roussillon?
Carignan dominated red blends
What are the AOPs of Languedoc-Roussellon
- Corbieres
- Minervois
- Fitou
- Cabardes
- Malepere
- St-Chinian
- Faugeres
- Languedoc AOP
- Banyuls
- Limoux - Blanquette de Limoux meth trad spark w 90% Mauzac grape
What are the fortified wines of the Langeudoc?
Vin doux naturel or Vin de Liqueur
Muscat de Mireval AOP,
Muscat de Lunel AOP,
Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois AOP, and
Muscat de Frontignan AOP.
Muscat de Frontignan wines are the most common, and may be either vin doux naturel or vin de liqueur.
Why is Roussillon important?
90% of Frances fortified wines of Vin Doux Naturel come from mostly the Rivesaltes AOP in Roussillon.
Ambret, Grenat, Tuile, Rose or amber, red, tawny, or pink
What are the requirements to lable a wine as Banyuls Grand Cru AOP?
wine made of grenache noir of 75% and 30 months in barrel
