Southern Rhône Flashcards
Climate in Southern Rhône?
Warm Mediterranean.
There is less protection from the Mistral in southern Rhône compared to northern. Why?
The land is generally flatter.
What variety is the most planted in southern Rhône, how is it trained and why is it trained the way it is?
Grenache Noir, bush trained low to withstand the strong Mistral wind.
How is Syrah usually trained in southern Rhône ? Why?
Syrah is usually tied to trellises to give protection from the wind.
Define the hierarchy of appellations in southern Rhône.
Côtes du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
Côtes du Rhône Villages + named village AOC
Individual appellations known as Cru
How many named villages are there for Côtes du Rhône Villages + named village AOC?
22
With the exception of Châteauneuf-du-Pape southern Rhône AOC regulations typically require what grape to be dominant in blends with what two other varieties?
Grenache-dominated together with Mourvèdre and Syrah.
Côtes du Rhône AOC covers all of Rhône, northern too. But in practice the vast majority comes from the south. Why?
Producers in the north can usually sell under more valuable appellations.
In a Côtes du Rhône red or rosé how many percent must Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah be together in the blend?
Minimum 60%
If the grapes come from southern Rhône in a Côtes du Rhône, how many percent must be Grenache Noir? And what is the minimum of Mourvèdre and Syrah combination in percent?
If the grapes are from southern Rhône (which most often is the case) the CdR must have minimum 30% Grenache Noir and minimum 20% Mourvèdre/Syrah combination.
Name the six principal varieties for white Côtes du Rhône AOC, and how much must they make up of the final blend?
Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier must make up 80% of the blend.
Côtes du Rhône Villages must contain what variety? Minimum percentage for at least two of three principal varieties? What are the principal varieties?
Must contain Grenache Noir. At least 66% must be at least two of the principal varieties. The three principal varieties are Grenache Noir. Mourvèdre and Syrah.
Max yield for red Côtes du Rhône?
Côtes du Rhône Villages?
Côtes du Rhône Villages + named village?
CdR is 51 hL/ha
CdR Villages is 44 hL/ha
CdR Villages + named village 41 hL/ha
Tasting note for Côtes du Rhône?
Medium intensity ruby
Medium intensity red plum and blackberry, no oak
Medium acidity
Medium tannin (low if carbonic)
Medium alcohol
Quality and price for Côtes du Rhône?
Good quality and inexpensive.
Gigondas AOC is in part shaded by mountains, what is the name of the mountains? The shading does what for the resulting wine?
Dentelles de Montmirall partly shades Gigondas, that extends the period of maturation and increases the flavour in the wines.
Gigondas has vineyards up to what height above sea level?
600m
What is the principal variety of Gigondas? What is minimum percentage of that variety? One more variety MUST be in the blend, name them.
Grenache Noir is principal variety and must be at least 50%. At least one of Syrah or Mourvèdre must also be in the blend.
This appellation is just south-west of Gigondas, a bit lower than Gigondas 600m. Name it and how high does it rise?
Vacqueyras AOC, rises to 440m which gives diurnal range but never enough to threaten ripening.
Final blend in Vacqueyras must be what principal variety? At least how much? And at least one out of two varieties must also be in the blend. Name them.
Minimum 50% Grenache Noir. At least one of Syrah or Mourvèdre must be in the final blend.
Quality and price for Gigondas and Vacqueyras?
Good to very good and mid- to premium priced.
The most northerly of the southern Rhône appellations? Exclusively what colour of wine? Final blend must be how much of principal variety? Name the principal and name the other two that at least one of needs to be in the final blend.
Vinsobres AOC. Only red wine. Principal variety Grenache Noir must be at minimum 50% and at least one of Syrah or Mourvèdre needs to be in the final blend.
At what aspect do you find the vineyards of Vinsobres? At what altitude?
South south-east facing slopes climbing to 200-500m
In Vinsobres (and as is usual in the region) you can find some older plots of what varieties? Valued for their high quality fruit.
Carignan and cinsault
When was Vinsobres promoted to a separate AOC (Cru)? What was it before?
- It was previously a named village within Côtes du Rhône villages AOC
In Rasteau you usually get ripe, full bodied wines. Why is that seen from a landscape point of view?
The vines are planted on low (100m) south-facing slopes in an enclave sheltering the mistral. It gets very warm.