Southern Rhone Flashcards
Does Southern or Northern Rhone have larger vineyard area?
Southern
Describe the climate and grape growing conditions in Southern Rhone.
The Rhone valley opens out south of Valence and the ivneyards are planted on a much flatter terrain than in Northern Rhone. Many of the best sites will have very stony soils (not all) that absorb the suns heat and warm the vineyard, aiding in ripening. In some sites (Chateauneuf-de-Pape e.g.), these stones or galets completely cover the soil surface.
Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm dyr summers when drought can be a problem. The mistral winds gain speed (northerly winds) and can cause extensive damage to the vineyards. Fewer slopes protecting the vines from the wind, meaning windbreaks have to be planted.
Grenache is bush-trained low to the ground to offer protection from the wind and to benefit from the warmth of the soil. Syrah is more easily damaged in the wind than Grenache, and it benefits from support offered from trellising systems.
What are the main grape varieties in Southern Rhone?
Tend to be more complex blends, with some including a dozen or more grape varieties.
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault.
Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc, as well as the Norhtern Rhone trio. Minority concern in Southern Rhone though. Best whites are usually richly textured and full-bodied, high in alcohol, low to medium acidity and subtle fruity aromas. New oak is rarely used.
Describe the main black varieties.
Grenache dominates here, warm summers means can ripen fully, producing wines with concentrated spiced red fruit flavours. In hot years, becomes bakced an jammy flavours.
Syrah and Mourvedre play supporting role to Grenache. Syrah gives blends with extra colour and tannin but it can struggle in the hottest sites, whereas M is at the northern limit of where it can ripen successfuly and thrives in these locations. Deeply coloured and high in tannins. Fully ripe can develop dense black fruit flavours as well as gamey and meaty aromas (highly prized by many top producers, especially Chateauneuf-du-Pape).
Cinsault can also preform supporting role in red wine blends, providng red fruit flavours rahter than tannin or colour, best known as blending partner to Grenache in fresh fruity roses.
Winemaking requires managing high tannins and high alcohol levels in order to produce a balanced wine. Techniques vary: cold pre-fermentation maceration and storage in stainless steel to warm extractive fermentations in traditional open fermenters and maturation in large old oak vessels. New oak is sometimes used by some although a numenr of traditional producers believe it overwhelms the flavours of Grenache.
Wines vary from light to medium bodied fresh fruity wines with low tannins to highly tannic full-boded red swith flavours of spice, meat and/or earth.
Describe the main white varieties.
How are wines categorised in Southern Rhone?
Production is divided between regional and village appellations and the crus.
Describe the Cotes du Rhone generic appellation and Cotes du Rhone Villages appellation.
More than half of the production of appellation wines in the Southern Rhone, most of which is red wine. Medium-bodied fruity but simple wines. Fruity roses and white wines are made under this appellation as well.
Number of villages entitled to call their red and in soem cases white and roses Cotes du Rhones Villages. To qualify, more stringent minimum alcohol levels and maximum yields must be observed, greater percentage of the blend must be made from GSM. There are also a number of villages that can add their naem on the labl if 100 percent of the wine comes from teh named village, for exmaple Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret. These are the best wines ousted of the crus, and have more body, structure, and spiced red fruit flavours than generic Cotes du Rhone. All of these villages can apply for cru status.
Describe the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation.
East bank of the Rhone, by far the largest of all the crus in the Rhone valley. First area to have Appellation Controlee status.
Vineyard area is notably flat, although small variation in aspect can have marked impact on how well Syrah and Mourvedre perform. Large size, wide range soils, and large number of grape varieties (13) winemakers can choose from means alot of diversity among the red wines. Grenache dominates, some very successful wines from here being 100% Grenache, while others make far greater use of the gamey meatey quality of Mourvedre. The best wines are all full-bodied, richly textured with concentrated spiced red fruit flavorus that blaance the characteristic high alcohol.
Unfortunately the very factors that provide such interest and variety also means alot of medicore wines from here with dilute flavours and unblanaced by high alcohol.
Very small quantity of white wine made.
Describe the Tavel and Lirac appellation. Where are they located?
2 Southern Crus on the West bank of the Rhone. Tavel is an AC for Rose wines only. These roses, made mainly from Grenache and Cinsault, are full-bodied compared with Provence roses, intensely flavoured and capable of developing greater complexity when aged in bottle. While also producing roses, Lirac is better known for top-quality red and white wines in the style of CdP.
Describe the Gigondas and Vacqueyras appellations, as well as other less well known villages that have been promoted to Crus.
2 most long-standing crus in and around the hills east of Chateauneuf that have been promoted to crus status. They make red wines, Grenache led blends, in similar full-bodied spicy style to CdP and many wines are as good as those that come from the more famous CdP appellation. Some crus also permit Rose and White wine making. Beaumes de Venise has a separate AC for its fortified Muscats called Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.
Discuss wines made in any other villages promoted to crus.
Other Southern Rhone villages that lie in and around the hills to the east of Chateauneuf have been promoted to cru status.
