Southern Rhone Flashcards
Southern Rhone’s largest appellation
Côtes du Rhône AOP
- 6 different departments (Ardèche, Drôme, Gard, Loire, Rhône, and Vaucluse), covering an area of 44,000 ha
- 32,036 ha planted
1st estate-bottled Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Château La Nerthe, 1785
% of Rhône Valley wines produced in the Southern Rhône
95%
Climate of the Southern Rhône
Mediterranean
13/18 permitted grapes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- <span><strong>Grenache</strong> (Noir/Blanc/Gris)</span>
- <span><strong>Syrah</strong></span>
- <span><strong>Mourvèdre</strong></span>
- <strong><span>Bourboulenc</span></strong>
- <span><strong>Cinsault</strong></span>
- <strong><span>Clairette/Clairette Rosé</span></strong>
- <span><strong>Counoise</strong></span>
- <span>Muscardin</span>
- <span><strong>Picardan</strong></span>
- <span><strong>Picpoul</strong> (Noir/Blanc/Gris)</span>
- <strong><span>Roussanne</span></strong>
- <strong><span>Terret Noir</span></strong>
- <strong><span>Vaccarèse</span></strong>
Year Gadagne was promoted to status as a geographic designation
2012
Fraction of Rhône Valley’s wines released as Côtes du Rhône AOP
2/3
Year Rasteau’s dry reds were upgraded to AOP status
2010
Number of communes that may append their names to the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOP
20 communes
Principal red grapes for Côtes du Rhône Villages
Grenache, Mourvédre, and Syrah
- Styles and Encépagement:
- Blanc:
- P: Min. 80% comb. Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette, Grenache Blanc
- A: Max. 20% comb. Piquepoul Blanc and Ugni Blanc
- Rouge:
- P: Min. 50% Grenache
- C: Min. 20% comb. Mourvèdre and Syrah (P and C varieties must account for a min. 80% of the vineyard)
- A: Max. 20% comb. Brun Argenté (Camarèse/Vaccarèse), Carignan, Counoise, Cinsault, Muscardin, Piquepoul Noir, and Terret Noir
- Rosé:
- P: Min. 50% Grenache
- C: Min. 20% comb. Mourvèdre and Syrah (P and C Varieties must account for a min. 80% of the vineyard)
- A: Max. 20% comb. Brun Argenté (Camarèse/Vaccarèse), Carignan, Counoise, Cinsault, Muscardin, Piquepoul Noir, Terret Noir, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Clairette Rosé, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Piquepoul Blanc, Roussanne, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier
-
Assemblage:
- Blanc: Min. 50% P varieties
- Rosé/Rouge: Min. 50% Grenache, and at least one of the C varieties must be present in the blend
Styles allowed for Côtes du Rhône AOP
Red, Whites, Rosés
Year Gigondas AOP was created
1971
- red and rosé only
Min % of Grenache required for Gigondas and Vacqueyras reds
min. 50% Grenache
Soils of Gigondas
red clay alluvial soils
Max % of other Rhône grape varieties - excl. Carignan - permitted in the Gigondas vineyard
10%
Year Vacqueyras joined Gigondas as the 2nd former Côtes du Rhône village to be promoted to full appellation status
1990
Styles allowed for Vacqueyras
Red, white, rosé
- Mostly red
- vs. Gigondas - red and rosé only
Years Beaumes-de-Venise and Vinsobres were promoted to full appellation status
- Beaumes-de-Venise - 2005
- Vinsobres - 2006
Styles of wine for Beaumes-des-Venise AOP and Vinsobres AOP
- Red wines
- min 50% Grenache
Min alcohol for all four appellations Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-des-Venise and Vinsobres
12.5% min alcohol
- Same as Câhteauneuf-du-Pape
Styles allowed for Lirac AOP
Red, White, Rosé
Two varietals used in a signaficant proportion in Lirac
- Clairette
- Bourboulenc
Commune that unwittingly served as France’s doorway to the phylloxera incursion
Lirac AOP, 1863
- Despite Lirac’s sandier soils
Tavel AOP
- Exclusively rosé wines
- Based on Grenache in a dry style