Southern Rhone Flashcards
Who cultivated the first vines in France? Where? When?
Greeks. Massalia- (Marseilles) 600BCE
What is Vinum Picatum? Exported to where, by whom? When?
Romans arrive to Souther rhone 125 BCE
Nothern Rhone by the first century CE
“Pitched Wine” w Resin- or Tarry syrah- it is unclear historically
Romans- At Vienne- exported to Rome
What was the first AOC in France, When?, Why?
CDP- 1936. It was a response to fraud and a way to define geographical boundaries
When did Pope Clement V move from Rome to Avignon and build the CDP palace and plant vine?
1309
The Southern Rhone accounts for what percentage of total Rhone production?
95%
List 5 main red grapes of the Southern Rhone
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan
Grenache provides?
Rich body, sweet fruit, warmth
Syrah Provides?
color, structure
Mourvedre provides?
color, structure
Cinsault provides
freshness and finesse, often used for rose’
Carignan
on a serious decline of plantings
What is the Climate of the Southern Rhone?
Hot days cool nights- big diurnal shift- mild winters and heavy autumn rains
Very Mediterranean
What is Garrigue?
low growing vegetation in the limestone hills of the mediterranean coast
List 3 soil types of the S Rhone
Sand, Clay, Limestone
What are galets roules? What are they made out of?
pudding stones of the southern rhone. Quartzite
What do galets roules provide for the vines
they store heat at night, but more importantly they protect soils like clay from drying out in the sun so vines can still receive water
What is the minimum ABV of CDP?
12.5% ABV- Highest min for dry red in France, often hits 15% or more
What is le rape’?
2% of harvest must be disregarded by law to protect against underipeness in CDP
What are wines in sand in CDP like?
Smooth, elegant, fine structure, floral
What are wines in limestone soils in CDP like?
linear, angular tannins with spark and engery
What are wines like in CDP in clay soils
fleshy and deep
Clay and sand mixed in CDP
deep but energetic
Many producers are planting more of what grape in CDP? Why?
Mourvedre- it ripens 2-4 weeks earlier- warm climates- Brunier says even 30 year old vines are too young for mourvedre in Vieux Telegraphe
The Papal Crest is now on?
All estate bottles within CDP AOC