Southern Rhone Flashcards
What are the white grapes of the Cotes du Rhone AOP?
Principal Varieties - must make up min. 80% of wine
- Marsanne
- Roussanne
- Bourboulenc
- Grenache Blanc
- Clairette
- Viognier
Accessory Varieties
- Piquepoul Blanc
- Ugni Blanc
What are the red grapes of the Cotes du Rhone AOP?
- Grenache - minimum 40% for vineyards south of Montelimar
Minimum 15% combined
- Mourvedre
- Syrah
Accessory Varieties
- Brun Argenté (Vaccarèse/Camarèse)
- Carignan
- Cinsault
- Clairette Rosé
- Counoise
- Muscardin
- Piquepoul Noir
- Terret Noir
- Marselan - max. 10%
Plus max. 5% combined white varieties (Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Piquepoul Blanc, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier)
What minimum percentage do Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre have to make up for Cotes du Rhone AOP wines?
Combined, they have to account for 70% of the wine with Grenache making up 40%
What city serves as the northern cap of the southern Rhone?
Montelimar. Vineyards north of this city are not required to have the minimum 40% Grenache to claim Cotes du Rhone AOP.
When does the minimum 15% Syrah and Mourvedre for Cotes du Rhone AOP go into affect?
After harvest 2019
What city starts the Cotes du Rhone in the north and what city ends it in the south?
Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhone in the north, 125 miles (200km) south ends in Avignon.
Includes 170 villages.
Who produces “La Bosse?”
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, a celebrated CDP producer, but this is their Cotes du Rhone bottling. Goes for $200 SRP.
Comes from the original planting of vines located in front of the estate. There’s a scant two barrels (both older barrels) made.
Who produces “Chateau de Fonsalette?”
Chateau Rayas.
This estate is just outside of CDP, near the village of Lagarde-Pareol. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache blanc, Clairette, and Marsanne are planted.
Chateau de Fonsalette makes a blanc, a rouge and a 100% Syrah.
What are the 3 estates of Rayas?
Château Rayas (CDP)
Château des Tours (Vacueyras and Cotes du Rhone)
Château de Fonsalette (Cotes du Rhone)
What two towns is Chateauneuf du Pape between?
Orange to the north
Avignon to the south
What are the 18 AOP’s of the Southern Rhone?
- Cotes du Rhone AOP - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Grignan-les-Adhemar - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Cotes du Vivarais - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- CDP - Blanc, Rouge
- Duche d’Uzes - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Gigondas - Rose, Rouge
- Vacqueyras - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Vinsobres - Rouge
- Beaumes-de-Venise - Rouge
- Carianne - Blanc, Rouge
- Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - Vin Doux Naturel Blanc/Rose/Rouge
- Rasteau - Rouge, Vin Doux Naturel Blanc/Ambre/Grenat/Tuile/Rose/Hors d’Age/Rancio
- Lirac - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Tavel - Rose
- Costieres de Nimes - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Clairette de Bellegarde - Blanc
- Luberon - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
- Ventoux - Blanc, Rose, Rouge
What are the AOP’s for sparkling wine in the Southern Rhone?
NONE
What is the only Southern Rhone AOP that is exclusively for white wine only? What grape? Where is it?
Just Clairette de Bellegarde.
100% Clairette. This tiny region (100acres/40hectares) is located within Costieres de Nimes in the very southwestern corner of the Southern Rhone.
What is garrigue?
Garrigue landscapes are characterized by the presence of rosemary, lavender and thyme, and their relatively loose, free-draining soils are poor in nutriment. Roots dig deeper and wines tend to be more complex.
What was the Grignan-les-Adhemar AOP formerly known as?
Coteaux du Tricastin prior to 2011 harvest. They wanted to distance themselves from the nuclear power plant disaster that happened in Tricastin
