SOUTHERN RHONE

Question 1

SOUTHERN RHONE-IN GENERAL

Answer 1

• OPENS OUT SOUTH OF VALENCE
• VINS: PLANT. ON MUCH FLATTER TERRAIN THAN OF THOSE NORTHERN RHONE
• MANY BEST SITES: STONY SOILS THAT ABSORBS THE SUN’S HEAT & WARM THE VINS=AID RIPENING
• IN SOME SITES (CHATENAUF DU PAPE): STONES OR GALETS COMP. COVER THE SOIL SURFACE
• CLIMATE:MEDITERRANEAN W MILD WINTERS & WARM DRY SUMMERS
• DROUGHT: CAN BE A PROB
• NORTH WINDS (MISTRAL): CAN SPEED & CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO VINS
• THERE ARE FEWER SLOPES TO PROTECT THE VINES FROM THE WIND=WINDBREAKS HAVE TO BE PLANTED
• GRENACHE: BUSH TRAINED LOW TO THE GROUND TO OFFER PTOTECTION FROM THE WINDS & BENEFIT FROM THE WARMTH OF THE SOIL
• SYRAH: MORE EASILY DAMAGED IN THE WIND & IT BENEFITS FROM THE SUPPORT OFFERED BY TRELLISING SYSTEMS.

Question 2

GRAPE VARIETIES & WINEMAKING-SR

Answer 2

SOUTHERN RHONE WINES ARE: COMPLEX BLENDS/ IN CERTAIN CIRCUMTANCES WINES ARE MADE FROM A DOZEN OR MORE GR VAR.

BLACK GR

• GRENACHE: DOM. MOST OF THE RED W OF THE S.R/ MOST.W.P.G.V/ WARM SUMMERS=IT CAN RIPEN FULLY HERE PRO WINES W/ CONCENT. SPICED RED F.
• SYRAH & MOURVEDRE: PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE TO GRENACHE
• SYRAH: PROV. BLENDS EXTRA COLOR & TANNIN/ IT CAN STRUGGLE IN HOTTEST SITES
• MOURVEDRE: ITS AT THE NORTHERN LIMIT WHERE IT CAN RIP. SUCCESSFULLY & THRIVES IN THESE LOCS/ DEEPLY C/ VERY H TANNINS/ WHEN FULLY RIPE: DENCE BLACK F FLAV, GAMEY & MEATY AROMAS/ HIGHLY PRIZED IN MANY TOP PROD=ESP IN CHATENAUF DU PAPE
• CINSAULT: PERFORM SUPPORTING ROLE IN BLENDS/ PROVIDES RED FRUIT (RATHER THAN COLOR & TANNIN)/ BEST KNOWN: BLENDING W/ GRENACHE IN PRO OF FRESH, FRUITY ROSES

Question 3

RED WINEMAKING-S.R

Answer 3

• RANGE OF GR VAR. AS WELL AS RANGE OF W.M METHODS
• IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE A TYPICAL SOUTHERN RHONE RED: ALTHOUGH W.M MUST FIND A WAY OF MANAGING POTENTIALLY H TANNINS & H ALCOHOL L TO PROD. BALANCED WINE
• TECHS. VARY FROM: COLD PRE-FERMENTATION MACERATION & STORAGE IN STAINLESS STEELS TO WARM EXTRACTIVE FERM. IN TRADITIONAL OPEN FERMENTERS & MATURATION IN LARGE OLD OAK VESSELS
• BLENDING TECH: USUALLY W.M WILL MAKE UP THEIR BLENDS FROM WINES FERMENTED USING DIFFERENT TECHS
• OAK USAGE: NEW OAK USED BY SOME/ ALTHOUGH NUMBER OF TRAD. PROD. BELIEVE IT OVERWHELMS GRENACHE FR FLAV
• WINES: STYLE VARY FROM LIGHT TO MED-BODY FRESH, FRUITY WINES W/ LOW TANNINS TO HIGHLY TANNIC FULL-BODIED REDS W/ FLAV OF SPICE, MEAT, EARTH

Question 4

WHITE GR-S.R

Answer 4

• CULTIVATION OF WHITE GR REMAINS A MINORITY CONCERN IN SOUTHERN RHONE
• CLAIRETTE, GRENACHE BLANC, BOURBOULENC: NOTABLE ADDITIONS TO THE NORTHERN RHONE TRIO OF VIOGNIER, MARSANNE & ROUSANNE AS WELL
• BEST W: RICHLY-TEXTURED/ F BODIED/ H ALCOHOL/ L TO M ACIDITY/ SUBTLE FRUITY AROMAS/ NEW OAK: RARELY USED

Question 5

REGIONS & WINES OF S.R

REGIONAL APP, VILLAGE APP, CRUS

Answer 5

(REGIONAL)GENERIC APPS:

COTE DU RHONE

• MORE THAN HALF OF THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION/ MOST ARE RED
• MOST W (REDS): M BODY/ FRUITY/ SIMPLE
• FRUITY ROSES & WHITE W ARE MADE UNDER THIS APP AS WELL

Question 6

COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES-S.R

Answer 6

COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES

• NUMBER OF VILLAGES ENTITLED TO CALL THEIR RED & IN SOME CASES WHITE & ROSES
• TO QUALIFY THIS: MORE STRINGENT MIN. ALCOHOL LEVELS/ MAX. YIELDS MUST BE OBSERVED & GREATER PERCENTAGE OF BLEND MUST BE MADE FROM GRENACHE, SYRAH, MOURVEDRE
• NUMBER OF VILLAGES CAN ADD THEIR NAME ON THE LABEL: IF 100% OF THE W COMES FROM THE NAMED VILLAGE(EX: COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES CAIRANNE)
• THESE ARE THE BEST W OUTSIDE OF THE CRUS: MORE BODY/STRUCTURE/ SPICED RED FRUIT FLAV THAN GENERIC COTES DU RHONE / ALL OF THESE NAMED VILLAGES HAVE THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR CRU STATUS

Question 7

IMPORTANT CRUS: CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE

Answer 7

CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE

• SITUATED ON THE EAST BANK OF THE RHONE
• LARGEST OF THE ALL CRUS IN THE RHONE VALLEY
• PART. PLACE IN FRENCH HISTORY: IT WAS THE FIRST AREA TO HAVE APPELLATION CONTROL STATUS
• VINS: NOTABLY FLAT/ SMALL VAR IN ASPECT CAN HAVE A MARKED ON HOW WELL SYRAH & MOURVEDRE PERFORM
• APP SIZE, WIDE RANGE OF SOIL TYPES, ASPECTS & THE LARGE NUM. OF GR DIVERSITY AMONG THE RED WINES WHICH THE APP IS MOST FAMOUS
• GRENACHE: DOM.=SOME VERY SUCCESSFUL CHATEAUNEUF’S IS 100% GRENACHE WHILE OTHERS MAKE A FAR GREATER USE OF GAMEY, MEAT QUALITY OF MOURVEDRE
• BEST WINES: F BODIED/ RICHLY TEXTURED/ CONCENT. SPICED RED FRUIT THAT BALANCED THE CHARAC. H ALCOHOL
• SMALL QUANTITY OF WHITE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE IS MADE

Question 8

IMPORTANT CRUS: TAVEL & LIRAC

Answer 8

• THESE ARE THE ONLY 2 SOUTHERN CRUS THAT ARE ON THE WEST BANK OF THE RHONE
• BOTH MOST FAMOUS OF PRO. OF: ROSE
• ROSES MAINLY MADE FROM: GRENACHE & CINSAULT/ F BODIED COMPARED W PROVENCE ROSES=INTENSELY FLAV/ CAPABLE OF DEVELOPING/ GREATER COMPLEXITY WHEN AGED IN BOTTLE
• TAVEL: ONLY ROSES CAN BE MADE
• LIRAC: TOP Q RED WINES & WHITE WINES IN THE STYLE OF CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE

Question 9

OTHER VILLAGES PROMOTED CRUS

Answer 9

-OTHER SOUTHERN RHONE VILLAGES THAT LIE AROUND THE HILLS TO THE EAST OF CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO CRU STATUS

GIGONDAS

VACQUEYRAS

• 2 MOST LONG-STANDING CRUS
• WINES (BOTH): RED WINES USUALLY GRENACHE-LED BLENDS, IN A SIMILAR FULL BODIED, SPICY STYLE TO CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE/ MANY OF THE WINES ARE AS GOOD AS THIS CDP
• GIVEN THE GLOBAL SUCCESS OF CDP=THESE CRUS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN IS SHADOW OF THEIR MORE FAMOUS NEIGHBOR
• SOME CRUS ALSO PERMIT ROSE & WHITE WINE PRO
• !!BEAUMES DE VENISE HAS A SEPERATE AC FOR ITS FORTIFIED MUSCATS CALLED MUSCAT DE BEAUMES DE VENISE!