The Northern Rhône

Question 1

Northern Rhone in French?

Answer 1

Rhone septentrionale

Question 2

Southern Rhone in French?

Answer 2

Rhône Méridionale

Question 3

From which two cities does Rhone run between?

Answer 3

from Vienne to Valence

Question 4

Who introduced winemaking to France? When did they arrive to the sourthen Rhône and how?

Answer 4

THe winemaking in France was introduced by the Greeks, who established vine cultivation at their Massalia settlement - modern-day Marseilles, 600 BCE.

THe Romans continued this trends and arrived in the Southern Rhone in 125BCE.

Northen Rhone in the first BCE.

Question 5

What happened after the fall of Rome?

Answer 5

THe Catholic Curch took over the viticulture.

Question 6

Why did they decide on a few rules for production in the early 19’s centry?

Answer 6

CAsue of the phylloxera the first appeared in the southern Rhône in 1863, and after that a fraus took hold in France during the decades of grafting and replanting. So the growers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape set some rules that would become the prototype for the Appellation Contrôlée system.

Question 7

When and Where was the Appellation Controlee system decided?

Answer 7

1936, Chateauneuf-du-Pape was the first AOC (AOP) in france.

Question 8

Climate of the Northern Rhône compered to The Southern?

Answer 8

THe southern Rhône have a firmly Mediterranean climate, while the Northern are having a continental climate.

THe experience grater seasonal temprature shifts, more rainfall, and fewer annual hours of sunshine.

Question 9

What’s the wind called that effects the Northern Rhone? How does it affect the area and where does it come from?

Answer 9

The wind Mistral, is cold and dry. It blows down from the Massif Central and affects the Northern Rhone in winter and spring.

It dreis the vineyard, preventing mold and mildew from taking hold.

Question 10

What soil type do you find over the area of the Northern Rhone, and where more specificly?

Answer 10

Heat-retaining granitic and schistous soils and defined much of the North.
Bedrock on steep slopes of Côte-Rôtie, Condireu and Hermitage.
Fine sand and loess topsoil throughout the Northern Rhone and prone to erosion.
Near Condrieu, the thin topsoil is rich with powdery, decomposed mica.
Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint Péray - heavier with clay.

Question 11

What is decomposed mica and what’s it called locally in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 11

… sten…
arzelle.

Question 12

What’s the classic status/profil of the Syrah grape from The Northern Rhone?

Answer 12

Full-bodied, firm and savory.
Manifest a host of secondary aromas; smoke, grilled meat, olive, lavender and peppercorn.

Question 13

What are the classic Syrah from the Northen Rhone typcally aged in?

Answer 13

Typicallt fermented and aged in large oak foudres, some producers are now experiation with new barriques.

Question 14

Which are the five appellations for Syrah in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 14

Côte-Rôtie AOP
Saint Joseph AOP
Hermitage AOP
Crozes-Hermitage AOP
Cornas AOP

Question 15

Which appellation only allows 100% Syrah?

Answer 15

Cornas

Question 16

Some appellations allow a small percentage of white grapes to be blended (and often fermented together) with the Syrah grape, which and how much?

Answer 16

Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage - 15% Marsanne and Roussanne

Saint-Joseph - 10% Marsanne and Roussanne

Côte-Rôtie - 20% Viognier

Question 17

What does co-fermentation do for the wine?

Answer 17

Offers the almost counterintuivtive advantage of stabilizing red wine colour and moderation tannin extraction.

Question 18

Another nickname for the slopes of Côte-Rôtie?

Answer 18

The “rosted slopes”

Question 19

Which town is just below the slopes of Côte-Rôtie?

Answer 19

Ampuis

Question 20

Which is the largest producer in Côte-Rôtie?

Answer 20

E. Guigal

Question 21

What are the two slopes closest to the riverside town Ampuis called, and what do they mirror?

Answer 21

Côte Blonde - yields dofter, alluring/tempting wines.
Côte Brune - strong and more assertive/bold wines.

Question 22

Name a cru in Côte-Rôtie and who produces wine from here?

Answer 22

La Landonne
by Guigal, René Rostaing and others.

Question 23

What’s the town called below the southfacing hill of Hermitage?

Answer 23

Tain-l’Hermitage

Question 24

Name four major producers that dominate the terraced hill of Hermitage.

Answer 24

Singular:
Jean-Louis Chave
Negociants:
Delas
M. Chapoutier
Jaboulet “La Chapelle”

Question 25

What do you expect from a red wine from Crozes-Hermitage?

Answer 25

Generally ligher and less ageworthy than Hermitage.

Question 26

What do you expect from a wine from Cornas?

Answer 26

100% Syrah
traditionally rustic, impenetrable in their youth and slow to develop in the bottle.

Question 27

Which is the warmest area in the Northern Rhone, and why is that?

Answer 27

Cornas, the sun’s warmth is magnified bu the naked granite soil (gore) in the vineyards. ¨
And the appellation is shielded from the cold wind Mistral.

Question 28

What kind of soil do you find in Cornas?

Answer 28

Naked granit soils, called Gore.

Question 29

Which are four noteworthy lieux-dits in Cornas?

Answer 29

Les Reynards
La Côte
Les Chaillot
Les Mazards

Question 30

Which is the smallest appellation in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 30

Cornas

Question 31

Between which two appellations do you find Saint’Joseph?

Answer 31

from Condrieu in the north to Saint-Péray in the south.

Question 32

Which appellations produces some white wine as well as red wine?
And which grapes are used?

Answer 32

Saint-Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Hermitage
Marsanne and Roussanne

Question 33

What produces in Saint-Péray?

Answer 33

exclusively Marsanne and Roussanne, which may be made in Méthode traditionelle mousseux style.

Question 34

What does Marsanne and Roussanne give to a blend?

Answer 34

Roussanne: delicate, adds acidity and waxy minerality.
Marsanne: broader, oily texture and marsipan character

Question 35

Which grape variety is used in Condireu AOP? And what should you expect for these wines?

Answer 35

Viognier, tends to be towards honeyed lushness, intriguing florar aromas and rich texture.

Question 36

Which producers work a lot with Viognier?

Answer 36

George Vernay
Yves Cuilleron
André Perret

Question 37

Which are the four minor appellations of the Northern Thône that lie on the Drôme River?

Answer 37

Coteaux de Die AOP
Crémant de Die AOP - sparkling.
Clariette de Die AOP
and Châtillon-en-Diois AOP - Gamay-based

Question 38

What’s produced under the appellation od Clairette de Die AOP?

Answer 38

Two styles of sparkling
Méthode tradionelle - 100% clairette
Méthode Dioise ancestrale - minimum of 75% Muscat á Petit Grains

Question 39

What’s the monopole inside of Condrieu called?

Answer 39

Chateau-Grillet AOp