The Northern Rhone Flashcards
What is the climate of the Northern Rhône?
Continental
The Northern Rhône benefits from its southerly position but experiences greater seasonal temperature shifts, more rainfall, and fewer hours of sunshine than the southern appellations.
What is the Mistral Wind?
Cold, dry wind that blows down from the Massif Central and affects the Northern Rhône in winter and spring.
What is a benefit from the Mistral Wind?
Many trees in the valley grow leaning southward, bent by the wind. It dries the vineyards, preventing mold and mildew from taking hold.
What soils define much of the Northern Rhône?
Heat-retaining granitic and schistous soils.
What is Arzelle?
Known locally in Condrieu, it is a thin topsoil rich with powdery, decomposed mica.
What is the soil in the southern section of Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint-Peray?
Clay
Name the five appellations for Syrah
Hermitage AOP
Crozes-Hermitage AOP
Cornas AOP
Côte-Rotie AOP
Saint-Joseph AOP
True or False?
In Cornas, Syrah is bottled as a 100% varietal wine?
True
In Côte-Rotie, what percentage of Viognier may be added to the wine?
20%
In Croze-Hermitage and Hermitage, producers have the option of adding a combined total 15% of what two grape varietals?
Marsanne and Roussanne
Saint-Joseph producers may add up to what percentage of Marsanne and Roussanne?
10%
What are the names of the two hillsides nearest the town of Ampuis?
Côte Brune and Côte Blonde
What is La Landonne?
A cru bottled as a vineyard designate by Guigal, Rene Rostaing, and others.
Fetches prices that can equal those commanded by the first growths of Bordeaux.
What four major producers dominate the terraced hill of Tain-l’Hermitage?
Jean-Louis Chave
Delas
M. Chapoutier
Jaboulet
What is “La Chapelle”?
Jaboulet’s premier wine
Named for a small hillside chapel that stands in commemoration of Gaspard de Sterimberg, the legendary crusader turned hermit who lived a life of asceticism atop the hill.
