The Rhone Valley Flashcards
Describe the climate of The Northern part of Rhone Valley.
The climate is moderate and continental. The vineyards are mostly placed on the south facing sides of lateral valleys to be protected from the cold and strong winds called mistral.
List the black variety or varieties of The Northern Rhone.
The only black variety permitted in The Northern Rhone is Syrah.
Describe the red wine of the Northern Rhone.
The red wines of The Northern Rhone are made of Syrah, deeply colored with medium and high levels of tannin and having black fruit and black pepper or floral aromas.
The usage of oak various and dependent on the wine maker. Usage of old and large oak or new oak are all possible.
There is an old tradition losing importance is fermenting Syrah together with white Viognier. This help to better extract the color and also add extra aromatic intensity to the wine.
List the white grape varieties of The Rhone Valley
The main white grape variety is Viognier. Marsanne and Roussane are also widely planted.
Describe the generic appellation Cõtes du Rhone.
In The northern Rhone, Cõtes du Rhone appellation is almost theoretical because most of the wine comes from the cru appellations.
In The Southern Rhone, Cõtes du Rhone appellation is more than half of the region, most of which simple, medium bodied, fruity red wines. Fruity rosès and white wines are also in this appellation.
List six of the crus of The Northern Rhone.
- Cõte Rõtie
- Condrieu
- Saint-Joseph
- Hermitage
- Crozes-Hermitage
- Cornas
Name the most northerly appellation of The Rhone. Describe the wines of the appellation.
Cõte Rõtie (roasted slopes) is the most northerly appellation of The Rhone.
- The wines are red made of Syrah.
- Although there is an allowance of 20% Viognier, if blended only a very small percentage is added.
- These wines are deeply colored, full-bodied, spicy.
- Best of these wines have an aromatic floral freshness and textural elegance that differs from Hermitage.
Describe the wines of Condrieu appellation.
- The Condrieu is only white wine appellation.
- The grape is Viognier.
- Altough the vineyard area is increasing recently, best wines come from, terraced, well-exposed old vineyards.
Describe the wines in appellation Saint-Joseph according to the geographical places of the vineyards in the appellation.
- The best wines which have flavor intensity and structure similar to Hermitage come from the terraced vineyards near Tournon.
- Excellent wines are produced at just south of Condrieu.
- Large volume light-bodied, mostly carbonic macerated wines comes from the fertile flat land, below and above the slopes.
Describe the wines of Hermitage.
Red Hermitage is the fullest bodied wine of The Rhone and is made from Syrah.
White Hermitage is made of Roussane and Marsanne grapes. White wines are approximately one fifth of the whole Hermitage.
From which part of the Crozes Hermitage come the better wines?
At the northern part of the Crozes Hermitage there are slopes facing south. More concentrated, complex and tannic wines come from these northern steep slopes rather than flat land of south.
What is the main difference of the appellation Cornas from other appellations of The Northern Rhone?
The wines of Cornas are 100% Syrah unlike other appellations in The Northern Rhone which allow some percentage of white grapes.
Describe the climate of The Southern Rhone.
It is Mediterrenean climate with warm summers and mild winters.
Drought can be a problem in summers.
The northerly wind mistral can make significant damage because the land is relatively flat, there is not enough slopes to help to be protected from mistral.
What is typical characteristic of the soil at best sites of The Southern Rhone, such as in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
There are stones, galets all over the soil that store the heat and help ripening.
Explain the applications done to protect the Syrah and Grenache vines from damage of mistral.
- Since Syrah is more easily damaged, the vines are connected to trellis to be protected from the strong winds on the open flat land.
- Grenache is bush-trained low to the ground in order to avoid from mistral and also take the warmth of the soil.
