The Rhone Valley Flashcards
1
Q
Wine production by colour in the Rhone valley
A
Wine
o 80% is Red
o 13% is Rose
o 7% is White
o 8% is Organic
o 69% is AOC
o 31% is IGP
o 6% of production volume for AOC wines is Northern Rhone crus
2
Q
Vineyard areas by North vs. South
A
• Vineyard areas are very different
o <4,000 Ha. in the North
o 66,000 Ha. in the South
3
Q
Summary of winemaking in the Rhone Valley
A
In general:
- the winemaking in the Rhône Valley is traditional with a preference for concrete vats for fermentation (though stainless steel and large wooden vessels are also in use)
- and for small and large wooden vessels for maturation.
- Grenache Noir:
- is prone to oxidation and premature loss of colour if it is exposed to too much oxygen
- and is typically fermented and aged in concrete vats or stainless steel tanks.
- Syrah:
- is prone to reduction – struck match notes/H2S from lack of oxygenation
- and has to be pumped over more often and is often aged in oak to provide gentle oxidation, adding to cost.
- Some high-quality producers in the northern Rhône use a proportion of new French oak barrique, but this is less prevalent than in the 1990s.
4
Q
Production of Red Cru level wines?
A
PRODUCTION OF RED CRU-LEVEL WINES
- Grapes are harvested by hand and transported in small crates, ensuring whole, unbroken bunches arrive at the winery.
- Grapes may be destemmed, chilled and cold soaked for 1-3 days to extract colour
- Alternatively, grapes may be left as whole bunches (or partially destemmed) and vinified as such, to promote lifted aromatics
- Producers carry out fermentation in stainless steel, large concrete tanks or open top wooden fermenters
- Producers choose either cultured or ambient yeasts
- Fermentation is at warm temperatures to enhance extraction of colour, flavour and tannin
- Period of maceration on the skins for full extraction, 20-30 days with punch-downs, pump-overs or rack and return
- Maturation for 12-24 months in large oak vessels for Grenache, small barrels for Syrah and Mourvèdre, 20–30 per cent new.
5
Q
Production of inexpensive red wines
A
PRODUCTION OF INEXPENSIVE HIGH-VOLUME RED WINES
- Grapes will typically have been harvested by machine.
- Because inevitably some will have been crushed, it is important to process the entire volume quickly to avoid bacterial infection
- Hand picking and carbonic maceration is an option for some to enhance colour and fruit intensity and produce wines with low tannins, suitable for early drinking
- Large producers may use flash détente or thermovinification for processing large volumes of fruit quickly
- Use of cultured yeasts to ensure quick, reliable fermentation to dryness
- Fermentation at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit
- Short period of maceration on the skins for light extraction of tannins
- Ageing for 4-6 months in stainless steel and early release for sale
6
Q
Rose winemaking?
A
ROSÉ WINEMAKING
- The wines, for example in Tavel (see below) are typically made by through a short maceration, where the grapes are pressed after a cold maceration on the skins for 12–48 hours and then the grapes are pressed.
- Fermentation is then completed as for a white wine.
- The period of maceration provides the required depth of colour, flavour intensity and light tannins.
- The wines are typically aged in oak or concrete large vats or stainless steel though some producers will age some top wines in old small oak barrels to add texture.
- (This method is sometimes referred to as the saignée method but in this case the idea is to make only rosé wine from the grapes and all of the juice extracted from them. It is not the case that must is drawn off to make rosé as a by-product of concentrating what will become a red wine.)
7
Q
White wine winemaking?
A
WHITE WINEMAKING
- Most white wines are fermented at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit.
- Malolactic conversion is sometimes avoided to retain natural acidity.
- Most wines are aged in large old oak or stainless-steel vessels.
- The natural full body of the white Rhône varieties means that lees stirring is sometimes avoided, though some do stir the lees for a yet fuller-bodied style (e.g. M. Chapoutier’s Hermitage).
- Some wines are matured in oak, adding a layer of complexity and occasionally also fermented in oak for better fruit-oak integration.
- Both fermenting and maturing in small oak barrels adds cost.
8
Q
Syrah?
A
-
Syrah
- only red grape authorised in Northern Rhone
- DNA profile shows its parentage is Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza with a relationship to Pinot and Viognier
- Needs warm climate to ripen
- Relatively productive and disease resistant
- Late budding and ripens relatively early
- High levels of anthocyanins
- Responds well to mature in oak
- Loses aromas & acidity if yield is high
- Wines have deep ruby colour, medium to pronounced intensity aromas
- Flavours of violet, plum, blackberry, black pepper and herbal notes
- Acidity and tannin are medium to high
- Syrah adds structure, fruit and colour to Southern Rhone blends
9
Q
Grenache Noir?
A
-
Grenache Noir
- Needs warm climate to ripen properly
- Ripens late
- Can be affected by Autumn rains
- Vigorous – does better on poorer soils
- Good drought resistance
- Affected by coulure (shatter – when flowers don’t set due to wind, rain)
- Downy mildew, Phomopsis and botrytis bunch rot affect it
- Major component in southern Rhone blends
- Pale ruby colour
- Ripe red fruit; strawberry, red plum, red cherry and spicy, herbal notes
- High alcohol
- Low to medium tannins
- Low acidity
10
Q
Mourvedre?
A
-
Mourvèdre
- Late budding variety and late ripening
- Thrives in warm to hot climates
- Needs hot summers to fully ripen
- Not drought resistant
- Produces low yields
- Strongly prone to reduction in the winery – needs to be pumped over and oxygenated
- Deep ruby colour
- Intense aromas of blackberry, blueberries and violets
- High alcohol
- Firm, high tannins
11
Q
Cinsaut
A
-
Cinsaut
- Late budding and high yielding variety
- Good drought and disease resistance
- Restricted yield to produce quality
- Prone to esca (trunk disease) and Eutypa
- Small part of southern Rhone red blends
- Made usually in a way to preserve the fruit
- SS vessels, with mid range fermentation temperature
- Light ruby colour
- Medium to medium + intense aromas of fresh red fruit (raspberry, red cherry)
- High alcohol
- Low to medium tannins
- Lifted aromas most prevalent when young – good for early drinking wines
12
Q
Marsanne?
A
- Marsanne
- Most likely a parent-offspring relationship with Roussanne
- Late budding and mid ripening
- Vigorous, productive, and best on stony low fertile soils
- Large bunches but small berries
- One of the six white varieties allowed in white Cote du Rhone
- Produces Medium Lemon – sometimes golden, full bodied, sometimes fat wines, medium acidity, flavours of honeysuckle, rich almond and pear
- Blended with Viognier and/or Roussanne
- MEDIUM ACIDITY – clue to remembering it is the lesser quality one
- Has SIMILAR qualities to Viognier
13
Q
Roussanne?
A
-
Roussanne
- Traditional high-quality Northern Rhone white variety
- Russet colour of mature berries
- Does well on exposed, poor, stony, calcareous clay soils
- Susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis
- Generally blended with Marsanne in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint Joseph to make the best white wines
- makes elegant wines, good acidity, perfume of herbal tea, spring blossom
- permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape & Cote du Rhone
- late budding – less frost risk
- wines do age quicker than Marsanne?
- Wines medium lemon in colour sometimes gold
- Medium to medium+ intensity aromatics of pear, herbal notes
- Medium to medium+ acidity and Medium to high alcohol
- Normally blended with other varieties, i.e. with Marsanne in Northern Rhone and Clairette and Grenache Blanc in southern Rhone
14
Q
Viognier
A
-
Viognier
- DNA analysis has shown that this variety has Mondeuse Blanche as a parent and a relationship with Syrah
- Some people hypothesis it was bought to France by the Romans
- Was down to 14Ha. Planted in 1960s, in Condrieu but now planted widely worldwide
- makes full bodied wines rich in aromas (when ripe), apricot, honeysuckle, deep golden colour, with a viscous texture
- Chateau Grillet and Condrieu are its epicentre
- Traditionally blended into Cote Rotie red wines, to add aroma and stabilise colour
- Allowed in Cote du Rhone, Cote du Rhone Villages and Lirac
- Early budding – risk of spring frost
- Yields tend to be low and unpredictable due to susceptible to coulure
- Picking must be judged carefully to get pronounced flavours – only there when the fruit is fully ripe
- Medium lemon in colour – pronounced honeysuckle, apricot and peach
- Medium to high alcohol and low acidity
- Up to 20% allowed in some Northern Rhone red wines that are otherwise made with Syrah
15
Q
Bourboulenc?
A
-
Bourboulenc
- Late ripening with loose bunches and thick skins
- Disease resistance
- Late ripening
- Used in Southern Rhone white blends
- Lemon flavours (appears simple?)
- Medium + acidity and medium alcohol
