The Southern Rhône Flashcards
Which vineyard area is greather, Northern Rhône or Southern Rhône ?
Southern Rhône
What is the climate of southern Rhône
Mediterranean
mild winters and warm dry summers
What are the climatic hazards of Southern Rhône ?
- Drought
- Mistral (wind) gain speed and can cause damage to vineyards
How can Southern Rhône can manage the Mistral effects on vines ?
- windbreaks have to be planted
- Vines are gush trained low to the ground, to protect and benefit from the warmth of the soil.
What is the more easily damaged grape from the Mistral?
Syrah
What is the difference between the terrain of Northern and Southern Rhône ?
Northern : slopes
Southern : much flatter terrain
Describe the location and soils of southern Rhône
Flatter terrain than northern rhône
Stony soils that absorb the sun’s heat and warm, aiding ripening
What is the soil particularity of Chateauneuf-du-pape?
Stones or galets completely cover the soil surface , aiding ripening by absorbing sun’s heat
Is Southern Rhône dominated by single varietal of blend ?
Often complex blends
Some are made from a dozen or more grape varieties
What is the general wine quality of Southern rhône ?
Wide range of wines
from high-colume and inexpensive to premium
Dominated by red wine,
High quality white and rosé
Name the black grape varieties of Southern Rhône
Grenache
Syrah
Mourvèdre
Cinseault
What is the most used and widely planted red grape variety in Southern Rhône
Grenache
Describe the characteristic of Grenache of Southern Rhône
Warm summers = fully ripen
Concentrated red fruit flavours
Can become baked and jammy in hot years
What is the rôle of Syrah and Mourvèdre in Southern Rhône ?
Supporting role to Grenache in blend
What provides Syrah in a blend ?
extra colour and tannin, but struggle in the hottest sites
Describe grapegrowing and characteristics of Mourvèdre of Southern Rhône
Southern Rhône is the northern limit of where it can ripen successfully
Deeply coloured and very high in tanning
When fully Ripe, it can have densed black fruit and gamey and flavours meaty aromas and are highly prized in Châteauneuf-du-pape
Describe the role and characteristics of Cinsault of Southern Rhône
Supporting role in blend
provide red fruit flavours
Best known as a blending partner to grenache in rosés
Describe the red winemaking techniques used in Southern Rhône
Wide range, no typical red
Must manage high tannins and alcohol to have a balanced wine
Vary from cold pre-fermentation maceration and storage in stainless to
Warm extractive fermentations in traditional open fermenters and maturation in large oak vesserls
Winemakers will make up their blends from wines fermented using different techniques
New oak is used or not
Styles vary from light to medium bodied fres fruity wines with low tannin to
highly tannic full-bodied reds with flavours of spice meat and earth.
What are the white grape varieties of Southern Rhône ?
Clairette
Grenache Blanc
Bourboulenc
Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne as Northern rhône
What is the equivalent of Condrieu or Viognier in Souther rhône ?
There is no equivalent. White grapes remains a minority concern
What are the characteristics of the best whites from Southern rhône ?
Richly textures, full-bodied, high alcohol, low to medium acidity , subtle fruity aromas
New oak rarely used
What are the 2 generic appellations of the southern rhône?
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône Villages
Explain the Côtes du Rhône appellation
Accounts for more than half of entire production in the southern rhône
Medium-bodied, fruity but simple wines
Fruit rosés and white wines under this appellation too
Explain the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation
witin Côtes du Rhône, a number of villages can call their red and in some cases white and rosé wine Côte du Rhône Villages
More stringent minimum alcohol levels and maximum yields
Greater percentage of the blend must be made from grenache syrah and mourvèdre
Some village can add their wine to lavl if 100% of the wine comes from the named village Ex ; Côtes du rhône villages Séguret.
These are the best wine outside of the crus
All of the villages can applied for crus status
