Varieties Flashcards
Sauvignon Blanc
Intensity: Highly Aromatic.
Acidity: High.
Ripening: Early.
Cool Climate: Green apple, asparagus, wet stones.
Example: Loire Valley
Warm Climate: Gooseberry, exotic fruits, herbaceous.
Example: Marlborough
Variations: Pessac, Margaret River. Blended with Semillon.
Must be handled carefully to retain fresh fruit & floral. Inert vessels for fermentation for same reason to minimise extraction from vessel.
Riesling.
Intensity: Highly Aromatic.
Acidity: High.
Ripening: Mid-to-Late
Cool climate: green fruit, floral.
Example: Alsace.
Warm Climate: richer, more citrus and stone fruits.
Example: Washington.
Can mature for decades, gaining honey and toast flavours whilst retaining acidity.
Old Oak or lees ageing can be used to increase texture and complexity.
Is rarely blended.
Chardonnay
Intensity: Subtle.
Acidity: High
Ripening: Early.
Cool climate: green apple, citrus, wet stones, lemon. Peach and melon in moderate.
Example: Chablis
Warm Climate: ripe, rounded, melon, stone & exotic fruits, oaked.
Example: California.
Whole bunch press Common.
Controlled exposure to oxygen can increase ageing potential.
Fermentation in steel/concrete, small/big new/old oak to influence texture and flavour. Same for post fermentation maturation.
Malo & lees ageing optional.
Pinot Grigio/Gris
Intensity: Subtle
Acidity: Medium
Ripening: Early
French or Italian styles.
Alsace: dry or off dry. Oily texture, ripe tropical fruit with ginger and honey. Can be deeply coloured.
Alto Adige, Trentino, Fruili-Venezia: depth of flavour and dry. Germanic/French clones, with smaller, more concentrated berries. Contrast to bulk PG from Veneto plains.
Steel fermentation for PG from NE Italy and NZ. Large old oak for Alsace.
Fermentation stops naturally in Alsace due to high ripeness, leaving residual sugar.
Lees ageing possible to enrich the wine.
Gewurtztraminer
Muscat
Pinot Noir
Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Sangiovese
Nebbiolo
Grenache
Chenin Blanc
