WINES OF THE WORLD 🇫🇷 France - Burgundy Flashcards
Climate of Chablis
Cool continental, rainfall is spread throughout the year causing a moist climate.
Position of Chablis
In the valley of the River Serein in the northern-most part of Burgundy.
Type of soils in Chablis
Limestone and clay soils; Kimmeridgian (high % of fossilized seashells), Portlandian (hard limestone with less clay).
Hazards in Chablis
Risk of fungal disease. Spring frost, hail storms.
Main grape varieties of Chablis
Chardonnay
Classification system of Chablis
- Petit Chablis
- Chablis
- Chablis Premier Cru
- Chablis Grand Cru
Petit Chablis
Typically higher, cooler vineyards, predominantly with Portlandian soils (hard limestone with less clay). Vineyards on flat land or on gentle slopes. Many N-facing sites.
Chablis (classification)
Large area of Kimmeridgian soil and mixed aspects. Vineyards on flat land or on gentle slopes. Many N-facing sites.
Chablis Premier Cru
40 named vineyards on S and SE facing slopes on Kimmeridgian soil. Lieux-dits within some larger premier crus. Wines made from these can be labelled under their specific site (Chablis Premier Cru Troêsmes) or under the larger climat (Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy). Slopes allow better drain and better protection from frost on the vineyards, S aspect allows better sunlight (riper fruit).
Chablis Grand Cru
Single grand cru with seven climats (including Les Clos and Vaudesir). Next to the village itself, SW aspect, on the right bank of the River Serein, Kimmeridgian soil. Greater weight and concentration. Higher quality thanks to the mixture of crumbly marl with good drainage and high clay content. 1% of the region’s total production. Slopes allow better drain and better protection from frost on the vineyards, S aspect allows better sunlight (riper fruit). Shelter from wind coming from the N due to a belt of trees between it and the adjacent Petit Chablis vineyards, so greater concentration, body and ageing ability.
Style for wines as Petit Chablis
Light intensity of green apple and lemon, high acidity, light body.
Style for wines as Chablis
Medium int of green apple and lemon, high acidity, light body.
Main training systems in Chablis
Double Guyot replacement cane pruning (if one cane fails, the other may survive frost).
Key viticulture techniques against spring frost in Chablis
Smudge pots, sprinklers (the most common) and pruning choices.
Main rootstocks in Chablis
The main rootstocks are 41B (highly tolerant of limestone soils with a high pH) and 420A (low vigour and tolerance to high pH).
Harvest for wines from Chablis
Mechanical harvest, but the grand cru vineyards are hand-picked due to the steep slopes.
Key winemaking operations for wines in Chablis
Chaptalisation is used regularly except in warm years. Fermentation in stainless steel vessels with storage in stainless steel or concrete for a few months. Possibility of malo and lees ageing. Some wines (grand crus and occasionally premier crus) may be fermented and aged in barrels in different styles: old oak (Dauvissaut or Raveneau), new oak (William Fèvre), stainless steel or concrete (Jean-Marc Brocard).
Key maturation practices in Chablis
According to the classification. Petit Chablis and Chablis are usually in stainless steel. Chablis Premier Cru can stay in oak while Chablis Grand Cru stays in oak.
Climat
Named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation.
Lieu-dit
Named piece of land in the centralised land register.
Types of businesses that operate in Chablis
The traditional distinction between négiociants and domaines is breaking down as négociants have bought land and some domaines supplement their own production with additional négociant business. 1/3 is vinified by the co-operative La Chablisienne (operates at all appellation levels).
Main grape varieties of Burgundy
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay
Main winemaking areas of Burgundy
- Chablis.
- Côte d’Or
- Côte Chalonnaise
- Mâconnaise
- Beaujolais
Main sub-regions of the Côte d’Or
- Côte de Nuits (from Dijon to Nuits-Saint-Georges)
- Côte de Beaune (from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Santenay)
Excluding Beaujolais, the number of appellations in Burgundy
84 appellations - 33 grand crus, 44 village appellations and 7 regional appellations.
Main grape varieties of Côte d’Or
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Main grape varieties of Côte Chalonnaise
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté
Main grape varieties of Mâconnaise
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Main black grape varieties of Burgundy
Pinot Noir, Gamay
Portlandian soil
Hard limestone with less clay, it’s found in Petit Chablis.
Kimmeridgian soil
Limestone and clay soils with a high % of fossilized seashells, it’s found in Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru.
Number of Chablis Grand Crus
One, with seven climats.
Chablis producer who uses old oak for the ageing
Dauvissaut or Raveneau
Chablis producer who uses new oak for the ageing
William Fèvre
Chablis producer who uses stainless steel or concrete for the ageing
Jean-Marc Brocard
Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis
Founded by William Fèvre in 1993 with the aim of combating fraud and addressing environmental issues.
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
Voluntary association to promote the quality of Chablis Grand and therefore limited to those who own grand cru sites. It has a quality charter: members must practise sustainable viticulture and harvest by hand.
The most important factors that influence the price of Chablis wines
The name of the domaine and the appellation level.
Climate of the Côte d’Or
Moderate continental, dry early autumns. Protection from rainfall due to the Morvan hills to the W. Adequate rainfall.
Hazards in the Côte d’Or
Spring frost (more frequent recently due to earlier growth, 2012 and 2015 in Volnay and Pommard). Hail throughout the growing season. Rain according to the time of fall (disrupt flowering and fruit set if early, fungal disease if long session, diluted grapes if at harvest). Drought stress in recent vintages (irrigation is not permitted). Grapevine yellows and esca.