Wset - the Northern Rhône

Question 1

What’s the name of the cold north wind ?

Answer 1

mistral

Question 2

What’s the climate in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 2

similar to that of Beaujolais, moderate and continental.

Question 3

Which grape varieties can you find in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 3

It’s mostly associated with powerful red wines made from Syrah.
but you could also find Viognier
even a small amount of Marsanne and Rousanne

Question 4

Where can you find the best sites for Syrah in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 4

On the very steep slopes, southerly exposed.

Question 5

What’s the characteristics os a Syrah from the Northern Rhone?

Answer 5

deeply coloured
medium to high tannins, black fruit and sometimes black pepper or floral aromas.
Oak, depends on the winemaker, new or oald.

Question 6

Why is it okay to ferment Syrah with a white variety?

Answer 6

it’s been traditionally practised in a number of the crus, but most wines are 100% Syrah.
Some find the addition of the white grapes can help to stabilise the colour extraction from the black grapes and that Viognier in particular can also add an extra aromatic intensity to the wine.

Question 7

What’s the characteristics of Viognier from the Northern Rhone?

Answer 7

Makes a full-bodied white wines with perfumed aromas of blossom and apricots, and flavours of stone fruit.
low acidity, high alc.

Question 8

Why does Viognier has to be carefully handled in the winery?

Answer 8

The winemaker has to be carful so that the wine doesn’t develop an overtly oily character that can overwhelm the varietal aromas.
New oak is getting more and more common, but it too has to be handeld carefully as oak flavours can easily overwhelm primary aromas.

Question 9

Marsanne and Roussanne are usually blended together, what do they individually bring to a blend?

Answer 9

Marsanne har richness and weight
Roussanne offers acidity and a perfumes fruit characteristic
They age well and develop a complex hazelnut aromas.

Question 10

Name the different cru appellations from north to south?

Answer 10

Côte Rotie
Condrieu
Saint-Joseph
Crosez-Hermitage
Hermitage
Cornas

Question 11

What’s the town in Côte Rôtie called?

Answer 11

Ampuis

Question 12

What’s the translation for Côte Rôtie?

Answer 12

Rosted Slopes.

Question 13

What style of wine is produced in Côte Rôtie?

Answer 13

Only red wines are produced, although up to 20% viognier can be added.
These wines are deeply coloured, full-bodied, spicy and the best have an aromatic, floral freshness, and textural elegance that distinguishes them from Hermitage

cofermenting is ok. gives mitigate (soften) the extraction, adds complexity and elegance.

Question 14

What style of wine is produced in Condrieu?

Answer 14

a white tine, made from the viognier grape.

Question 15

How’s the area like in Condrieu?

Answer 15

the best wines come from low-yielding old vines, grown on steep, well-exposed, terraced vineyards.

Question 16

Name a single property appellation within Condrieu.

Answer 16

Château-Grillet

Question 17

Which grapes can you find in Saint-Joseph?

Answer 17

the vast majority of the wines here are reds made from Syrah.
Some white wines are made from Marsanne and Roussanne.

Question 18

Where’s the best wines from in Saint-Joseph?

Answer 18

The best wines generally come from the terraced vineyards near Tournon, which can have a flavour intensity and structure similar to Hermitage

Question 19

What can you expect from a wine from the flatter sides on the valley floor and the plateau above the slopes in Saint-Joseph.

Answer 19

a light-bodied wine, expressing the pepper-perfumes aspects of the Syrah grape.

Question 20

What’s the town called to the south of Hermitage?

Answer 20

Tain-l’Hermitage

Question 21

What’s the name for the named sites which are not part os the appellation system in Hermitage called?

Answer 21

lieux-dits.

Question 22

How’s the topography of Hermitage?

Answer 22

steep south-facing slope.

Question 23

Where’s the best Hermitage produced?

Answer 23

They’re usually a blend of wines from these different lieux-dits, but some producers have stared to release wines made from specific lieux-dits.

Question 24

What’s the characteristics for a red hermitage?

Answer 24

it’s generallt the fullest-bodied od the Northern Rhône red wines and ages well.

Question 25

What’s the grape varieties of Hermitage?
And what’s the style produced?

Answer 25

Syrah
up to 15% of Roussanne and Marsanne may be fermented with Syrah. They are also made into white wines that account for approximately a 1/5 of Hermitage’s production
Could even find Vin de Paille

Question 26

Which is the most important appellation in terms of volume in the Northern Rhône?

Answer 26

Crozes-Hermitage.

Question 27

What’s the topography for Crozes-Hermitage?q

Answer 27

the vineyards lie on mixed terrain around the hill of Hermitage. North of Hermitage the vineyards are on slopes whereas most of the vineyards to the south of Hermitage are on flats plain.

Question 28

What’s the characteristics for a red wine from Crozes-Hermitage?

Answer 28

The red wines ar emade from Syrah (optional to add 15% Marsanne and Rousanne)
Their quality, style and price varies significantly depending on the location of the vineyards.
Some more expensive wines may be aged in oak.

Question 29

From where in Crozes-Hermitage can you find a lighter style of wine?
And where more concentrated, complex and tannic wines?

Answer 29

Lighter wines from the higher yielding flatter sites in the south
More concentrated from the vines growing on the steeper slopes to the north.

Question 30

What’s the most southerly red wine crus in the Northern Rhône?

Answer 30

Cornas, and it’s also the warmest

Question 31

What’s the terroir in Cornas?

Answer 31

The vineyards lie on the sheltered, well-exposed sun-baked south-facing slopes of the many lateral valleys that exist here.W

Question 32

What’s the grape varitey used in Cornas?
And what’s the characteristics?

Answer 32

It must be 100% Syrah, and the wines are deeply coloured, full-bodied, and in a style and quality similar to Hermitage.