Burgundy Flashcards
(41 cards)
What are the major & minor red grapes of burgundy?
Major: Pinot noir, gamay
Minor: césar, tressot, saci (all virtually extinct)
What are the major & minor white grapes of burgundy?
Major: chardonnay, aligoté
Minor: pinot blanc, pinot gris, sauv blanc
What is a burgundian synonym for pinot gris? For chardonnay?
Beurot & Beaunois
What styles of wine are made in Burgundy?
Dry red, white, rosé
Dry to semi dry sparkling white & rosé
Dry sparkling red
Very rarely late-harvest wines from Macon, but not AOC
Where is Burgundy Located?
In the central eastern portion of the country
What is Burgundy’s most important geographical feature?
The Saône river, a Rhône tributary
What are the main regions of Burgundy?
Chablis, Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnais, Macon, Beaujolais
What 2 cities does the Cote d’Or stretch between? How long is the stretch?
Dijon & Maranges, 60 km stretch
Where are grapes planted in Cote d’Or & why?
Along the SE facing limestone escarpment that stretches from Dijon to Maranges, in the middle of the slopes where they’re protected by the elements as well as from flooding.
What is Burgundy’s general climate?
Continental
warm, dry summers
cold, dry winters
rain & risk of frost in spring & autumn
What is the general soil composition in Burgundy?
Clay, marl, & limestone.
What general soil type does Chardonnay thrive in? Where in Burgundy is it most abundant?
Limestone, chablis.
How long has wine been made in Burgundy? When did it all start?
More than 2000 years
first century roman conquest of gaul
What were the Valois Dukes’ contributions to burgundy wine culture?
Phillip the Bold ordered Gamay vines ripped out & replaced with Pinot noir in 1395. After, Phillip the Good promoted hillside viticulture.
What happened to viticulture in Burgundy after the collapse of the Roman Empire? When was this?
fifth century rome collapse & viticulture embraced by germanic barbarian tribsemen, the first burgundians
What happened to viticulture in Burgundy during the dark ages? When exactly are we talking? Who ruled Burgundy semi-autonomysly until its annexation into greater France? When was all this?
The Dark Ages gave rise to the prominence of the Catholic Church, especially the benedictine order in Cluny, & an explosion of wine production in burgundy in 10th & 11th century
12th century cistercians (benedictine offshoot) continued viticultural tradition & purchased more vineyard land
Meanwhile the Valois dukes ruled from 1363 to 1477 until it was Annexed into greater France
What happened to viticulture in Burgundy during the French Revolution
1790s French revolution saw mass seizures of vineyard land to the state, followed by auctions - this resulted in way more private ownership of vineyards in Burgundy than previously
When did Napoleon issue his code of inheritance? What were its effects?
1804, resulted in land inherited equally among all male heirs, resulted in very fractured vineyard ownership in Burgundy, which helped give rise to negociants when small owners didn’t grow enough grapes to make it worth producing their own wine.
Was the Napoleonic code the only factor in the rise of Burgundy’s Negociants?
No, the fact that many vine owners were bourgoise & had other careers, & didn’t have time to farm or make wine, also played a large roll.
What was the option of bourgoise burgundian vine owners who didn’t want to sell to negociants or farm themselves?
They could use métayage (sharecropping), or fermage (leasing) to farmers instead of using negociants
When did domaine bottling become popular in Burgundy? What did this do to negociants?
1920; it created more consumer choice & competition
Who first classified the vineyards of Burgundy? When? Why?
Dr. Jules Lavalle in 1855, in order to produce a burgundian soil guide for the universal exhibition!
Are negociants and domaines mutually exclusive in Burgundy today?
No, many producers have significant holdings and bottle both Domaine & negociant sourced wine.
What is Burgundy’s general relationship with oak & aging?
Wines are traditionally aged in Barriques; Reds see more oak, whites tend to see less new oak & larger barrels.
Regional reds see on average up to 20% new oak
Village level reds between 20 & 30%
1er cru reds see between 30 & 50%
Grand cru reds between 50 & 100%
Top whites tend to age 12-15 months
Top reds tend to age 15-18 months
