Burgundy

Question 1

What is the climate of Burgundy?

Answer 1

Climate ranges from cool continental in the north around Chablis to moderate continental to the south.

Question 2

What are some major climatic hazards Burgundy can experience?

Answer 2

• Spring frosts (particularly in Chablis)

- Localised summer hail storms

Question 3

What makes Burgundy prone to Grey rot?

Answer 3

frequent summer rains

Question 4

What are the main grapes of Burgundy? (4)

Answer 4

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, Aligote

Question 5

What is the protective barrier on the Eastern fringe of Burgundy?

Answer 5

Massif Central

Question 6

What kind of soil would you expect to find in Chablis?

Answer 6

Kimmeridgian

Question 7

Describe Pinot Noir from Burgundy:

Answer 7

Red fruit flavors in youth that evolve into flavors of eart, game and mushroom as the wine matures. Wines tend to have high acidity and low to medium tannins but can vary widely according to vineyard, producer and vintage.

Question 8

Describe the various styles of Chardonnay in Burgundy:

Answer 8

• lean, steely, high acid wines in Chablis
• complex, expressive wines made in the Cote d’Or often using some combination of MLF, barrel fermentation, barrel ageing, and lees during maturation
• full bodied, riper-fruited wines of the Macon

Question 9

For top quality Burgundy wines made from Pinot Noir, how long is normal barrel ageing?

Answer 9

16-18 months

Question 10

What style of wine(s) are produced from Aligote?

Answer 10

Neutral, high acid wines.

It is capable of making high quality wines when grown in sites where it can reach full ripeness, but these locations are often reserved for the more profitable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay so such wines are rare.

Question 11

List the regions of Burgundy from North to South:

Answer 11

Chablis
Cote de Nuits
Hautes Cotes de Nuits
Cote de Beaune
Hautes Cotes de Beaune
Cote Chalonnaise
Maconnais

Question 12

What is the river that flows through Burgundy?

Answer 12

R. Saone (joins the Rhone river in Lyon)

Question 13

What river flows through Chablis?

Answer 13

R. Serein

Question 14

What is a classification for lesser vineyards in Chablis?

Answer 14

Petit Chablis

Question 15

What is the major climatic problem in Chablis? What are some commonly used solutions?

Answer 15

Frost

Sprinklers and heaters are both used as protective measures.

Question 16

Describe vineyard sites across all levels of Chablis.

Answer 16

Petit Chablis and Chablis are often grown on north facing slopes and flatter land.

Premier and Grand cru vineyards are located on south facing slopes with better aspect giving greater concentration and ripeness

Question 17

Name the white Grand Cru in Cote de Nuits

Answer 17

Musigny

Question 18

Name the red Grand Cru in Cote de Beaune

Answer 18

Corton

Question 19

In the Maconnais regional appellations, what wines are allowed in Macon and Macon Villages?

Answer 19

Macon - red and white

Macon Villages - white only

Question 20

List the generic hierarchy of Burgundy appellations.

Answer 20

Regional > Commune > Single Vineyard

Question 21

What is a term for a vineyard belonging to just one owner?

Answer 21

Monopole

Question 22

List the production percentages in the Burgundy hierarchy.

Answer 22

Regional - around 50%
Commune - around 35%
Premier Cru - around 10%
Grand Cru - little more than 1%

Question 23

From north to south, name the key villages of Cote de Nuits (with their most famous Grand Cru sites)

Answer 23

• Gevrey-Chambertin (Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze)
• Vougeot (Clos de Vougeot)
• Vosne-Romanee (Romanee-Conti, La Tache, and La Romanee)
• Nuits-Saint-George

Question 24

From north to south, name the key villages of Cote de Beaune (with their most famous Grand Cru sites)

Answer 24

• Aloxe-Corton (Corton, Corton-Charlemagne)
• Beaune
• Pommard
• Volnay
• Meursault
• Puligny-Montrachet (Montrachet)
• Chassagne-Montrachet (Montrachet)

Question 25

What are the three villages with the highest with the highest reputation for whites in Cote de Beaune?

Answer 25

Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet with the last two sharing the Grand Cru (Montrachet)

Question 26

What styles of wine can be made in Cote de Nuits-Villages?

Answer 26

Red or White

Question 27

What styles of wine can be made in Cote de Beaune-Villages?

Answer 27

Red only

Question 28

Where are the vineyards of Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits and Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune? Why and how are the wines geographically affected?

Answer 28

To the west and at higher altitude of the main strip. Their higher altitude and greater exposure to winds gives them a cooler climate and means that the wines typically have less body and concentration.

Question 29

What are the four village appellations of Cote Chalonnaise? Briefly describe what each appellation is known for.

Answer 29

- Rully (more white than red. Important for sparkling production) - Mercurey (red wines here have the highest reputation) - Givry (smallest of the village appellations, admired for reds) - Montagny (produces only white wines)

Question 30

What are the two most famous villages of the Maconnais?

Answer 30

Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint-Veran