Burgundy Flashcards
What are the major wine regions in France?
What characterizes Burgundy’s historical background?
Even though most wines are made with one of only two grape varieties, its intricate and complex system of land ownership makes understanding the region quite difficult.
What are the historical beginnings of Burgundy?
Middle Ages: Land owned by Catholic Church’s Benedictine and then Cistercian Monasteries. Cistercian Monks from the abbey of Citeaux painstakingly studied the vineyards. Identified tiny parcels that yielded superior results. Named and classified wines by their terroir
What caused Burgundy’s complex land ownership?
During the French Revolution, Burgundy’s vineyards were taken away from the church and the aristocracy. Many large properties were broken up and sold as smaller pieces to new owners.
In 1804, the emperor Napoléon instituted a new system of inheritance, requiring that estates be divided equally among male heirs. Named the Code of Inheritance, this system led to the fragmentation of Burgundy’s vineyards, because upon the death of a parent all male children inherited equal amounts of property.
Where is Burgundy located?
Eastern / Central France near the border with Switzerland.
Five sub-regions of Burgundy?
- Chablis
- Cote d’Or (Cote de Nuits / Cote de Beaune)
- Cote Chalonnaise
- Maconnais
- Beaujolais
Burgundy’s climate?
Continental
Burgundy’s topography/aspect?
- Rolling hills
- Côte d’Or slope (The best vineyards are on hillsides facing east/southeast)
What soils characterize Burgundy?
- Chalk
- Calcareous Clay
- Marl
- Limestone
- Granite (in Beaujolais)
What grape varieties are grown in Burgundy?
- Chardonnay
- Aligote
- Pinot Noir
- Gamay
Define Domaine.
Growers/producers that own the vineyards they are producing wine from.
__________ are wine merchants who buy grapes and/or finished wines for blending and bottling under their own labels.
Negociants
Define Clos?
Plot of vineyard land traditionally surrounded with dry-stone walls.
What is a Monopole?
Parcel of land with single ownership.
What characterizes a village wine and its labeling?
One hundred percent of the grapes are grown in and around the named village, in this case Gevrey-Chambertin. In a clever marketing move, many of Burgundy’s wine villages have appended the name of their most famous vineyard onto the name of the village to garner more attention for the village wines.
What characterizes a 1er Cru wine and its labeling?
Village, name of specific vineyard, and “Premier Cru” or “1er Cru” all on label. 100% of grapes come from specific named vineyard.
What characterizes a Grand Cru wine and its labeling?
No village name on the label, only the name of the vineyard. 100% of the grapes come from one of the very best vineyards in Burgundy.
Where is Chablis located?
80 miles north of the Cote d’Or (its actually closer to Champagne than the rest of Burgundy).
Climate in Chablis?
Cool Continental
Soil in Chablis?
Kimmeridgian Clay / Limestone
Grape varieties in Chablis?
100% Chardonnay
What characterizes viticultural practices in Chablis?
Picking time is critical because of late season frosts.
What characterizes vinification practices in Chablis?
No oak is used with lower-tier wines but is often used with upper-tier wines. Malolactic fermentation is common practice.
What is the appellation hierarchy in Chablis?
- Chablis AOP
- Petit Chablis AOP
- Chablis Premier Cru AOP
- Chablis Grand Cru AOP
How many Grand Cru AOP’s are in Chablis?
1 (with seven vineyard designations or seven “climats”)
Where does the Cote d’Or start and end?
30 miles escarpment that starts at Dijon and ends at the village of Santenay.
What are the two subregions of Cote d’Or?
- Cote de Nuits
- Cote de Beaune
Cote de Nuits - Location?
Northern section of the Cote d’Or
Cote de Nuits - Topography/Aspect?
Hillsides and ridges. Top vineyard sites are often in the middle section of the hillside.
Cote de Nuits - Climate?
Continental
Cote de Nuits - Grape varieties?
Pinot Noir
Cote de Nuits - Soil?
- Marl
- Limestone
What does the French word “Cote” mean?
Hillside or slope
What is the primary aspect of terroir in Burgundy?
Hillsides and slopes. Soil compositions and microclimates can vary dramatically.
Cote de Nuits - primary viticultural considerations?
- Frost
- Summer hail
- Excessive fall rain
Cote de Nuits - primary vinification considerations?
French oak (often new); some ferment whole cluster, others destem.
What other name does Cote d’Or often go by?
“Golden Slope”
Where does the name Cote d’Or come from?
Cote d’Orient literally meaning “eastern slope”
Primary soil - Cote d’Or?
Limestone
What characterizes a Bourgogne AOP (Cote de Nuits)?
Pinot Noir or Chardonnay from anywhere in the entire Burgundy region.
Name the Village AOP’s in Cote de Nuits.
- Marsannay
- Fixin
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Morey-St. Denis
- Chambolle-Musigny
- Vougeot
- Vosne-Romanee
- Flagey Echezeaux
- Nuits-Saint-Georges
Which Village AOP’s Grand Cru AOP’s in Cote de Nuits?
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Morey-St. Denis
- Chambolle-Musigny
- Vougeot
- Vosne-Romanee
- Nuits-Saint-Georges
What is the appellation hierarchy in Cote de Nuits?
- Regional Appellation - Bourgogne AOP
- Cote de Nuits-Villages AOP (5 communes)
- Village AOP (9 villages)
- Premier Cru AOP (130+ vineyards)
- Grand Cru AOP (24/33 vineyars in Burgundy)
What characterizes a Cote de Nuits-Villages AOP (Cote de Nuits)?
General appellation for wines from five small communes in Cote de Nuits. Pinot Noir only.
What characterizes a Village AOP (Cote de Nuits)?
100% of the grapes are grown in and around the named village.
What characterizes a Premier Cru AOP (Cote de Nuits)?
100% of the grapes are grown in a specific, individually named vineyard (more than 130 of these). If no vineyard is on label, can be blend from any premier cru vineyards in that village.
What characterizes a Grand Cru AOP (Cote de Nuits)?
100% of the grapes are grown in the named grand cru vineyard site.
Top recent vintages in Cote de Nuits?
Cote de Beaune - Location?
Southern section of Cote d’Or.
Cote de Beaune - Topography/Aspect?
Hillsides and ridges. Top vineyard sites are often in the middle section of the hillside.
Cote de Beaune - Climate?
Continental. Wide range of micro-climates village to village; vineyard to vineyard.
Cote de Beaune - Soil?
- Marl
- Limestone
Cote de Beaune - Grape Varieties?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
Cote de Beaune - primary vinification considersations?
Oak, often new, is used for both reds and whites.
What is the appellation hierarchy in Cote de Beaune?
- Bourgogne AOP
- Village AOP
- Premier Cru AOP (100’s)
- Grand Cru AOP (8/33)
Top recent vintages in Cote de Beaune?
Where is Cote Chalonnaise located?
Directly south of the Cote d’Or.
What is important about the geography of of Cote Chalonnaise?
No hillside escarpments to protect the vineyard from eastern winds.
Cote Chalonnaise - climate?
Continental
Cote Chalonnaise - soil?
Limestone
Cote Chalonnaise - grape varieties?
- Chardonnay
- Aligote (in small volume)
- Pinot Noir
Cote Chalonnaise - primary vinification considerations?
Little to no new oak used (whites and reds).
Name the five village AOP’s in Cote Chalonnaise.
- Bouzeron AOP
- Rully AOP
- Mercurey AOP
- Givry AOP
- Montagny AOP
Grape varieties in Bouzeron?
Aligote
Grape varieties in Rully?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Cremant de Bourgogne
Grape varieties in Mercurey?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
Grape varieties in Givry?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
Grape varieties in Montagny?
Chardonnay
Mâconnais - Location?
Maconnais - climate?
Continental (but slightly warmer and drier than the more northern Burgundy regions).
Maconnais - topography?
Large area; low-lying hills and flat farmland.
Maconnais - grape varieties?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Gamay
Maconnais - primary vinification considerations?
Mainly white wine production; little to no use of oak (except for Pouilly-Fuisse).
What is the appellation hierarchy in Maconnais?
- Macon AOP
- Saint-Veran AOP
- Pouilly-Fuisse AOP
Macon AOP - grape varieties grown?
Mainly white wines - Chardonnay
Saint-Veran AOP - grape varieties grown?
White wine only - Chardonnay.
Pouilly-Fuisse AOP - grape varieties?
White wine only - Chardonnay
Where is Beaujolais located?
South of, and slightly overlapping, the Maconnais.
Beaujolais - climate?
Semi-continental; warmer than the rest of Burgundy.
Beaujolais - soils?
- Schist and granite (northern Beaujolais Cru villages)
- Sandstone and clay in the south
Beaujolais - grape varieties?
- Chardonnay (in small volume)
- Gamay
Beaujolais - viticultural characteristics?
Hillside vineyards with low yields in northen Beaujolais Crus. Flatter plains in the south.
Beaujolais - vinification characteristics?
- Carbonic maceration
- Stainless steel
- Used or older French oak barrels
Beaujolais - appellation hierarchy?
- Beaujolais AOP
- Beaujolais Nouveau
- Beaujolais-Villages AOP
- Beaujolais Crus
Define the Beaujolais Nouveau.
- Easy drinking
- Released 3rd Thursday after harvest
- Should be drunk soon afterwards
