When did the identifications of vineyards in Burgundy begin, and by whom?
11th century
Cistercian monks
Who owned most of the vineyard land in Burgundy in the Middle Ages?
Benedictine monasteries
What was the catalyst that transferred vineyard ownership from the Benedictine monks (and aristocracy) to new owners?
The French Revolution
What did the emperor Napoléon change to the inheritance system?
What is this system known as?
Known as Napoleonic Code, or the Code of Inheritance, Napoléon mandated that estates be divided equally among male heirs rather than all land being inherited by the first-born son.
What does Napoleonic Code mean to wine professionals today?
It fragments land ownership in Burgundy, making it a challenge to keep up with who owns which vines within which vineyard, who sold their land to which family member to consolidate ownership, etc., which can lead to price, quality, and style differences even within the same vineyard.
What are the 5 areas of Burgundy from north to south?
- Chablis
- Côte d’Or, which is split into the:
- Côte de Nuits
- Côte de Beaune
- Côte Chalonnaise
- Mâconnais
- Beaujolais
What is the climate of Burgundy?
Continental
Note: it’s cooler in Chablis than it is in Beaujolais, but overall the climate is Continental.
The topography of Burgundy is:
- flat
- rolling hills
- mountainous
Rolling hills
What is the aspect of Burgundy’s most prized vineyards?
East/southeast
What are the 4 soil types found in Burgundy?
- Chalk
- Limestone
- Calcareous clay
- Marl
What is the main soil type in Beaujolais?
Granite
What are the 2 white grapes allowed in Burgundy?
- Chardonnay (the majority)
- Aligoté
What are the 2 red grapes allowed in Burgundy?
- Pinot Noir (the majority)
- Gamay (mostly in Beaujolais)
Go through the 4 levels of Burgundy’s AOP pyramid from largest to smallest (in both terms of size and production).
- Regional appellations
- Village wines
- Premier Crus (First Growths)
- Grand Crus (Great Growths)
How do you define “Domaine” on a label of French wine?
- Grower/producer that owns their own vineyards and makes wine from those vineyards;
- Process of growing the grapes to making/bottling the wine is all done on their estate and by them;
- If they do sell off any grapes from their vineyards, it’s grapes they wouldn’t have used in their bottlings (meaning, they keep the best for themselves and sell off the rest).
What is a négociant?
A négociant will buy grapes, juice, or finished wine from growers and/or co-ops so they can bottle it under their own label.
Négociants can be big or small, and they usually make a range of quality levels.
What is a clos? Give an example.
A vineyard or part of a vineyard that is enclosed by stone walls.
Clos Vougeot in Burgundy, a Grand Cru.
What is a monopole?
A vineyard or part of a vineyard that has one single owner.
What is a Village wine?
A wine in which all the grapes come from one village.
Examples: Volnay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault
What is a Single Vineyard Premier Cru?
Where 100% of the grapes in the wine come from a specific, single vineyard.
What is a Single Vineyard Grand Cru?
Where 100% of the grapes come from one Grand Cru vineyard.
Note: Grand Crus won’t have the village name on the label, just the Grand Cru.
Is Chablis north or south of the Côte d’Or?
North, by about 80 miles (128km).
Fun Fact: Chablis is actually geographically closer to Champagne than it is to the rest of Burgundy!
What is the climate of Chablis?
Cool continental
What are some risks winemakers face in Chablis?
- Spring frosts
- Grapes not fully ripening due to cooler climate
What are the soils of Chablis?
- Kimmeridgian clay/limestone
The clay part of the soil provides good structure and water retention while the limestone part offers good aeration and drainage due to all the fossil fragments.
What is the sole grape allowed in Chablis?
Chardonnay
Is Chablis often associated with lots of new oak?
No, not really.
Most Village level Chablis is not oaked or sees neutral oak.
Some 1er Crus and most Grand Crus are somewhat oaked.
Is malolactic fermentation common in Chablis?
Yes
If malo were not used, Chablis would be sharp, austere, and really difficult to enjoy.
What is the name of the river that runs through the village of Chablis?
Serein River
What are the 4 AOPs of Chablis?
- Chablis AOP
- Petit Chablis AOP
- Chablis 1er Cru AOP
- Chablis Grand Cru AOP
How many 1er Crus are there in Chablis?
40
How many Grand Crus are there in Chablis?
1 – but it has 7 climats
Technically, Chablis has one Grand Cru which has seven named plots (also known as climats).
In what direction do the Grand Crus of Chablis face?
South/southwest
Facing southwest maximizes sun exposure – remember, grapes struggle to ripen here so the vineyards are planted to capture as much sun as possible.
What are the 7 Grand Crus of Chablis?
- Bougros
- Les Preuses
- Grenouilles
- Vaudésir
- Valmur
- Les Clos
- Blanchot
How long is the Côte d’Or, and in what direction does it run (east-west, north-south)?
~30 miles north to south
What are the 2 villages that delimit the Côte d’Or?
Dijon in the north
Santenay in the south
What are the 2 sections the Côte d’Or is divided into?
- Côte de Nuits (northern section)
- Côte de Beaune (southern section)
What does “côte d’or” translate to in English?
Golden slope (or hill)
Where in Burgundy are the majority of the top vineyards (1er Crus and Grand Crus) located?
The middle section of the hillsides.
What is the climate of the Côte de Nuits?
Continental
What is the sole grape allowed in the Côte de Nuits?
Pinot Noir
What are the soils of Côte de Nuits?
- Marl
- Limestone
What are the threats of Côte de Nuits?
- Summertime hail
- Too much rain in autumn
- Frost
Is the Côte de Nuits often associated with new oak or stainless steel?
Almost always new oak.
Most often you’ll see up to or about 30% new oak on all wines from the Côte de Nuits, from Village to 1er Cru to Grand Cru.
What are the 6 most important villages of the Côte de Nuits from north to south?
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Morey-Saint-Denis
- Chambolle-Musigny
- Vougeot
- Vosne-Romanée
- Nuits-Saint-Georges
What are some common fermentation techniques found in the Côte de Nuits?
- Whole-cluster fermentation
- Completely destemming prior to fermentation
Each technique gives different effects, and some winemakers will use a little bit of both for balance.
What is the appellation hierarchy in the Côte de Nuits, from largest to smallest (both in terms of size and production)?
- Bourgogne AOP
- Bourgogne Côte d’Or AOP
- Côte de Nuits-Villages AOP
- Village AOP (e.g. Gevrey-Chambertin AOP)
- Premier Cru AOP
- Grand Cru AOP
From 2005-2016, what were some of the top vintages from the Côte de Nuits?
- 2005
- 2009
- 2010
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
Côte de Nuits-Villages AOP can only be what color wine?
Red (made from Pinot Noir)
What is the difference between a Single Vineyard 1er Cru and a Village 1er Cru?
A Single Vineyard 1er Cru wine is made from grapes that come from one specific, 1er Cru vineyard, e.g. Beaune Grèves 1er Cru (all grapes come from the Grèves vineyard in the village of Beaune)
A Village 1er Cru wine is made from grapes that come from 2 or more 1er Cru vineyards within a particular village, e.g. Beaune 1er Cru (all the grapes come from various 1er Cru vineyards within the village of Beaune).
How many 1er Cru vineyards exist in the Côte de Nuits?
>130
How many Grand Crus are there in Burgundy?
33
- 32 are in the Côte d’Or
- 24 are in the Côte de Nuits
- 8 are in the Côte de Beaune
- 1 is in Chablis
- Technically there is only one grand cru appellation in Chablis (Chablis Grand Cru AOP) which is split into seven geographic designations
How many Grand Crus are in the Côte de Nuits?
24
Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, Musigny, La Tâche, La Romanée are all Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de ______.
Côte de Nuits
What is the climate of the Côte de Beaune?
Continental
Although microclimates abound from village to village and vineyard to vineyard.
What are the soils of the Côte de Beaune?
- Marl
- Limestone
What are the 2 grapes allowed in the Côte de Beaune?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
Is the Côte de Beaune often associated with new oak or neutral oak?
Much like the Côte de Nuits, almost always new oak.
Most often you’ll see a little or up to 30% new oak on all wines from the Côte de Beaune, from Village to 1er Cru to Grand Cru.
Name the top 6 villages of the Côte de Beaune from north to south.
- Beaune
- Pommard
- Volnay
- Meursault
- Puligny-Montrachet
- Chassagne-Montrachet
Which 3 of the top 6 villages in the Côte de Beaune make white wine only?
- Meursault
- Puligny-Montrachet
- Chassagne-Montrachet
What is the appellation hierarchy in the Côte de Beaune, from largest to smallest (both in terms of size and production)?
- Bourgogne AOP
- Village AOP
- Premier Cru AOP
- Grand Cru AOP
What grapes can Bourgogne AOP be?
Where can they come from?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
They can come from anywhere within the Bourgogne region.
How many Grand Crus are in the Côte de Beaune?
8
Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet are all Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de ______.
Côte de Beaune
Côte Chalonnaise is located north or south of the Côte d’Or?
South
What is the climate of Côte Chalonnaise?
Continental
What is the soil of Côte Chalonnaise?
Limestone
What are the permissible grapes of Côte Chalonnaise?
- Chardonnay
- Aligoté
- Pinot Noir
The wines of Côte Chalonnaise are known for having:
- lots of new oak
- little to no oak
Little to no oak, for both whites and reds.
How many Grand Crus are in the Côte Chalonnaise?
Zero
How many 1er Crus are in the Côte Chalonnaise?
Several
What are the 5 main villages of Côte Chalonnaise north to south?
- Bouzeron
- Rully
- Mercurey
- Givry
- Montagny
What are the 2 village AOPs of Côte Chalonnaise that make white wine only?
What are the grapes?
- Bouzeron AOP
- 100% Aligoté
- Montagny AOP
- 100% Chardonnay
Which village AOP in Côte Chalonnaise makes sparkling wines?
Rully AOP
What 3 village AOPs in Côte Chalonnaise make both white wine and red wine?
- Rully AOP
- Givry AOP
- Mercurey AOP
Generally speaking, wines from the Côte Chalonnaise are:
- more expensive
- less expensive
than wines from the Côte d’Or?
Less expensive
- the wines have less oak and the land isn’t as prestigious
What is the climate of Mâconnais?
Continental
- warmer + drier than Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise
Stylistically, how do Mâconnais wines differ from wines from the Côte d’Or?
Mâconnais wines tend to be:
- broader + less acidic than wines from the Côte d’Or
- less oaky than wines from the Côte d’Or
Like Chalonnaise, the land in Mâconnais isn’t as prestigious as the Côte d’Or. Mâconnais is mostly flat with fewer hills and, where there are hills, they are low lying.
What grapes are allowed to be planted in Mâconnais?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Gamay
Mâconnais makes mostly what color wine?:
- white
- rosé
- red
White, made from Chardonnay
Which AOP of the Mâconnais uses the most oak?
Pouilly-Fuissé
How many Grand Crus exist in Mâconnais?
Zero
- only Village-level and 1er Crus exist in the Mâconnais
Which of the following wines is likely to be the most expensive from Mâconnais?:
- Mâcon AOP
- Saint-Véran AOP
- Pouilly-Fuissé AOP
Pouilly-Fuissé AOP
- most winemakers will use new oak on their Pouilly-Fuissés
Of the following AOPs, which 2 are white wine only?:
- Mâcon AOP
- Saint-Véran AOP
- Pouilly-Fuissé AOP
- Saint-Véran AOP
- Pouilly-Fuissé AOP
Both made from Chardonnay
Beaujolais: where is it + how long is it?
Beaujolais is the southernmost section of Burgundy.
It is 35 miles long (56km) from north to south.
The northernmost part of Beaujolais overlaps the southern tip of what other section of Burgundy?
Mâconnais
What is the climate of Beaujolais?
Semi-continental
- warmest section of Burgundy!
What are the soils of Beaujolais?
- Schist + granite in north
- Sandstone + clay in south
What are the grapes permitted in Beaujolais?
- Gamay (predominant)
- Chardonnay
What is the topography of Beaujolais in the north and in the south?
North = hillier; vineyards on granite hillsides
South = flat plains on sandstone soils
What vinification technique is classic in the Beaujolais region?
Carbonic maceration
What are the classic vessels used in Beaujolais production?
- Stainless steel
- Concrete
- Used/neutral French barrels
What is the AOP hierarchy of Beaujolais?
- Beaujolais AOP
- Beaujolais Nouveau (not an AOP)
- Beaujolais-Villages AOP
- Beaujolais Crus (each one is their own AOP)
What color are Beaujolais Nouveau wines, and when are they released?
Red (made from Gamay)
3rd Thursday of November following harvest
Beaujolais Nouveau is known to be:
- age worthy
- best in its youth
Best in its youth
Beaujolais Nouveau should be drunk by March or so the year following harvest.
How many villages are within the Beaujolais-Villages AOP?
38
Are any of the 38 villages in the Beaujolais-Villages AOP allowed to append their name to the AOP?
No
All wines from Beaujolais-Villages AOP can only be labelled as Beaujolais-Villages AOP.
Where do the best wines of Beaujolais come from?
The Crus of Beaujolais
How many Crus are in Beaujolais?
10
What is the wine color of the Beaujolais Crus?
Red (all Gamay)
What are the soils of the Crus of Beaujolais?
Granite
What are the Crus of Beaujolais from north to south?
- Saint-Amour AOP
- Juliénas AOP
- Chénas AOP
- Moulin-à-Vent AOP
- Fleurie AOP
- Chiroubles AOP
- Morgon AOP (know this one!)
- Régnie AOP
- Côte de Brouilly AOP
- Brouilly AOP
