CH9 SW FR

Question 1

Describe the SW FR wine region
What regions included
Climate(s)

Answer 1

Covers a # of appellations, w/ the exception of Bordeaux which is geographically part of it but not considered part of it for wine
Climate is broadly sim-to Bordeaux in that the whole region is influenced by the Atlantic
S of Bordeaux (Madiran, Jurançon) — Atlantic influence extends >100km/60m due to flat, gently undulating territory
Elsewhere the Atlantic influence diminishes w/ greater distance (Bergerac, Monbazillac, Cahors) resulting in slightly less rainfall and warmer summers
Ex: Cahors 200mm less than Bordeaux i.e., 750mm vs 950
Large volumes of wine are made at both PDO and PGI levels

Question 2

How does the rainfall in Cahors compare to that of Bordeaux?

Answer 2

Cahors has about 200mm less rainfall than Bordeaux (which has avg of 950mm/yr)

Question 3

Describe the Dordogne
Location
Grape(s) (generally) and Style(s)
2 main AOCs

Answer 3

Immediately east of Entre-Deux-Mers
Home to a # of appellations that make wines w/ the same varieties and in similar styles to Bordeaux
Bergerac AOC and Monbazillac AOC are 2 largest producing appellations

Question 4

Describe Bergerac AOC
Style(s) and %
Climate
Soil
Red wine rules
Yield(s)

Answer 4

Includes dry and sweet white, rosé and red wines
50% is red
Just >10% is rosé
Just <40% is white
Climate slightly warmer and drier than Bordeaux
Clay and limestone soils w/ some gravel
Wines must be made from a blend of the allowed principal grape varieties
Red: at least 2 of CS, CF, Malbec, and Merlot and this blend must be at least 50% of final wine; Less int’l recognized local varieties are allowed as sm part of blend
Max yields sim-to Bordeaux AOC (67 hL/ha white, 60 hL/ha red) resulting in some low flavor intensity

Question 5

Describe the wines of Bergerac AOC
Intensity
Grape(s)
Typical aging
Quality & price

Answer 5

Because of relatively high yields allowed (67 hL/ha white, 60 hL/ha red) wines can be low in flavor intensity
Wines must be made from a blend of the allowed principal grape varieties
Red: at least 2 of CS, CF, Malbec, and Merlot and this blend must be at least 50% of final wine; Less int’l recognized local varieties are allowed as sm part of blend
Typically aged in large SS or older oak casks, resulting in easy-drinking style that can be released earlier on the market to reduce costs compared to new barrique aged wines
Typically G to VG; inexpensive to mid-price

Question 6

Describe the wines of Côtes de Bergerac AOC
Intensity
Grape(s)
Typical aging
Quality & price

Answer 6

Restricted to the main Bordeaux varieties (i.e., no local varieties permitted)
Max yield is lower at 50 hL/ha (vs 60 in Bergerac) —> better intensity than (basic) Bergerac
Aging in oak is used by some producers
Most wine is predominantly Merlot
Typically G to VG; inexpensive to mid-price

Question 7

Where is most Bergerac wine sold?
Channels in FR?
Export countries?

Answer 7

Bergerac AOC nearly 90% is sold in FR
W/in domestic market, supermarkets are largest outlet (>50%), then direct sales (<30%), w/ around 10% going via hospitality and specialist wine shops
Largest export markets are China (40%) Belgium and UK

Question 8

Describe Monbazillac AOC
Style(s)
Weather conditions
Yields

Answer 8

Appellation for sweet white wines only
Grapes may be affected by botrytis or simply late harvest
Lies between River Dordogne and one of its tributaries —> mists and dew along river creates high humidity
Warm late summer and early autumn burns off humidity —> good conditions for noble rot
Max yield 30 hL/ha

Question 9

Describe Monbazillac AOC wine production
Harvesting
Grape(s)
Fermentation vessel(s)

Answer 9

Grapes must be picked by hand in a # of passes through the vineyard
Wine must be at least 80% of principal varieties: SB, SG, Sémillon, Muscadelle
Fermentation in barrel w/ new oak much less common than in Sauternes —> reduces costs

Question 10

Describe Monbazillac AOC wines

Answer 10

Similar in style to sweet wines from Bordeaux’s less-prestigious appellations
Citrus peel, honey, tropical fruit (mango)
M to M+ acidity
Sweet finish
G to VG quality; inexpensive to mid-priced

Question 11

Where are wines from Bergerac region as a whole sold?

Answer 11

Wines are mainly sold in FR
More than 50% in supermarkets or deep discounters
Less than 10% exported
Main export markets are in NW EU

Question 12

Describe Cahors location and the (historical) implications

Answer 12

On the River Lot which runs into the River Garonne and thus on to Bordeaux
In the Middle Ages, and down to the 19th century, Cahors produced a great deal of wine that was transported via the River Lot to Bordeaux and then exported

Question 13

What is Cahors wine known as?

Answer 13

The “Black wine of Cahors” because of its deep color

Question 14

Describe the size of Cahors
How does this compare to historically?
Why?

Answer 14

Today Cahors is ~4K ha planted with Malbec, with another 18k ha w/in the appellation not currently planted
Competition w/ Bordeaux, which imposed taxes on exports of Cahors wine and only allowed it to be exported after its own wines had been released led to reduction of vineyards
Additionally, phylloxera and a devastating frost in 1956 reduced the area under vine to ~1/10 of the size it had been

Question 15

What is the principal grape of Cahors?
Other notable grape(s)?

Answer 15

Malbec
It accounts for 85% of ha planted
It is the only appellation in FR in which Malbec is the principal grape variety
Tannat is also authorized, though it is usually <10% of blend and many wineries don’t use it at all

Question 16

Describe the location, climate and growing environment of Cahors
Distance from Atlantic
Rainfall
Implications
Soils

Answer 16

Despite being 250km (155mi) inland, Cahors receives some influence from the Atlantic
Climate is warmer and slightly drier (less than 800mm rainfall vs 950) than Bordeaux
Malbec suffers less from coulure and mildew and ripens more regularly in Cahors
Low rainfall means less need for spraying against fungus than Bordeaux —> 17% organic, above FR average
Next to River Lot
Soils range from rich, alluvial (higher yields, lower concentration), via the mid slope (poorer soils and higher concentration), to the highest plateau at just below 350m (low nutrient limestone w/ typically lower yields/ higher concentration)

Question 17

Does Cahors have many organic vineyards? Why/why not?

Answer 17

800mm rain is less need for spraying against fungal diseases than in Bordeaux
17% organic grape growing is higher than FR average

Question 18

What training system(s) are common in Cahors

Answer 18

Single Guyot is most common, but others are also used
Bush vines, cordon trained are other options

Question 19

Are Cahors vineyards typically machine or hand-harvested?
What tradeoffs?

Answer 19

Machine harvesting is widely practiced for land for the vineyards that are easier to access
Hand harvesting takes place, depending on the market prices of the wines, machine accessibility, weather conditions, and labor availability
ROI is often a decisive factor: hand harvesting can raise quality, allowing for more careful sorting, but also raises costs

Question 20

What other name is used for Malbec?

Answer 20

Cot

Question 21

Describe the Malbec grape
Vigor & implications
Susceptibilities

Answer 21

Vigorous —> needs careful canopy management and yield management
Susceptible to coulure which reduces yields

Question 22

Describe Cahors wines
Grape(s)
Color, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannin
Quality & price

Answer 22

Often high % Malbec
Typically deep ruby
M to pronounced intensity (depending on quality)
Violet, red & black plum fruit
M to M+ acidity
M+ to High tannin
VG to O examples may be aged in FRO barriques (adding $) and have vanilla and sweet spice notes
Some producers favor foudres for aging, allowing slow oxidation w/o adding oak aromas
Wines range from G to O; mid to premium priced

Question 23

Describe winemaking for Cahors AOC wines

Answer 23

Must be min 70% Malbec, w/ rest a blend of Merlot and/or Tannat (top quality are increasingly 90-100% Malbec)
Destemming REQUIRED (to eliminate underripe stems that could add to aggressive tannins)
Early drinking style uses Merlot in the blend, typically 7-10 days on skins for limited extraction
Wiens intended for bottle age typically get 15-25 days on skins for > extraction of flavor & tannins
Higher quality wines often matured in oak

Question 24

Describe the structure of the wine biz in Cahors

Answer 24

80% is produced by private companies and
20% by a single co-op — the Cooperative de Vignerons d’Olt which belongs to Vinovalie and operates in 4 wine regions

Question 25

How has Cahors been marketing itself? When did this start? What quality levels were introduced?

Answer 25

Since 2000: “Cahors, the French Malbec” and “Cahors, The Capital of Malbec” Voluntary code to indicate 3 levels of quality Tradition: inexpensive, 70-85% Malbec, often grown on rich alluvial soils and at higher yields/ lower concentration Prestige: mid-priced, often grown on mid-slope Spéciale: often 100% Malbec, premium priced, often grown on highest plateau Prestige and Spéciale typically grown at lower yields, have higher fruit concentration, and longer expected aging potential

Question 26

Where is the wine of Cahors sold?

Answer 26

Most is sold in FR — 70% of wine by volume Supermarkets and direct sales are 2 biggest channels Exports = 30% w/ volume growing Rose from 10k hL in 1997 to >40k hL in 2017 Top 3 markets are UK, Canada, USA — UK top by volume but CAN and USA are largest by value

Question 27

Describe Madiran Location Grape(s)

Answer 27

The region is in sight of the Pyrenees mountain range that separates FR from ESP 80km/50m from Atlantic Ocean Madiran AOC is high tannin red wine made principally from Tannat W/in same geo area, a white late harvest sweet wine called Pacherenc du Vic-Hilh AOC is made from local varieties, similar to Jurançon

Question 28

Describe the growing conditions in Madiran Rainfall and when Climate Influential factors Location of vineyards Soils

Answer 28

Some Atlantic influence Relatively high rainfall: 1000mm/yr, although mainly falls in late winter and spring Warm sunny summers and dry autumns w/ warm days, cool nights and a hot, dry southern Föhn wind enable Tannat to ripen 4 large, roughly parallel ridges oriented N-S, w/ steep W-facing slopes Soil is mainly clay and limestone w/ good drainage On flatter land, clay and clay & loam soils predominant and wines are less tannic and can be drunk earlier

Question 29

What are the main grapes of Madiran by ~%

Answer 29

Tannat ~71% Cab Franc ~19% Cab Sauv ~9% Fer Savadou ~1%

Question 30

Describe the Tannat grape in Madiran Vigor & implications Ripening susceptibility(s)

Answer 30

Vigorous —> best supported on a trellis Mid-ripening —> normally picked B4 onset of autumn rains Prone to botrytis that has to be controlled Very tannic, affecting decisions on winemaking

Question 31

Describe Madiran wines

Answer 31

Those intended for aging are typically Deep ruby Pronounced aromas / flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant, plus oak flavors High tannins High acidity Full round body Alcohol ranged from top end of M to High VG to O; mid- to premium-priced Earlier drinking wines w/ lower tannins and concentration also made

Question 32

What rules apply to Madiran AOC wines? grape(s) Training Reception Yields Release date

Answer 32

Must be made w/ 60-80% Tannat, blended w/ Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and/or local variety Fer/Fer Servadou Can be trained w/ Cordon de Royat or cane-replacement system Grapes must be de-stemmed to reduce extraction of further tannins Max yield is 55 hL/ha Wines can only be sold to consumers from the beginning of Nov in the year following the harvest, allowing for maturation time before release

Question 33

What options are used to soften the Tannins of Madiran wines?

Answer 33

Shorter maceration times Aging in oak (adds cost) Bottle aging (adds cost) In 1991, Patrick Ducournau pioneered the technique of micro-oxygenation

Question 34

Where are Madiran wines sold?

Answer 34

Madiran AOC - 80% sold in FR 50% through supermarkets, 25% hospitality, 25% directly or through specialist wine shops Top export markets = UK, Belgium, GER

Question 35

What is the nature of the wine biz in Madiran? Grower vs co-op

Answer 35

- Roughly 50/50 split between private growers and co-ops

Question 36

Where is Jurançon?

Answer 36

Foothills of the Pyrenes in SW FR Altitude ~300m

Question 37

What are the main styles of wine from Jurançon? What % of each? What rules apply?

Answer 37

Dry wines and a range of sweet whites from Petit&Gros Manseng + other local varieties All 3 must be made with a min of 50% Petit and/or Gros Manseng, although in practice, these 2 varieties are used exclusively for a majority of wines 70% are M-sweet to sweet vs 30% dry Jurançon Vendanges Tardives: Sweet, min 55 g/L RS but typically much higher, no enrichment allowed; max yield 40 hL/ha; Petit and Gros Manseng exclusively; grapes may not be picked B4 Nov 2 Jurançon: typically medium-sweet, min 40 g/L RS, max 40 hL/ha Jurançon Sec: dry (30% of production), max yield 60 hL/ha

Question 38

What % of Jurançon wine is sweet or medium sweet?

Answer 38

about 70% of production is sweet or medium-sweet

Question 39

Describe Jurançon Vendanges Tardives wines

Answer 39

Sweet Intense aromas / flavors of lemon and mango High acidity Alcohol at high end of M to High Full body VG to O; mid-price to premium

Question 40

Describe Jurançon AOC wines

Answer 40

Medium sweet Good to VG, inexpensive to mid-price

Question 41

Describe the growing environment in Jurançon Climate Rainfall Location of vineyards Aspect Influential factors and implications Soils

Answer 41

Mild, humid climate Relatively high rainfall, ~1200mm/yr, distributed throughout year —> can affect flowering and fruit-set as well as harvest Vineyards planted on slopes for good drainage to offset high rain Some slopes are steep enough to req terracing —> increases initial investment and maintenance Best sites face S and SW for max sunlight interception —> aiding ripening Strongly influenced by Föhn wind from Pyrenees — hot, dry wind blows in SP and AU about 1 in 3 days, drying the air and ventilating the canopy (and bunches in AU) as well as boosting temps —> helps produce over-ripe berries for sweet wines Altitude —> SP frost a risk Soils a mix of limestone, sand, clay and stones

Question 42

What are the top grapes in Jurançon?

Answer 42

Gros Manseng ~65% Petit Manning ~30% Other local (white) varieties ~5%

Question 43

How are grapes typically harvested in Jurançon? When?

Answer 43

Grapes are picked by hand, and for the sweet wines, in a series of selective pickings —> raises costs First selection in in Oct, mainly for dry wines but also some sweet wines for early consumption 2nd & 3rd selections (Nov & Dec) are used for progressively sweeter wines Last 2 are carried out after over-ripe grapes have been dried on the vine (passerillage)

Question 44

What is “passerillage”?

Answer 44

When over-ripe grapes are left to dry on the vine The drying process is due to the effect of prolonged time hanging on the vine, the autumn sunshine and the wind

Question 45

Describe the Petit Manseng grape in Jurançon Budding, ripening, implications Skins and implications Acidity and implications Typical alcohol levels and implications

Answer 45

Early budding —> prone to spring frosts Mid- to late-ripening Has thick skins Resistant to botrytis bunch rot —> suitable for late harvest Moderately aromatic Retains acidity —> suitable for production of balanced sweet wines High alcohol, which means that producers must be precise about picking the date to balance the goals of full flavor ripeness, acidity and potential alcohol

Question 46

Describe Gros Manseng grape in Jurançon How does it compare to Petit Manseng? How is it typically used?

Answer 46

Shares characteristics w/ Petit Manseng but has higher yields and is usually less aromatic Principally used for dry wines

Question 47

Describe winemaking of sweet Jurançon wines

Answer 47

Higher quality wines made w/ Petit Manseng are typically fermented in barriques and aged in them for 12-18 mo Top quality wines typically use old oak, though new oak is occasionally used (adds complexity and increases cost) MLF typically doesn’t happen b/c pH is too low and acidity too high This retains acidity and preserves primary fruit flavors

Question 48

What rules apply to Jurnaçon Sec?

Answer 48

Dry Max yield 60 hL/ha

Question 49

What rules apply to Jurançon?

Answer 49

M-sweet wine Min 40 g/L RS Max yield 40 hL/ha

Question 50

What rules apply to Jurançon Vendanges Tardives?

Answer 50

Sweet — Min 55 g/L RS but typically much higher No enrichment allowed Max yield 40 hL/ha Petit and Gros Manseng exclusively Grapes cannot be picked B4 Nov 2

Question 51

What can be said about the making of DRY Jurançon wines

Answer 51

Typically made w/ Gros Manseng Producers are increasingly making high quality wines w/ a small proportion of Petit Manseng High quality wines typically aged on the lees, often in SS

Question 52

Where are Jurançon wines sold?

Answer 52

Sales are divided almost equally between direct sales, supermarkets, and hospitality, w/ small % being exported

Question 53

What % of Jurançon wines are from the Cave de Gan co-op?

Answer 53

- about 1/2 of wines are co-op

Question 54

Notable producer and co-op of Jurançon

Answer 54

Domaine Cauhapé (dry and sweet) Cave de Gan

Question 55

How many IGPs are there in SW France? Which is the largest?

Answer 55

There are 14 IGPs in SW FR IGP Côtes de Gascogne is far far the largest in terms of vineyard planted

Question 56

Where are IGP Côtes de Gascogne wines exported? How has this affected production?

Answer 56

This appellation has been particularly successful in marketing its white wines in the UK and N Europe, led by Tariquet and Palimony This resulted in a 3-fold rise in production between 1990 and 2000, 80% of which was exported

Question 57

Describe IGP Côtes de Gascogne wines

Answer 57

Made mainly from Colombard (producing neutral white wine w/ M to M+ acidity), Sauv Blanc, and Chardonnay Style of wine is fruity and easy to drink Labeled w/ the name(s) of the variety / varieties Acceptable to Good, inexpensive to mid-priced