D3 - Northern Rhône Flashcards
Examines the regions, grapes, methods of production, and styles of Northern Rhône.
What is the climate of Northern Rhône generally?
Moderate Continental (p.99)
Note that Cornas has a warm Mediterranean climate (p.104)
What 3 maladies* is Syrah susceptible to in the Northern Rhône?
*diseases
- Mites;
- Botrytis bunch rot;
- Syrah decline/disorder (the leaves turn red, the graft point breaks up, and the vine dies).
Describe a typical Syrah from the Northern Rhône.
- Deep ruby;
- Medium to pronounced intensity aromas and flavors;
- Violet, plum (red plum in cooler years and sites, black plum in warmer years and sites), blackberry with black pepper and herbal notes;
- Medium to high acidity;
- Medium to high tannins.
Why is Viognier prone to spring frost?
It is early budding.
Select the correct answer.
Viognier yields tend to be prone to being:
a. low and unpredictable
b. high and consistent
a. Low and unpredictable
This is due to poor flowering and fruit set (coulure).
Give a typical profile of Viognier from the Northern Rhône.
- Medium lemon in color;
- Pronounced aromas/flavors of honeysuckle, apricot and peach;
- Medium to high alcohol;
- Low acidity.
Why does Syrah see frequent pumpovers, and why is it often aged in oak?
- Syrah is prone to reduction, which is why it has frequent pumpovers;
- Aged in oak to provide gentle oxidation.
For red Cru-level wines in the Northern and Southern Rhône, describe typical harvesting and winemaking practices.
- Grapes harvested by hand and transported in small crates;
- May be left as whole bunches, destemmed, or partially destemmed;
- Grapes may be chilled and cold soaked for 1–3 days to extract color;
- Primary fermentation in stainless steel, large concrete tanks or open top wooden fermenters;
- May use either cultured or ambient yeasts;
- Fermentation is generally at warm temperatures to enhance extraction of color, flavor and tannin;
- Maceration on the skins may last for 20–30 days with punch-downs, pump-overs or rack and return;
- Maturation 12-24 months in large oak (Grenache) or smaller oak (Syrah, Mourvèdre), typically 20-30% new.
For inexpensive, high-volume red wines in the Rhône, describe typical harvesting and winemaking practices.
- Most are machine harvested, but hand-picking/carbonic maceration is an option sometimes used;
- Flash détente or thermovinification to gain a low-tannin, fruity style quickly is also sometimes used;
- Cultured yeasts to ensure reliable fermentation;
- Fermentation at mid-range temperatures to retain fruit flavors and avoid high tannin extraction;
- Maceration times usually kept short;
- Stored in stainless steel for a few months before bottling.
How are rosés typically made in the Rhône?
- Short skin maceration (12-48 hours);
- Fermentation completed as for white wine;
- Typically aged in oak, concrete, large vats, or stainless steel.
Why do white wines in the Rhône typically avoid malolactic conversion?
To retain natural acidity.
Why is lees stirring in white wines sometimes avoided in the Rhône?
The grapes already have natural full body, so for some winemakers lees stirring would pump up the body.
Name 2 effects of the Mistral wind on vines in the Northern Rhône.
- Reduces the incidence of fungal disease;
- Decreases vine vigor leading to lower yields and higher concentration in the wines, but also can lower production.
Côte Rôtie AOC produces only __ wines made with __.
Red wines made with Syrah
What is the maximum percentage of Viognier allowed in Côte Rôtie AOC?
20%
It’s often zero and normally no more than 8%, but when Viognier is used, it is co-fermented with Syrah and adds fruity and floral aromas.
Describe the vineyard landscape of Côte Rôtie AOC.
- Steep slopes, often terraced, mostly facing east and southeast –> high sunlight interception and shelter from winds from the north;
- High levels of sunlight and heat + and poor, stony, fast-draining soils result in fully ripe grapes;
- Steepness of the slopes makes it necessary to do most of the work by hand (erosion is a constant problem).
What is the maximum yield in Côte Rôtie AOC?
40 hL/ha
Who were the two people who helped revive the Côte Rôtie appellation in the late 20th century?
Etienne Guigal and his son Marcel
They started to bottle single vineyard Côte Rôties, La Mouline and La Landonne.
Describe how wine is generally made in Côte Rôtie AOC.
- Most winemakers destem, then cold soak the fruit (using a percentage of stems in the ferments is increasingly common);
- Warm fermentation temps are typical for full extraction;
- Natural yeasts frequently used (for greater perceived terroir expression) and malo takes place in cask;
- Maturation is either in small barrels (usually 225L barriques, modeling Guigal’s single-vineyard wines) or in larger wooden vessels, with demi-muids of 500–600L being favored by many for less overt oak notes in young wines.
Condrieu AOC must be 100% this grape variety.
Viognier
What is the maximum yield in Condrieu AOC?
41 hL/ha
What is Château-Grillet AOC?
A single estate appellation (3.5ha) within the Condrieu AOC.
Describe how most Condrieu AOC wine is made.
- Fermented in stainless steel or large wooden vessels (though a few producers use expensive, small barrels to produce wines with enhanced texture and flavor;
- Producers decide whether or not to allow malo depending on the vintage (but is normally carried out);
- Wines are typically aged sur lie 10–12 months often with lees stirring.
The above practices are generally the opposite of the info in cards 11 and 12, but Condrieu is a particular style of wine that is rich and textural.
Name 2 important Saint-Joseph AOC producers.
- Domaine Gonon;
- Jean-Louis Chave.
Are more red or white wines made in Saint-Joseph AOC?
Red
90% of Saint-Joseph wines are red.
What is the maximum yield in Saint-Joseph AOC?
40 hL/ha
What 2 white grape varieties are permitted to be blended into Saint-Joseph AOC?
Marsanne and Roussanne, though in practice they are rarely used.
- In ha, how large is Hermitage AOC?
- How much of the total wine production is white wine?
- 137 ha
- 30% of the wine made is white
What are the maximum yields for red and white grapes in Hermitage AOC?
- Red: 40 hL/ha
- White: 45 hL/ha
For both, maximum yields are seldom achieved.
What vineyard factors contribute to red wines from Hermitage AOC being so concentrated and age-worthy?
- The appellation is a south-facing slope, maximizing solar interception and having protection from cold winds;
- Hot, dry vineyards with thin, stony soils result in wines of pronounced flavor intensity and high tannins.
Describe traditionally made red wines from Hermitage AOC.
- Some stems are often included in ripe vintages;
- Warm fermentation temps used for maximum extraction of flavor and tannins;
- Lengthy oak aging (12–18 months);
- Proportion of new oak is common (but not always used);
- Medium to large wooden vessels are common.
What is the typical composition of white Hermitage AOC?
- Typically a blend of a majority of Marsanne with some Roussanne;
- Or, it can be pure Marsanne.
Describe the typical fermentation, maturation and aging of white Hermitage AOC.
- Fermentation – old wood vats, new or old oak barrels, or in stainless steel;
- Maturation – oak, with a minority proportion being new, or stainless steel depending on the style preferred by producers;
- Typically aged sur lie for 10–12 months.
What is the largest Northern Rhône appellation?
Crozes-Hermitage AOC
Describe the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage AOC.
- Relatively steep slopes;
- Continental climate with marked Alpine influences;
- Can be extremely cold in winter with a strong influence from the Mistral;
- Long growing season and high diurnal range, resulting in grapes of moderate sugar accumulation and retained acidity.
Describe the southern sector of Crozes-Hermitage AOC.
- Flatter land which allows for mechanization;
- More temperate than the northern sector, although there can be heavy rainfall in the late autumn and through the winter.
What is the maximum yield for Crozes-Hermitage AOC?
45 hL/ha
Describe typical winemaking in Crozes-Hermitage AOC.
- Destemming is widely practiced;
- Fermentation mainly in concrete tanks or stainless steel and maturation in these tanks or large oak vessels;
- Wines are generally made for early drinking with medium tannins.
White wines from Crozes-Hermitage AOC only make up __% of total production in the appellation.
9%
Made from Marsanne and Roussanne.
Briefly describe the landscape and climate of Cornas AOC.
- Most southerly appellation for red wine production in the northern Rhône;
- It’s a natural south and east facing amphitheatre with steep slopes;
- Warm Mediterranean climate;
- Good protection from cold winds;
- Its excellent aspect means it is often the first Syrah to be picked in the northern Rhône.
Cornas must be 100% this grape variety.
Syrah
What is the maximum yield for Cornas AOC?
40 hL/ha
What is the most southerly appellation of all AOCs in the northern Rhône?
Saint-Péray AOC
Saint-Péray AOC makes only red wines or white wines?
White wines
What are the soils in Saint-Péray AOC?
Limestone and granite
Good water-holding capacity and drainage.
Which white grape accounts for the majority of plantings in Saint-Péray AOC?
Marsanne
What is the maximum yield in Saint-Péray AOC?
45 hL/ha
Describe typical winemaking for Saint-Péray AOC.
- Fermented in stainless steel or oak barrels;
- Aged in the same vessels or in large old oak vessels;
- Higher quality wines typically aged sur lie 10–12 months;
- Some producers stir the lees to add body to the wines.
What colors of wine are permitted in the Collines Rhodaniennes IGP?
Red, white, and rosé
What are the maximum yields allowed in Collines Rhodaniennes IGP?
80 hL/ha
Generally speaking, winemaking in the Rhône Valley is “traditional.”
What does that mean?
- Concrete vats for fermentation (although stainless steel and large wooden vessels are also used);
- Small and large wooden vessels for maturation.
