France - Burgundy - Côte d'Or & other Flashcards
(99 cards)
1
Q
What is the name of the individual named plots?
A
Climats
2
Q
How long is this sub-region?
A
130km (from Dijon to Mâcon)
3
Q
What is the general quality and price?
A
- Good to outstanding
- Mid- to super-premium priced
4
Q
What are the three main grape varieties in the WHOLE burgundy (incl. percentages)?
A
- Chardonnay (50%)
- Pinot Noir (41%)
- Aligoté (6%)
5
Q
What is the percentage of Pinot Noir in the Côte d’Or?
A
> 60%
6
Q
What is the climate
A
Moderate continental (cold winters and warm summers)
7
Q
Why are Pinot Noir and Cardonnay well suited to the climate?
A
Early ripening
8
Q
What is the avg. annual rainfall?
A
700mm
9
Q
By what is the Côte d’Or protected?
A
Morvan hills to the west
10
Q
What is a priority for growers with respect to Pinot Noir?
A
Ripeness of skins and seeds (difficult in cool vintages)
11
Q
What are the four major environmental threats?
A
- Spring frost
- Hail
- Untimely rain
- Drought-stress
12
Q
Is there much vintage variation?
A
Yes, marked vintage variations due to northerly location
13
Q
What measures can reduce hail damage?
A
- Sorting tables (damaged or rotten berries)
- Hail netting
- Seed thunderclouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation
14
Q
When is hail a problem?
A
- April–May: damage of early growth -> reduced yields or even total loss of the crop
- Hail later in the season: fruit damage and rot
15
Q
Is irrigation permitted?
A
NO
16
Q
When and why is water-stress a problem? And what is the effect?
A
- Very hot vintages
- Grape shrivelling and vines shut down
17
Q
Describe the topography of vineyards (incl. elevation, aspect)
A
- Range of hills oriented north-south
- Elevations: 200-400 metres
- Aspect: East-facing, with some south-east or southerly in aspect
18
Q
Why are the best sites located mid-slope?
A
- Well-draining, shallow soils
- Good sunlight interception
- Comparative frost protection
- Better ripening potential
19
Q
Compare vineyard at the very top and bottom of the slope
A
- Top: very poor, thin soil and exposed to cooling winds
- Bottom: deeper soils and vulnerable to frost
20
Q
Where are the best south, south-east facing slopes in Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais?
A
- Côte Chalonnaise: Bouzeron and Rully
- Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé
21
Q
What are the two main soil types?
A
- Limestone
- Clay
22
Q
Describe the proportion of limestone and clay across the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, and Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais
A
- Côte de Nuits: Dominated by limestone (Pinot Noir)
- Côte de Beaune: Deep soil and more clay (Chardonnay)
- Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Mixed
23
Q
Why is the depth of the soil a typical problem and what characteristics does it lead to?
A
- Movement of soils down the slopes by erosion (even in gently sloping vineyards)
- Thinner soils at higher elevations: too little soil for vines to thrive
- Deeper soils at the bottom: poorer drainage and more clay with greater fertility (-> increased shading -> less ripe fruit)
24
Q
What two grape varieties had significant plantings in the early 20th century?
A
- Aligoté
- Gamay
25
**Chardonnay**
What are the budding/ripening times and their consequences?
* Early budding: susceptible to spring frosts
* Early ripening: suitable to grow in a cool region
26
**Chardonnay**
Suitable for higher yields?
Yes, without loss of quality
27
**Chardonnay**
What is it susceptible to?
* Grey rot
* Powdery mildew
* Millerandage
* Grapevine yellows
28
**Chardonnay**
What is the typical style in the Côte d'Or? (aromas, body, acidity)
* Ripe citrus, melon, and stone fruit
* Medium to medium(+) body
* Medium(+) to high acidity
29
**Chardonnay**
What is the main challenge for producing high quality?
Vigour management to avoid excessive yield and shading
30
**Pinot Noir**
What are the budding/ripening times and their consequences?
* Early budding: susceptible to spring frosts
* Early ripening: suitable to grow in a cool region
31
**Pinot Noir**
Suitable for higher yields?
No, would result in lower quality
32
**Pinot Noir**
What is it susceptible to?
* Millerandage
* Downy and powdery mildew
* Botrytis bunch rot
* Fan leaf and leaf roll viruses
33
**Pinot Noir**
What is the main challenge for producing high quality?
Whether the fruit will ripen sufficiently to achieve the desired ripeness
34
What is the trade-off for producers in choosing appropriate clones?
* Plant a single clone -> more uniform fruit profile
* Plant a mix -> greater diversity in grape characteristics and potentially more resistance to disease
35
**Pinot Noir**
Describe the typical style (aromas, tannins, alcohol, acidity, ageing)
* Strawberry, raspberry and red cherry flavours with village wines and above having light, oak- derived flavours (smoke, clove)
* Low to medium tannins (Grand cru wines can have medium (+) tannins)
* Medium alcohol
* High acidity
* Develop earth, game and mushroom notes with time in bottle
36
In what aspects do clones vary?
* Yield
* Disease tolerance
* Speed of ripening
* Fruit characteristics
37
**Vineyard Management**
What are the three main trellising methods?
* Cordon de Royat
* Guyot
* Poussard-Guyot
38
**Vineyard Management**
What is the aim of Poussard-Guyot?
* Softer pruning method
* Pruning wounds only on the upper part of the cordon
* Reduce incidents of trunk diseases
39
**Vineyard Management**
What is the downside of Poussard-Guyot?
Requires skilled vineyard workers
40
**Vineyard Management**
What is the typical planting density?
8,000-10,000 vines / ha
41
**Vineyard Management**
What does higher planting density promote?
* Root competition
* High quality, i.e., smaller berries with higher intensity
42
**Vineyard Management**
What are options to manage and reduce yields?
* Specific winter pruning
* De-budding
* Green harvesting
43
**Vineyard Management**
What is an advantage and disadvantage of de-budding?
* Pro: promotes good balance in the vine
* Contra: damage inflicted by hail, frost, or fungal disease can have a drastic effect on yield
44
**Vineyard Management**
What is an advantage and disadvantage of green harvesting?
* Pro: growers can assess the size, shape and position of bunches before they decide to sacrifice any. Late decision can take into account unpredictable weather events
* Contra: can lead to changes in vine development through compensation via excessive growth in the remaining bunches -> dilution in the grapes
45
**Vineyard Management**
What are the max yields along the quality hierarchy for reds and whites?
* Regional: 69 hL/ha (red), 75 hL/ha (white)
* Village: 40-45 hL/ha (red), 45-47 hL/ha (white)
* Some grands crus: 35 hL/ha (red), 40 hL/ha (white)
46
**Vineyard Management**
Comment on adoption and its problems of organic and biodynamic grape growing
* Has become more popular, esp. among leading growers
* Climate makes it challenging
* Many vineyards are shared -> min. area requirements for organic practices are a problem
47
**Vineyard Management**
What are the main diseases and how are they managed?
* Grape moths: pheromone capsules
* Fungal diseases (powdery and downy mildew, botrytis in the form of grey rot): canopy management and spraying
* Grapevine yellows: monitoring
* Esca: pruning methods
48
**Vineyard Management**
What is the trade-off regarding timing of harvest?
* Harvesting early will preserve acidity but the fruit may not be fully ripe
* Harvesting late can lead to a softer wine style but there may be concerns about the weather
49
**Vineyard Management**
How is harvest usually conducted?
Mostly by hand
50
**White Winemaking**
Comment on (de-)acidification and chaptalization
* (De-)acidification: permitted but rarely practized
* Chaptalization: if musts insufficient sugar to reach min alcohol or desired style. However, less a problem in recent warmer years
51
**White Winemaking**
How are grapes handled from harvest to skin contact?
* Hand harvested (mostly)
* Sorted (typically on sorting tables)
* Typically whole bunch pressed (stems aids drainage of must)
* Usually pressed immediately as Chardonnay is not very aromatic and to reduce risk of extracting tannins
52
**White Winemaking**
How is the must clarified for high quality and lower quality wines?
* Higher quality: by sedimentation
* Lower quality: by other, quicker methods
53
**White Winemaking**
Are ambient or cultured yeasts used? Why?
* Ambient yeast: Higher quality wine (expression of terroir)
* Cultured yeast: high-volume regional wine
54
**White Winemaking**
Describe fermentation temp and vessel for inexpensive/mid-priced and expensive wines
* Inexp: 16-18°C, fermented and aged in stainless steel -> fruit
* Exp: Up to 20°C, fermented and aged in oak
55
**White Winemaking**
Describe level of new oak based on quality hierarchy
* Regional: Little or none
* Village: 20-25%
* Premier Cru: 30-50%
* Grand Cru: 50-100%
56
**White Winemaking**
What type of barrels are used?
* pièce (228 l)
* Sometimes larger barrels
57
**White Winemaking**
Comment on malo, lees ageing, and filtration
* Usually malolactic conversion (neutral vessels or oak)
* Lees may be stirred during ageing (bâtonnage)
* More often filtered than reds as cloudiness is easily visible to the consumer
58
Describe the problems with Premature oxidation
* 1996 and following vintages: very advanced flavours and colours after a relatively short period of time in bottle
* Potential causes of the problems: changes in vineyard practices, warmer vintages or later picking times, the use of over-clean musts, overzealous bâtonnage, lower levels of sulphur dioxide at bottling, and both the quality of corks and changes in cork treatment before use
* Many producers have modified their practices to try to minimize the risk. This problem is not confined to the white Burgundy category and has been reported in other white wines
59
**Red Winemaking**
What is the main goal?
Maintain primary fruit (careful oak)
60
**Red Winemaking**
Are grapes destemmed or whole-bunch fermented?
Both, depending on individual producers
61
**Red Winemaking**
What are adv. and disadv. of whole-bunch fermentation
* Adv.: aid aeration of the must and can add perfume, freshness, and fine tannins
* Disadv.: Green astringent tannins can be extracted if stems are unripe
62
**Red Winemaking**
How is color extraction promoted?
Cold-soaking (hours to days)
63
**Red Winemaking**
Comment on fermentation (yeast, vessels, cap management, post-fermentation maceration)
* Ambient yeast
* Open-top vessels
* Pumping over (remontage) and punching down (pigéage)
* Post-fermentation maceration depends on ripeness of fruit and style of wine
64
**Red Winemaking**
Why are cap management techniques important?
* Introduce oxygen
* Avoid reduction and reductive sulfur compounds
* Avoid acetic acid
* Extract colour, tannin and flavour from the skins
* Regulate temperature
65
**Red Winemaking**
What are typical ageing times for (super-)premium wines and less expensive wines?
* (Super-)premium: 12-20 months
* Less expensive: < 12 months
66
**Red Winemaking**
What is the typical ratio of new oak?
Not generalizable: everything from 0 to 100% new oak
67
**Red Winemaking**
Comment on fining and filtering
* Mid-priced: Often
* Higher quality: Often without
68
**Vineyard Classification**
What factors is the classification based on?
* **Terroir**
* Soil
* Aspect
* Microclimate
69
**Vineyard Classification**
When was the classification started and when formalized?
* Started by medieval monks
* Formalized in 1930s
70
**Vineyard Classification**
What are the four categories? (incl. absolute numbers)
* Regional/Generic (7)
* Village/Communal (44)
* Premier Cru (640, but belong to village)
* Grand Cru (33, appellations in their own right)
71
**Vineyard Classification**
What is special about Grand Crus of the Côte d'Or?
* They are appellations in their own rights
* Whereas in Chablis the climats are all part of one appellation, Chablis Grand Cru
* And the region’s 640 premiers crus are additional geographical denominations related to a village, not appellations in their own right
72
**Vineyard Classification**
Is there much variation in the size of appellations?
* YES, e.g., at Grand Cru level:
* Clos de Vougeot: 50 ha
* La Romanée: 0.84 ha
73
**Vineyard Classification**
Why is the classification no guarantee of quality?
* Majority of vineyards are owned by more than one domaine
* Quality of the wines depend on reputation and skill of the domaine as well as the reputation of the vineyard
74
**Vineyard Classification**
Describe the location and characteristics of generic appellations
* Flat land at the top of the slope: slightly higher altitude, lack of protection from prevailing weather, poorer sunlight interception and richer soils -> vine vigour and less concentrated and structured wines
* Flat land at the bottom of the slope: D974 road as divider between village level generic appellation
75
**Vineyard Classification**
Describe the location and characteristics of Grand and Premier Cru appellations
* Mid-slope
* Full ripeness even in cooler years
* Poor but adequate, shallow soils with good drainage
* Protection from the prevailing weather systems
* Good sunlight interception
* Wines with concentration, balance and length.
76
**Vineyard Classification**
Describe the location and characteristics of village appellations
* Lowest part of the slope
* Richer soils
* Less well drained
* Not the same level of ripeness
* Very good quality wine
77
**Côte de Nuits**
What are the most important villages from north to south? (incl. red/white and some Grand Crus)
* **Gevrey-Chambertin**: red only (Chambertin, Charmes Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze)
* **Morey-Saint-Denis**: mostly red (Clos de Tart, Clos de la Roche)
* **Chambolle-Musigny**: red only (Bonnes Mares, Musigny)
* **Vougeot**: red and white (Clos de Vougeot -> much larger than the village appellation)
* **Vosne-Romanée**: red only (La Tâche, Romanée-Conti)
* **Nuits-Saint-Georges**: mostly red (important Premier Cru: Les Saint-Georges)
78
**Côte de Nuits**
What are two villages with more accessibly priced wines?
* **Marsannay** (more red/rosé than white)
* **Fixin** (mostly red)
79
**Côte de Beaune**
What are the most important villages from north to south? (incl. red/white and some Grand Crus)
* **Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Ladoix-Serrigny**: mostly red (white: Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, mostly red: Corton Grand Cru)
* **Beaune**: mostly red (Premier Cru: Le Clos des Mouches, Les Grèves)
* **Pommard**: red only (Premier Cru: Les Rugiens, Clos des Épeneaux)
* **Volnay**: red only (Premier Cru: Clos des Chênes, Les Caillerets)
* **Meursault**: mostly white (Premier Cru: Perrières, Genevrières)
* **Puligny-Montrachet**: mostly white
* **Chassagne-Montrachet**: more white than red
* Between them: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet
* **Saint-Aubin**: mostly white (Premier Cru: Sur le Sentier du Clou, En Remilly)
80
**Côte de Beaune**
What are three villages with more accessibly priced wines?
* **St Romain**: mainly white
* **Auxey-Duresses**: mainly red
* **Santenay**: mainly red
81
**Côte Chalonnaise**
What is the ratio between white and red and what is the region known for?
* More red than white
* Village and Premier Cru with excellent value for money
82
**Côte Chalonnaise**
Where are Premier Crus located?
* Warmest, south-, south-east and east-facing slopes
* Well-drained limestone soils
83
**Côte Chalonnaise**
What are the most important villages from north to south?
* **Bouzeron**: 100% Aligoté (finest region for Aligoté)
* **Rully**: more white than red (25% are Premier Cru with importance for Crémant de Bourgogne)
* **Mercurey**: significantly more red than white (25% are Premier Cru)
* **Givry**: mostly red (40% Premier Cru)
* **Montagny**: white only (two-thirds Premier Cru)
84
**Mâconnais**
What is the ratio between white and red?
Mostly white
85
**Mâconnais**
What are the regions (in order of RISING QUALITY)?
* **Mâcon**: mostly red (or rosé)
* **Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-plus named village** (e.g. Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Solutré): white only
* **Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Viré-Clessé** and much smaller Pouilly-Vinzelles, Pouilly-Loché: higher quality
86
**Côte de Nuits**
What are the two most northern villages and what style of wine are they known for?
* Marsannay: cooler with gentler slope and less protection from winds (white, rosé, and red)
* Fixin: Red wines with fresh red fruit and light body
87
**Côte de Nuits**
What villages have the highest protection from the west and how are the wines influenced?
* Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges
* Slightly higher alcohols and greater ripeness
* Most Grand Crus in this area
88
Name two villages that are known for fruitier and fragrant and two that are known for fuller body red wines
* Fruitier & fragrant: Volnay and Chambolle-Musigny
* Fuller body: Pommard and Gevrey-Chambertin
89
What village is known for floral an concentrated white wines and which for fully bodied and powerful ones?
* Floral an concentrated: Puligny-Montrachet
* Fully body and powerful: Meursault
90
**Wine Business**
How did the trade historically happen and what is the move since 1980s?
* Mostly through négociants
* Since 1980s: more towards domaine bottling
91
**Wine Business**
Name some of the most important négociants
* Albert Bichot
* Joseph Drouhin
* Faiveley
* Louis Jadot
* Bouchard Père et Fils
92
**Wine Business**
What two different types of business does Dujac act in?
* **Domaine Dujac** from own vineyards
* **Dujac Fils et Père** from purchased fruit or bought in wine
93
**Wine Business**
Name and describe the five different types of organizations
* **Growers** – Several thousand growers that sell grapes or unfinished wines
* **Domaines** – make wine from their own vineyards and sell it under their own domaine label
* **Négociants** – large businesses that buy grapes and/or wines, finish them and bottle them for sale under their own name
* **Micro-négociants** – smaller businesses that buy grapes from very good to top quality vineyards, make the wines and sell them under their own name, for example, Benjamin Leroux
* **Co-operatives** – less important in the Côte d’Or but have a more predominant role in Chablis (La Chablisienne), the Mâconnais (e.g. the Cave de Lugny), and, to a lesser extent, in the Côte Chalonnaise
94
**Wine Business**
How much of the wine is exported?
50%
95
**Wine Business**
What are the main export markets?
* Other EU states (25%)
* Outside of EU (25%)
* Largest by value: USA, UK, Japan
96
**Wine Business**
What acts as indicator of certain styles of white and red wines?
* Village names, e.g.:
* Meursault Perrières: steely concentration
* Meursault Charmes: full body and approachable
97
**Wine Business**
What is the trend in land prices?
Increasing, driven by scarcity of land and pressure from foreign buyers of wine businesses
98
**Wine Business**
What is the production of Burgundy compared to Bordeaux and DRC compared to Lafte Rothschild's Gran Vin?
25%
99
**Wine Business**
Why are the prices so steeply increasing?
* High land prices
* Worldwide demand
* Relatively small production
* Differences in volume produced each year
