French Wine Regions Flashcards
Bas-Médoc
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Landes Forest and sand dunes
Terroir: Mostly clay with outcrops of gravel
Grapes: CabSav & Merlot
Wine Style: Higher proportion of Merlot in blends, early drinking
Other: Wines here labeled Médoc
Haut-Médoc
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Landes Forest and sand dunes
Terroir: Gravelly, well suited for CabSav.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Wine Style: Blackcurrant Fruit, with Cedar from Oak, Grippy tannins when young, and long ageing potential
Key Locals: Smaller appellations called COMMUNES
Other:
Margaux
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: Vineyards protected by Landes Forest and sand dunes
Terroir: Limestone
Grapes:
Wine Style:
Key Locals:
Other:
Alsace
Climate: Cool - Moderate Continental
Topography: Benefit from Vosges Shelter from Prevailing Westerly winds and provide sunny summers and dry autumn, long growing season for high levels of sugar ripeness.
Terroir: Varied - Most complex geology in France
Grapes: Noble: Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, Pinot Noir (only allowed Black)
Wine Style: Mostly single variety, Blends inexpensive named EDELZWICKER or GENTIL or producers name. Best located on steepest slopes, Lesser vineyards on plain - used for Cremant d’Alsace.
Retain aromas and flavors. Large Old Oak (+100 years in cases), with tartare deposits eliminating influence on wine.
Stainless used, MLF rarely used to protect flavors. Bottled in Spring when young and Fresh
Key Locals: Grapes in the foothills and slopes trained low for heat and rows for max sun. Hand Harvest
Grapes on plains vines trained high to minimize frost risk
Other: Organic and Biodynamic are practiced given dry weather resulting in low disease
Barsac
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Lances Forest and sand dunes
Soils: Shallow Limestone
Grapes:
Wine Style:
Key Locals: Within Sauternes
Other:
Saint Emillion
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Soils: 3 distinct group.
- 1 N & W, plateau with warm, well-drained gravel & limestone (grow CabSav),
- S & E escarpment with clay & limestone.
- Foot of escarpment is sandy soils (lighter bodied)
Grapes:
Wine Style:
Key Locals:
Other:
Pomerol
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Landes Forest and sand dunes
Soils: Various clay and gravel
Grapes: Merlot
Wine Style:
Key Locals:
Nantais
Climate: Cool, maritime, rainfall and humidity throughout the year. Spring frost and autumn rain
Topography: VIneyards protected by Lances Forest and sand dunes
Terroir: Various, Gravel, Clay
Grapes: Melon Blanc - Muscadet / Melon de Bourgogne. (Early ripening, Frost resistant, well suited for cool climate)
Wine Style:
Key Locals: Muscadet Sur Lie - specialty, spend the winters on lees = richer wine texture. Very light handling
Other:
ENTRE-DEUX-MERS
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: Located between the Garonne and Dordogne; largest wine-making area of Bordeaux
Soils: Clay and sandy soils prevail; most vineyards used the Lenz Moser high vine trellising system
Grapes: Dry whites mainly from Sauvignon blanc usually blended with Sémillon, Muscadelle & Ugni blanc
Wine Style:
Other: 2nd largest dry white wine AC after Bordeaux. Reds not allowed in AC
Sauternes
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Lances Forest and sand dunes
Soils: Gravel Soils
Grapes:
Wine Style:
Key Locals:
Other:
BLAYE COTES DE BORDEAUX
Climate: Moderate Maritime - benefit from Gulf Stream and also rain and humidity throughout the year
Topography: VIneyards protected by Lances Forest and sand dunes
Soils: Clay with Limestone
Grapes:
Wine Style:
Key Locals:
Other:
Alsace Appellations Classification
Alsace Grand Cru: Majority of Production. Most single grape. If grape named on label has to be 100%. Some blends, not varietal labeled. Villages can name by Style (rare)
Alsace Grand Cru: 50 vineyards. Must produce Single Varietal (few exceptions). Label - Must have Vineyard, Vintage, Grape
Some grand crus land are too big to classify all the grapes on the land as grand cru
Vendages Tardives: LATE HARVEST, Only made from Noble Grapes. Specific minimum sugar. Best Grapes have gone under Passerillage and some noble rot.
Passerillage: Straw wine
Selection de Grains: Only Nobles, Minimum sugar requirements higher than VT. All with botrytis. Not produced every year, based on weather
Anjou-Saumur
Climate: Relatively warm, dry climate.
Topography: Mauges Hills protect from winds off Atlantic
Terroir: Schist and slate Brittany’s Armorican Massif meet clay and limestone of Paris Basin creates slopes S-SW to sun and drying winds from Atlantic. Saumur - soft tuffeau (porous limestone). Sandier in wine country.
Grapes: Chenin Blanc & Cabernet Franc
Wine Style: Chenin Blanc - Common for a single bunch to ripen at different times. If whole bunches selected without care, can get green, herbaceous. Many do several passes
Key Locals:
Vouvray
Climate: Cool Climate - weather varies enormously year to year.
Topography: East of Tours
Terroir: Clay Soils
Grapes: Still and Sparkling Chenin Blanc - Sparkling
Wine Style: Due to cool climate - Light to Medium body with fresh fruity and floral notes. Rarely fermented or aged in new oak. Dry to Luscious
Other: Largest & most recognized Chenin Blanc Appellation
Chinon & Bourgueil & St Nicolas-de-Bourgeuil
Climate: Some Atlantic influence
Topography:
Terroir: On river side sandy soils, Limestone & Clay soils
Grapes: Cabernet Franc (early flowering and ripening) Raspberry fruitiness
Wine Style: Fuller Body, more tannic. Some matured in oak. Best evolve over years.
Key Locals:
