Northern Rhone

Question 1

What is the climate of the Northern Rhone?

Answer 1

Continental
-greater seasonal temperature shifts
-more rainfall than Southern Rhone
-fewer annual hours of sunshine than Southern Rhone

Question 2

What is the wind that blows through the Northern Rhone Valley?

Answer 2

Mistral wind

Question 3

When does the Mistral wind have the biggest impact in the Northern Rhone?

Answer 3

In the winter and spring.

Question 4

Where does the Mistral wind come from?

Answer 4

The Massif Central

Question 5

What affect does the Mistral wind have on the vines?

Answer 5

-It dries the vineyards.
-Prevents mold and mildew from taking hold

Question 6

What is the soil that defines much of the Northern Rhone?

Answer 6

Heat retaining granitic and schistous soils

Question 7

What is the main soil and of Cote-Rotie, Condrieu and Hermitage?

Answer 7

-Steep slopes with schist and granite.
-Sand and loess topsoil

Question 8

What prevents the vineyards in the Northern Rhone from eroding?

Answer 8

Terrace construction

Question 9

Why are the vineyards in the Northern Rhone prone to eroding?

Answer 9

Sand and loess topsoil.

Question 10

What is the soil of Condrieu?

Answer 10

Thin topsoil that is rich and powdery decomposed mica called arzelle.

Question 11

What is arzelle?

Answer 11

The thin topsoil of Condrieu
-rich and powdery decomposed mica

Question 12

What appellations in the Northern Rhone have higher proportions of clay?

Answer 12

Saint Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Saint-Peray

Question 13

What percentage of Viognier is allowed in Cornas?

Answer 13

None
-100% Syrah

Question 14

What white grape and up to what percentage is allowed to be blended in Cote-Rotie?

Answer 14

Up to 20% Viognier

Question 15

Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are allowed to have up to what percentage of what white grape blended into it?

Answer 15

Up to 15% Marsanne/Rousanne

Question 16

Can Saint-Joseph rouge have white grape blended into it? If so, what grape and how much?

Answer 16

Up to 10% Marsanne/Rousanne.

Question 17

What appellation in the Northern Rhone is the farthest North?

Answer 17

Cote-Rotie

Question 18

How steep are the vineyards of Cote-Rotie?

Answer 18

55 degree gradient or more

Question 19

What does Cote-Rotie translate to?

Answer 19

Roasted slope

Question 20

What are the two most famous areas of Cote-Rotie?

Answer 20

Cote Brune
Cote Blonde
-both are the heart of the appellations terroir

Question 21

What vineyard site in Cote-Rotie can fetch first growth prices?

Answer 21

La Landonne

Question 22

Name 3 negotiants of Hermitage.

Answer 22

Chapoutier
Jaboulet
Delas

Question 23

Name 7 important producers of Cote Rotie

Answer 23

E. Guigal (modern)
Bernard Levet (traditional)
Jamet (traditional)
Georges Vernay (modern)
Rene Rostaing (both)
Clusel-Roch (both)
Jasmin (traditional)

Question 24

Where is La Chapelle located?

Answer 24

Hermitage

Question 25

What is La Chapelle named for?

Answer 25

It is named for a small hillside chapel that stands in commemoration of Gaspard de Stérimberg, the legendary Crusader-turned-hermit.

Question 26

La Chapelle is located within what climat in Hermitage?

Answer 26

L'Hermite

Question 27

Name other important climats of Hermitage.

Answer 27

(E to W) Les Bessards l'Hermite Méal Gréffieux Les Beaumes Péléat Rocoule Maison Blanche Les Diognières Les Murets L'Homme La Croix Torras et les Garennes

Question 28

Where are the warmest vineyards of Northern Rhone?

Answer 28

Cornas

Question 29

Why is Cornas so warm?

Answer 29

Shielded from the Mistral wind Naked granite soils generate more heat

Question 30

What is the soil of Cornas?

Answer 30

Granite

Question 31

List the Northern Rhone appellations from North to South.

Answer 31

Cote-Rotie Condrieu Chateau Grillet St-Joseph Crozes-Hermitage Hermitage Cornas St-Peray Cremant de Die Clairette de Die Coteaux de Die Chatillon-en-Diois

Question 32

What are the top lieu-dits of Cornas?

Answer 32

Reynard Chaillot La Cote Les Mazards Thézier Le Pigeonnier La Ge(y)nale Cayret Saumen Champelrose Les Saveaux-Nord/Sud Les Cotes Patou

Question 33

What are the Lala's of Cote-Rotie?

Answer 33

La Turque (inside Cote Brune) La Landonne La Mouline (inside Cote Blonde)

Question 34

Where is La Turque located

Answer 34

Inside Cote Brune in Cote Rotie

Question 35

Where is La Landonne located?

Answer 35

Côte Blonde in Côte Rotie

Question 36

Where is La Mouline located?

Answer 36

Inside Cote Blonde in Cote Rotie

Question 37

What are the boundaries of St-Joseph?

Answer 37

Condrieu in the North to St-Peray in the South

Question 38

What are the grapes of Saint-Péray AOP?

Answer 38

Marsanne Rousanne

Question 39

What styles of wine are allowed in Saint-Péray?

Answer 39

Blanc Méthode Traditionelle Mousseaux

Question 40

What does Roussanne add to the blend?

Answer 40

Acidity Waxy Minerality

Question 41

What does Marsanne add to the blend?

Answer 41

Broader Marzipan texture

Question 42

What is Vin de Paille?

Answer 42

Sweet wine made from dried Roussanne and Marsanne grapes.

Question 43

Who revived the Vin de Paille style and when?

Answer 43

Gerard Ghave in 1970 Chapoutier in 1990

Question 44

Where is Condrieu located?

Answer 44

South of Cote-Rotie.

Question 45

What is the grape of Condrieu?

Answer 45

Viognier

Question 46

When did Viognier almost fall out of extinction?

Answer 46

1960s

Question 47

What are 5 top producers of Condrieu?

Answer 47

Georges Vernay (modern and clean) Andre Perret (traditional) René Rostaing (both) Yves Cuilleron (modern) Jamet (traditional)

Question 48

Name 2 producers of Saint-Peray

Answer 48

August Clape Alain Voge

Question 49

What monopole is located within Condrieu?

Answer 49

Chateau Grillet

Question 50

The Northern Rhone lies between what two villages?

Answer 50

Vienne in the North Valence in the South

Question 51

What appellations in the Northern Rhone are located South of Valence?

Answer 51

Cremant de Die Clairette de Die Coteaux de Die Chatillon-en-Diois

Question 52

What is the grape of Coteaux de Die AOP?

Answer 52

100% Clairette

Question 53

What are the grapes of Cremant de Die AOP?

Answer 53

Min 55% Clairette 10% Aligote 5-10% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains

Question 54

What is the max % of Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains allowed in Cremant de Die AOP?

Answer 54

Max 10%

Question 55

What is the aging requirement of Cremant de Die?

Answer 55

Must spend 9 months on the lees before disgorgement Can't be released for a minimum of 12 months after the the date of tirage.

Question 56

What are the two styles allowed in Clairette de Die.

Answer 56

Méthode Traditionelle Méthode Dioise Ancestrale

Question 57

What is the grape(s) allowed in Clairette de Die Méthode Traditionelle?

Answer 57

100% Clairette

Question 58

What are the grape(s) allowed for Clairette de Die Méthode Diosie Ancestrale?

Answer 58

Must contain a minimum of 75% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains plus Clairette

Question 59

What is the minimum r/s of Clairette de Die Méthode Diosie Ancestrale?

Answer 59

Min 35 grams r/s = demi sec

Question 60

What is the max rs of Clairette de Die Méthode Traditionelle?

Answer 60

Max 15 g/l rs

Question 61

What are the grape(s) and style of Châtillon-en-Diois AOP?

Answer 61

White: Aligote and Chardonnay Red and rosé: Gamay

Question 62

What direction does Hermitage face?

Answer 62

South

Question 63

What 2 sections is Hermitage split into?

Answer 63

Western side -Granite outcropping Eastern side -Layer cake of glacier and river deposits that sits on top of limestone

Question 64

How many communes of Crozes-Hermitage?

Answer 64

11 communes

Question 65

How much bigger is Crozes-Hermitage than Hermitage?

Answer 65

10x surface area of Hermitage

Question 66

Soil of Crozes-Hermitage

Answer 66

North: Granitic slopes, similar to Hermitage South: Alluvial soils of glacial origin