Roussillon Flashcards
In Muscat de Rivesaltes is the VDN usually made reductively or oxidatively?
It is only made reductively.
What are the grape varieties allowed in the Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC?
Muscat à Petit Grains & Muscat d’Alexandrie
What style of wine does the Banyuls Grand Cru AOC produce?
Red VDN only
What style of wine is made in the Maury AOC?
Dry reds (sec) and red and white VDN
What AOC is shared jointly between Languedoc and Roussillon?
Languedoc AOC
What is the 2nd largest AOC in Roussillon and what rivers are located here?
- Côtes du Roussillon Villages (red only)
- Rivers here: Agly and Têt
4 DGCs: Caramany, Latour-de-France, Lesquerde, Les Aspres, Tautavel
What is the largest AOC in Roussillon?
Côtes du Roussillon AOC (Regional)
white, rosé, & red
What are the 2 most important IGPs in Roussillon?
- Pay d’Oc IGP (most well-known)
- Côtes Catalanes IGP
What are the 2 regional AOCs of Roussillon?
- Languedoc AOC
- Côtes du Roussillon AOC
What is the 1 sub-regional AOC in Roussillon?
Côtes du Roussillon Villages AOC
It produces red wine only.
What are the 2 grapes grown in Roussillon that are not grown in Languedoc?
Muscat d’Alexandrie & Toubat (both white)
What are the general location for plantings for red and white grapes in Roussillon?
- White grapes on the alluvial plains
- Red grapes on stonier sites at higher elevation
What 3 rivers have a cooling effect on the Roussillon vineyards because they start in the Pyrénées?
- Agly
- Têt
- Tech
What mountains surround Roussillon?
- Corbières to the North
- Pyrenees to the West
- Albères to the South
What is the climate like in Roussillon?
- Mediterranean climate
- Inclement weather blocked and heat trapped by mountains
- Sunny and dry (over 300 days of sunshine)
- Some of highest temperatures in all of mainland France
- Rain is winter-dominant
- Always windy
What are the Spanish grapes used in Roussillon and the different synonyms?
Carignan - Cariñena
Mourvèdre - Mataro/Monastrell
Macabeu - Macabeo
What are the characteristics of the Banyuls AOC?
- Makes fortified, white, rosé, and red (VDN)
- Many of the vines are old
- Most of production is Grenache-based red (most in oxidative styles)
What are the reductive and oxidative labeling words in Roussillon?
Reductive
- Grenat (red)
- Rimage (red)
Oxidative
- Ambre (white oxidized)
- Tuilé (red oxidized)
- Rancio (maderized) (red & white)
- Hors d’age (minimum 5 years aging) (red & white)
What are the 5 VdN AOCs in Roussillon?
- Muscat de Rivesaltes (white only)
- Rivesaltes (white, rosé, and red)
- Maury (white and red)
- Banyuls (white, rosé, and red)
- Banyuls Grand Cru (red only)
What are the 2 ways that VdNs can be aged in Roussillon?
Reductively (without oxygen)
- topping barrels to their fullest
- this delivers fresh fruit forward and dominant VdNs
Oxidatively (with oxygen)
- not topping up barrels, leaving some headspace for air
- use sun exposure to speed up the process
- delivers nutty, toffee wines with some hints of maderization
What are the primary white grapes in VDNs not labeled “Muscat”?
Grenache Blanc
Tourbat
Maccabeu
What grape is primary for red VdNs?
Grenache
What are the characteristics of Roussillon VDNs?
Represent 80% of all French VdNs
Minimum 15% ABV
Minimum 4.5% (45 g/l) RS