What is the climate of the Northern Rhone?
Moderate and continental - similar to that of Beaujolais
- Mistral (sites on lateral valleys to the Rhone protected from this)
- temperatures notably cooler than the southern Rhone
Which black varieties are allowed in the Northern Rhone?
Only Syrah.
Is the Northern Rhone warm enough for Syrah?
Only just. Is at its northerly limit. Consequently prime sites are the south-facing steeper hillsides.
Describe red wines of Northern Rhone.
Deeply coloured
- medium to high levels of tannin
- black fruit aromas
- sometimes black pepper or floral aromas
- some markedly oaked, others not
Talk about fermenting Syrah with white varieties.
A tradition that is now rarely seen.
- addition of white grapes helps stabilise the colour extraction from the red grapes
- can add aromatic intensity, Viognier in particular
Talk about Viognier in Northern Rhone.
- full-bodie white wines with aromas of blossom and apricots and other stone fruits
- low acidity and high alcohol (because signature aromas do not develop until late in season when the grapes are very ripe with high sugar)
- have to be carefully handled in winery so that oily character does not overwhelm
- new oak increasingly used but must be careful not to overwhelm
- small number of wines made in off-dry style from late harvested grapes
What are the three white varieties of Northern Rhone>
Viognier
Marsanne
Roussanne
Talk about Marsanne and Roussanne in Northern Rhone.
Usually blended together.
- Marsanne has richness and weight
- Roussanne brings acidity and perfume
Neither have the aromatic intensity of Viognier BUT can age well and develop complex hazel nut characteristics
List the regions of Northern Rhone from north to south.
Côte Rotie Condrieu Grillet Saint-Joseph Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Cornas
Talk about Côte Rotie.
The most northerly appellation
- around town of Ampuis
- translates as ‘roasted slope’
- only red produced
- a little Viognier blended in sometimes (actually 20% allowed)
- deeply coloured, full-bodied and the best have an aromatic, floral freshness elegance that distinguishes them from Hermitage
Talk about Condrieu.
Only white. Solely Viognier.
- area under vine has increased in recent years; best comes from the old low-yielding vines on steep terraces
- vineyard area shrank to 12 hectares by 1960s but now over 164 hectares due to international demand for Condrieu
- best if sheltered from cool north wind at flowering time
- best vineyards have a powdery, mica-rich topsoil known locally as arzelle
- ‘one of the very few luxury-priced whites which should be drunk young’
What is ‘arzelle’?
The local name for the powdery, mica-rich topsoil which is a feature of the vest vineyards in Condrieu.
Talk about Château-Grillet.
Appellation and enclave within Condrieu.
- 3.8 hectares
- now belongs to François Pinault who owns Château Latour in Paullac
- ages better in bottle than most Condrieu
Talk about Saint-Joseph.
‘The temptation to stretch a good name to breaking point long ago overtook St-Joseph’ [Johnson/Robinson Atlas]
- entirely west bank
- 40 miles in length
- 6 communes originally but since 1969 allowed to expand into 26
- now more than ten times the acreage
- original 6 communes are
Glun
Mauves
Tournon
St-Jean-de-Muzols
Lemps
Vion
Best wines have a flavour intensity and structure comparable to Hermitage
- a lot of production is of lighter wines, from flatter, fertile sites of valley floor, often use some carbonic maceration
- these wines among the lightest bodied of the northern Rhône, expressing pepper-perfumed aspects of the Syrah grape
Talk about Hermitage.
- on east bank of the river
- 136 hectares
- lieux-dits (or climats), not part of appellation system
- dominated by four producers:
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave;
Chapoutier;
Jaboulet;
Delas.
Talk about Crozes-Hermitage.
‘Like most great wines, Hermitage has its shadow’ [Johnson/Robinson Atlas]
Crozes is the village round the back of the hill.
- 1,500 hectares of vineyard
- numerous small producers
- 20% of vineyards send their grapes to the Cave de Tain Hermitage co-op
- Two basic styles: youthful blackcurranty fruit for early drinking; more serious stuff, at its best able to mimic grandeur of Hermitage, and can keep for 10 years.
- some white is produced
Talk about Cornas.
Can only be made from Syrah (unlike other appellations).
- by the far the warmest area of Northern Rhone
- deeply coloured, full-bodied and in a style similar to Hermitage
What is the climate of the Southern Rhone?
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm dry summers.
- drought can be a problem
- in open plains there is less protection from the Mistral
- wind breaks are planted to counteract this
- Grenache bush trained low to the ground to offer protection from the wind and benefit from warmth of the soil
- Syrah benefits from trellising systems which give it wind protection
How many varieties in the Southern Rhone?
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault plus another ten or so.
- often complex blends
Talk about Mourvèdre in Northern Rhone.
Along with Syrah plays a supporting role to Grenache.
- at northern limit of where it will ripen and thrives. (In more northerly parts of SR Cinsault takes its role)
- deeply coloured and high in tannins
- dense black fruit flavours, developing meaty gamey ones
- important element in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Talk about Cinsault in Northern Rhone.
Can play supporting role in red wine blends, bringing red fruit flavours rather than tannin or colour.
But best known as blending partner to Grenache in fresh, fruity rosés.
Talk about white wine in Southern Rhone.
Not too much of it.
As in north Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are used but also
Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc.
Nothing made that is comparable to the Northern Rhone’s Condrieu or Viognier.
Best Southern Rhone whites are full-bodied, high alcohol with low to medium acidity and subtle fruit flavours. New oak rarely used.
Outline the appellations system in Southern Rhone.
Three tiers: regional, village appellations and crus.
Côtes du Rhone accounts for more than half production in Southern Rhone - most of it red. Medium bodied fruity, simple wines. Rosés (7% of production) and white (4%) also made.
Côtes du Rhone-Villages. 95 communes (all in Southern Rhone) have right to call their produce this , and 17 can append their own name. Rules relating to min alcohol levels and limits to yields have to be observed, and greater % of blend must be Grenache, Syrah and Mourverdre. For the 17 all grapes must come from the village.
Talk about Châteauneuf-du-Pape
On east bank of Rhone
- largest cru in Rhone Valley
- first place ever to have appellation contrôlée status
- notably flat
- wide range of soil types
- 13 varieties allowed
- Grenache dominates
- some wines 100% Grenache
- high alcohol
- some wines have the body and intensity to balance the alcohol others do not
- small quantity of white made
