the wines of france

The Wines of France

Some of the World’s Best

The Bordeaux Connection

The Soul of the Wine Industry

Classification System• Napoleon III called for

classification before 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris

• Promoted by the Gironde Chamber of Commerce

• Bordeaux Wine Brokers' Union

• Only part of region was classified

The Implications• Set certain Bordeaux wines apart

from others• Set Bordeaux as the premiere

wine production area• Limits potential for up and

coming vineyards• Maintains control by a select few

French Wines Laws

• Classifications– Vin de Table– Vin de Pays– Vin Délimite de Qualité Supérieure– Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée

Vin de Table

• Primarily the southern regions• Produced using safe procedures• No quality standards• 12% of total production

Vin de Pays• Conversion from vin de table

– Higher price and demand for better wines

– Removal of less desirable vines– Regional tasting panel approval– Grown in region from

recommended varieties• Regions, departments, zones like….

– New England, New Hampshire, Seacoast

– Roughly 33% of total

Vin Délimite de Qualité Supérieure

• VDQS wines roughly 3% of total• Produced from slightly higher

yielding vines that AOC• A step toward AOC classification

Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée-

(Controlled Naming of Origin)• Roughly 52% of total• Region, district, village, single

vineyard– Grapes grown within the names area– Grapes approved for that area– Reach a set alcohol level– Meet yield per acre standards– Maintain specific viticulture practices– Tested by taste and chemical analysis

• Also crus designations

Terroir• Soils• Grapes• Selection• History• These four elements combine to

produce the unique character that goes into each wine

Bordeaux in Brief

• Blending– Fermented by lot– Blended to yield best potential wine of

that vintage• Cabernets strong on left bank• Merlots strong on right bank• A typical offerings when one variety

fails• Cabernet Franc grown minimally• Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc

primary whites• Second labels offer great value

Top Players

• Medoc– Margaux– St. Julien– Pauillac– St. Estephe

• Graves– St Emillon– Pessac-Leognan

• Pomerol• Sauterne

Margaux• Margaux• Châteaus in all 5

cru classifications– 1 first growth– 4 second growth– gravel– perfume– feminine– Château Margaux– 75% cab 25%

merlot

St Julien

• St. Julien– 5 second growth– Deep-rooted

vines– perfect– balance of

opulence and austerity

– Château Ducru Beaucaillou

– 75% cab, 20% merlot, 8% cab franc

Pauillac

• Pauillac– 3 First growth– 2 second growth– Classic rich flavor– black current and

cassis– pencil box– Château Lafite

Rothschild• 70% cab, 20%

merlot, 10% cab franc

– Château Mouton-Rothschild

• 76% cab, 13% merlot, 9% cab franc, 2% petit verdot

St Estephe

• St. Estephe– 2 second crus– Very deep rooted

vines– high tannin but

softening of late– longer to soften– Chateau Cos

d’Estournel• 60% cab, 38%

merlot, 2% cab franc

St Emillon

• Gravel and limestone• Higher merlot content

– Drinkable young or cellar• Château Cheval Blanc

– 60% cab franc, 40% merlot

Pessac-Leognan

• Pessac-Leognan– better graves– smokey– minerally reds– Chateau Haut

Brion

Pomerol

• Pomerol– deep clay– creamy &

seductively rich– Chateau Pétrus

• Average vine over 40 yrs.

Sauternes

• Sauternes– Dry or sweet– one vine= one

glass– three pressings– >20 degrees

sugar– 10 years

Alsace & Loire

Alsace- On the border of Germany

• The geography and turns of historical events shape the wines of this region

History• 1870 End of Franco Prussian

War… Alsace becomes German territory

• 1918 End of WWI…Alsace becomes French

• 1945….German again• Always a French flare for wine

making and matching with cuisine

• Increasing move toward dryer wines

Alsacian Wine Region• 70 miles long, avg. 1 mile wide• vines hang on eastern slope of

Vosges• 600-1500 ft. elevation• slow ripening...low heat

summation• influenced by Rhine river• extension of German Pfalz• wines more vinous than German

cousins

Alsace- A Single AOC• Strong German Influence• Typically, label carries grape

variety• Sparkling=Cremant d’Alsace• Blended=Edelzwicker• 10% Pinot Noir• 90% White

– Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot blanc

Alsatian Wine

• Dry yet fruity Muskat• Rieslings dryer than Germany• Gewurtztraminer that’s spicy,

light bodied, & slightly sweet• Pinot blanc in small quantities• Some Tokay

Loire Valley Region

Loire• Grape Varieties

– Chenin Blanc– Muscadet– Cabernet Franc (red)

• Four Regions– Western (Nantes)– Central (Anjou & Saumur)– Upper (Touraine)– Jura & Savoie

• mountainous

Nantes

• ~1635 Burgundians introduced Melon grape

• Survived –20C temps in 1709• Became known as Muscadet• First appellations

– Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine– Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire– Muscadet

• 1972 compulsory tasting instituted to grant or deny use of appellation

Anjou & Saumur

• Vineyards begun in middle ages• Monks played major role• Canalization of tributaries

important for trade• Anjou known for rose wines• Different grapes in each sub

region– Cabernet in Cabernet d’Anjou– Grolleau in Rosé d’Anjou

Anjou & Saumur

• Saumur is known for….– Sparkling wines made from red

(primarily cabernet franc) and white (primarily chenin) grapes

– Campigny made from cabernet franc

– Reds from cab and cabernet franc– Whites primarily from chenin blanc

grape

Touraine

• Most credit to monks in 300’s AD• Numerous sub-areas-

– Chinon= primarily red from cab franc, deep red

– Vouvray solely from chenin grape to produce a dry to semi-sweet wine

– Touraine primarily gamay from reds and sauvignon for whites

Centre

• Evidence to the first century• Major development in 12th

century• Sancerre best known sub-region

– Sancerre grape for white– Some pinot noir for rose

Burgundy

Burgundy in Brief• 100 miles SE of Paris..225 miles

long• 6 major districts• 111,000 acres of AOC wines• 27+ million cases each year• 15% of France’s AOC output• Great Wine….Montrachet• Popular Wine….Beaujolais

Labeling of Wines• Small vineyards• Bottling & distribution primarily

by negociant-eleveur• Self-bottlers = domains or clos

– e.g. Mis en Bouteille au Domaine• Limited quantities, high prices• Best wines carry name of

vineyard

Labeling of Wines• Single vineyard=

Grand Crus• Best communes=

Premiere Crus• Communal level=

Village names• Regional level=

– Bourgogne, Bourgogne Ordinaire, Bourgogne Passe-Tous-Grains

– Grape variety= major distinguishing feature

By the Sub-Regions

• Chablis-4.7%– 7 grand crus, 17

premier crus– Chablis, Petit

Chablis– northern

location, limestone, south facing vineyards

Continuing South• Cote de Nuits-

3.2%– Gevrey

Chambertin, Nuits St. George

– 25 grand crus

Further South• Cote de Beaune-6.9%

– 15 Grand crus– Beaune, Pommard,

Puligny-Montrachet• Cote Chalonnaise-

2.1%– increased plantings

since 1980– primarily pinot noir

and chardonnay– Vlgs- Mercurey,

Montagny

Still further South

• Maconnais-10.9%– white equivalent of

Beaujolais– 68% chardonnay,

25% gamay, 7% pinot noir

– Vlgs- Pouilly-Fuisse, Macon-Villages

Most Southern• Beaujolais-59.2%

– largest area in Burgundy

– 14.8M cases red, 98K cases white

– gamay grape country

– half of the production is consumed domestically

Beaujolais- 35 m. long 5-10 wide

• Haut Beaujolais…including– Crus Beaujolais= 25% of

total– 39 Beaujolais

Village=25%• Bas Beaujolais….

– Beaujolais– Beaujolais Superieur

total of 50%– Beaujolais Nouveau 3rd

Thursday of November each year

The Rhone

From Avignon to Vienne

A Bit About the River• Much of the river is canalized• Agriculture and industry share the

shore• Dozens of medieval cities line its

banks

The Region

• Divided into– Northern Rhone

• Single varietal wines (Syrah)• Temperate climate, fair rainfall

– Southern Rhone• Blended wines• Mediterranean climate

– Côte du Rhone term used throughout– Côte du Rhone Village reserved for

defined area

Northern Rhone• Top appellations:

– Chateau-Grillet– Condrieu, Cornas– Cote-Rotie– Croze-Hermitage– Hermitage– St. Joseph– St.-Peray

Northern Rhone

• Syrah grape predominates• Some viognier• Marsanne and Roussanne for

white Hermitage

Southern Rhone• Top appellations:

– Chateauneuf-du-Pape– Cotes du Rhone– Cotes du Rhone Village

• Grenache grape predominates• Syrah and Mourvedre used for

blending• Clairette, Grenache Blanc,

Bourboulenc are the primary white grapes

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

• A favorite that feel from grace in the 1980’s

• Now staging a comeback• Primarily grenache but blended

with up to 13 other wines• 320 domains produce this wine

today

Vermouth

• Red or White – Originally aged in casks at sea– Now aged in seaside courtyard– Barrels left loosely corked

• Speeds aging

Vermouth

• Herbs and other botanicals blended with wine to impart subtle flavor

• White vermouth as aperitif or mixed in martini

• Red vermouth in Manhattan or on the rocks

Champagne

• We cover Champagne in a separate presentation along with sparkling wines