ABC of French Wine

ABC of French Wine: For those confounded by the French

I recently found this interesting article

 by Huon Hooke:

ALSACE is a cold northern region that specialises in aromatic whites, such as riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer and pinot blanc. There, Vendange Tardive denotes a late-harvested and often semi-sweet wine; Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) denotes a sweet, botrytis-affected and often expensive wine. Regular Alsace whites are normally dry or near-dry, but not always.

BURGUNDY seldom has the grape variety on the label, but it is chardonnay if white, pinot noir if red. Frustratingly, the labels often don't say ''Burgundy'' or ''Bourgogne'' either, so you have no choice but to learn how to recognise them. The most famous part is the Cote d'Or, whose wines are benchmarks for chardonnay and pinot noir.

CHABLIS is a light-bodied, racy, usually unwooded white wine, always made from chardonnay. Considered part of Burgundy but actually closer to Champagne.

DRY WHITE Bordeaux and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac are made from semillon and sauvignon blanc, sometimes with a touch of muscadelle. Semillon dominates in sweet wines, sauvignon blanc in dry.

EVERYONE'S favourite dessert wines, Sauternes and Barsac are full-bodied, rich sweet wines from the Bordeaux region made from botrytis-affected grapes. Other less-expensive but similar wines from neighbouring areas are Cadillac, Loupiac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont.

FIVE levels of growths exist in Bordeaux's Medoc region. The levels are intended to be a guide to wine quality. Premier cru (literally, first growth) is the highest quality. Below it are four levels down to fifth growth, with communal appellations next (such as Margaux, Pauillac and St Julien); below these is Medoc, with plain Bordeaux below that.

GRAND CRU is the top of the quality pyramid in Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Alsace and some other regions. Premier cru is the second level in Burgundy, Chablis and Champagne although, confusingly, it sounds like the first.

HAUT-PAYS is inland from Bordeaux in south-west France. The region includes Cahors and Gaillac. Cahors is an underrated, historic region producing heroic full-bodied reds made mostly from malbec, but also tannat. Gaillac is an interesting region with many obscure local cepages (grape varieties), mostly white, including mauzac, len de l'el and ondenc (white) and duras and braucol (red).

INLAND from Bordeaux (not quite as far inland as Haut-Pays) are many satellite appellations such as Bergerac, Montravel, Buzet and Cotes du Marmandais. Bergerac wines are like junior versions of Bordeaux and made from the same cepages.

JURA is east of Burgundy's Cote d'Or near the Swiss border, a small, rather forgotten region that makes idiosyncratic Vin Jaune, which can be heavenly. The most famous of these is Chateau Chalon (an appellation, not a producer). The key grape is savagnin. Chardonnay is also grown and sometimes blended with savagnin.

KRUG If anyone ever draws up a classification of champagne houses, Krug is my candidate for Premier Grand Cru.

LOIRE VALLEY has France's longest river, which supports many wine regions as it winds its way from the Massif Central to the Atlantic. Highest, and coolest, are the sauvignon-blanc regions of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly and Quincy. The central Loire region of Touraine also grows good, inexpensive sauvignon blanc as well as light reds from gamay and pinot noir. Near Tours, Vouvray and Montlouis are pure chenin blanc wines of varying grades of quality and sweetness from sec (dry) to demi-sec to doux (sweet) to moelleux (very sweet and botrytised). Chinon and Bourgueil are light- to medium-bodied reds made from cabernet franc. Towards the lower end, cabernet franc is used in oceans of Anjou rose´. The central Loire is also a huge sparkling wine source. Its Cremant de Loire and Vouvray, Montlouis and Touraine Mousseux are made mostly from chenin blanc and cabernet franc.

MERLOT is Bordeaux's most widely planted grape, though many think of cabernet sauvignon first. Many regions make up Bordeaux; the Medoc and Graves/Pessac-Leognan on the left bank of the Gironde River; St Emilion and Pomerol on the right. Right-bank wines are strong on merlot and cabernet franc; left-bank wines are usually dominated by cabernet sauvignon, with merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot as supporting varieties.

NORTH of Rhone is Beaujolais, a region that produces a light-bodied, early-drinking red made from the gamay grape. In ascending order of quality and price are Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages. Above Villages there are 10 crus (growths) or superior sub-regions, including Morgon, Fleurie, Brouilly and Moulin-a-Vent. Some are very good and the best vintages can also age.

OYSTERS: the best wine to drink with oysters comes from Muscadet, where the Loire Valley nears the ocean. It is bone dry and made from melon de bourgogne grapes.

PROVENCE is famous for its rosé, but also makes red wines including Bandol, which is principally mourvedre. Other appellations of note are Cassis, Palette, Bellet, Cotes de Provence and Coteaux Varois. The cepages are grenache, mourvedre, cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, carignan. A famous cabernet shiraz blend (Domaine de Trevallon) comes from Les Baux-de-Provence.

QUALITY LEVELS in French wines are categorised three ways: Vin de table is basic and non-regional; IGP (indication geographique protegee) indicates a wine from a designated region. It replaced vin de pays in 2009. Above that is AOC (appellation d'origine controlee): the highest quality wines from specific vineyards and localities.

RHONE VALLEY: the valley is in two halves. The north produces reds from syrah; whites from marsanne and roussanne (Hermitage Blanc is the best) and viognier (Condrieu is the most famous). The best syrah wines are Hermitage and Cote Rotie while Cornas and St Joseph can be excellent; Crozes-Hermitage is more variable.

SOUTHERN RHONE: around Avignon the valley is more diverse in its cepages. Basic Cotes du Rhone red can be outstanding value for money. They can use up to 13 varieties, some white, but basically grenache, syrah, mourvedre and cinsault. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the region's megastar. Chateauneuf white, also from a basket of cepages, can be very good. Sub-appellations include Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Tavel and Lirac. The sweet white (lightly fortified, non-botrytis) is Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.

TROUSSEAU and poulsard are quirky local red cepages of the Jura region.

UGNI BLANC is the white grape of the Charente region, which produces watery, bland white wine ... but, when double-distilled in a Charentais pot still, it miraculously turns into the wonderful essence that is cognac.

VALUE FOR MONEY: the Languedoc produces some of France's most inexpensive wines. They come under the IGP of Pays d'Oc. Most wines are varietally labelled: look for chardonnay, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc, grenache and blends. Minervois can be very good and Picpoul de Pinet is a specialty seafood white. Other reds of note include Corbieres, Faugeres, Fitou and Costieres de Nimes.

WEST FRANCE (or, more correctly, south-west France) is where you find two interesting regions: Jurancon and Madiran. Jurancon, beside the town of Pau, makes delicious semi-sweet, non-botrytis whites from gros and petit manseng in the Pyrenees foothills. Madiran is a rugged full-bodied red from tannat with cabernet franc as a secondary grape.

X-FACTOR is what makes France such a great wine nation. Many things contribute, including climates, soils, the people and their culture, the monks and the church's early role. Soil also rates high on the list of factors. France is blessed with an inordinately large share of limestone-based soils, which most grapevines love.

YQUEM There are 11 Premier Cru Sauternes chateaux but only one Premier Grand Cru: Chateau d'Yquem (to give its correct French name). There is no other classification where the top level has only one winery, such is the esteem the world of wine holds for this nectar of the gods.

ZUT ALORS! What else can you say when you've run out of French wine?

1. Winemaker or Winery: The company or firm that made the wine or the wine's trademark name, in the case of a proprietary blend.

2. Vintage: This is the year in which the grapes were harvested, not the year in which the wine was bottled, which for some wines may be years later. Most national wine laws require that at least 85 percent of the wine be harvested in the year of vintage; up to 15 percent may be blended in from other years.

3. Appellation: The region where the grapes for this wine were grown, in this case Chateauneuf du Pape. Labeling by region is not unique to French wine. In most countries, wine-growing regions are defined by a governing body similar to France's AOC. In Italy, it's the "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC)". Most regulations allow up to 15 percent of the wine to be made from grapes grown outside the area.

4. Tells us that it was produced under the AOC regulations for the region of Chateauneuf du Pape.

5. The Alcohol By Volume, or ABV: This is the percentage of alcohol in the wine, and spirits (liquors too) produced in Europe are labeled in this fashion. As a general rule, a higher alcohol content indicates a Superior or Reserve wine, but remember that a higher alchohol content can also give a very "hot" mouth-feel. How to convert to good old American Proof? Just double it. A wine that is 12% ABV, is 24 Proof.

6. The producer's address: "Vigneron" means winegrower.

7. & 8. list two important things: Where the grapes were grown and where the wine was bottled. "Domaine" refers to a specific piece of land, usually in Burgundy. In this case, the Domaine du Banneret. Let's talk about this a moment.

Mis en Bouteille (mee zahn boo-TEH-yuh)

A French phrase meaning "bottled." Mis en Bouteille au Domaine (or Mis au Domaine) means "bottled at the estate"; Mis en Bouteille au Château (or Mis du Château) means "bottled at the château". Mis en Bouteille a la Propriete ("bottled at the property") and Mis par le Propriétaire ("bottled by the proprietor") have the same meaning as estate bottled.

Mis en Bouteille dans nos Caves and Mis en Bouteille dans nos Chais mean "bottled in our cellars", and usually suggest that the grapes were grown elsewhere and that the wine is not the quality of one that is estate bottled. This doesn't mean it isn't good, just that it's not necessarily top-notch.

9. The size of the bottle, in case you couldn't figure that out.

A quick glossary to other terms you are likely to see on a French wine label:

Blanc : white
Brut : dry (usually sparkling wine)
Cave : cellar (often underground) or winemaking establishment
Cave Co-operative : winemaker's co-operative
Cépage : grape variety
Chai : warehouse for storing wine, usually in barrels, above ground
Châteaux estate : It may or may not have a manor house
Clos : walled vineyard (walls might have been lost in time)
Côte : hillside
Coteaux : hillsides
Cru : growth, usually high quality vineyard or district
Cru Classé : classified vineyard, usually in Bordeaux
Cuve : vat or tank
Cuvée : blend (has a special meaning in champagne)
Demi-sec : medium dry
Départment : French political region, a bit like an English county
Domaine : estate
Doux : sweet
Eau-de-vie : spirit, usually referring to the double distilled wines that are the basis of cognac
Grand vin de ____ : "great wine of ____", but just a marketing term
Manipulant : grape grower who also makes wines from those grapes, especially champagne
Mis en bouteille : bottled
Mis en bouteille au château : château bottled
Raisin : grape
Rouge : red
Sec : dry
Supérieur : indicated extra 0.5% or 1% ABV
Vignoble : vineyard
Vin : wine

June 2013 Hippopotamus Restaurant

16 June 2013 Meeting at Museum Art Hotel, Wellington

Quotes from Winemaster Stewart:

" Wine rejoices the heart of man and joy is the mother of all virtues”.- Goethe, 1771

"To make a great wine one needs a madman to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make the wine, and a lover to drink it!" – Salvador Dali

“I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret." - Basil Fawlty, “Fawlty Towers”

           

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
 - W.C.Fields

WINE 1 – on Arrival 

Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva Cava NV - RRP$19.90 
Our Cost $14.90 
( from Glengarry Wines 11.5% Alc/Vol)

Coming from the Penedes region of Spain in the South of the Principality of Catelonia, this is a serious wine made in the traditional cava method.

 

The smoky minerality of the citrus fruit lends an aristocracy that many far more expensive sparkling wines seem unable to conjure up. Slightly floral, deliciously dry, it’s remarkable value.

The varieties are Macabeo (40%), Xarel-lo (30%), and Parellada (30%).

                            

WINE 2 - with Duo de saumon d’Ora King (beetroot cured Ora King salmon with cauliflower panacotta and hibiscus tea syrup Ora King salmon sashimi  - the chef’s signature dish.)

Dom Thibert Macon-Prisse 07 Chardonnay– RRP$41 Our Cost $27 (from Scenic Cellars) 13% Alc/Vol

Made from 100% Chardonnay, this is an incredibly high-quality Macon-Village grown in the heart of the appellation at Fuissé, Southern Burgundy.

Domaine Thibert Chardonnay

 Christophe Thibert is an over-achiever who is quality driven; very low yields, only older vines, green harvesting including final harvesting by hand. This wine exhibits a textbook nose of ripe pears, apples and floral notes backed by a hint of toasty oak. The palate is ripe, supple and done with an elegance usually found only in much more expensive wines. Dry, yet juicy, with a long finish

WINE 3 - with Joue de boeuf a la facon bourguignonne (braised beef cheek bourguignon-style with truffle and parsley mash, baby turnip and braising jus)

Mont-Redon 09 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge – RRP$78.50 Our Cost $44 (from Glengarry) 14.5% Alc/Vol

2009 was an exceptional year in the Rhone Valley according to those who know.  Tanzer, one of the European wine judges gave this wine 92/100 and wrote “Ruby-red. Red and dark berries on the fragrant, exotically perfumed nose. Ripe and broad on entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, displaying juicy raspberry and blackberry flavours that are given depth by a suggestion of candied licorice. Gains energy with air and finishes long with excellent clarity and incisive spice notes”

Mont-Redon is a Southern Rhone producer, situated just north of Avignon, where the soil gives way to the large stones for which the region is famous. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is one of the great wines of France, the name of the village where it is produced having been sufficient to give it its appellation. Unlike most French wines, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from several grape varieties. The owners are Didier Fabre and Jean Abeille and Mont-Redon the winery, has been in their families for four generations.

The owners are Didier Fabre and Jean Abeille. The philosophy is one which places the expression of the estate's extraordinary "terroir" first in wines vinified to exhibit deep, clean, intense fruit, ripe, balanced tannins and approachability without sacrifice of longevity. Chateau Mont-Redon's superb "terroir," constant pursuit of quality and enviable reputation for excellence rank it among the great crus of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Chateau Mont-Redon

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine regioe. It is one of the most renowned appellations of the southern part of the Rhône Valley. Vineyards are located around Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in the neighboring villages Bédarrides, Courthézon and Sorgues between Avignon and Orange and cover around 7,900 acres.More wine is made in this one area of southern Rhône than in the entirety of the northern Rhône region.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape roughly translates to "The Pope's new castle" and, indeed, the history of this appellation is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the town of Avignon. 

Clement V and subsequent "Avignon Popes" were said to be great lovers of Burgundy wines and did much to promote it during the seventy-year duration of the Avignon Papacy. Under John XXII, the wines of this area came to be known as "Vin du Pape", this term later to become Châteauneuf-du-Pape. John XXII is also responsible for erecting the famous castle which stands as a symbol for the appellation.

In the 18th century, the wines were shipped under the name vin d'Avignon. Records from the early 19th century mention wines of the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape-Calcernier which seems to have been a lighter-style wine than the Châteauneuf-du-Pape of today. They seem to have increased in reputation within France until phylloxera hit in the early 1870s, which was earlier than most other French wine regions were affected.Prior to World War I the bulk of Châteauneuf-du-Pape was sold to Burgundy as vin de médecine to be added to Burgundy wine to boost the strength and alcohol levels.

In the early 20th century, Châteauneuf-du-Pape was plagued by wine fraud; various rules for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, drawn up and promulgated in 1923, were the first Appellation Contrôlée rules in France, and provided the prototype for subsequent AOC rules. The original AOC rules allowed 10 varieties, and were amended to 13 in 1936, and 18 in 2009. Baron Pierre le Roy of Château Fortia was the principal architect of these regulations, which set the minimum alcohol level of the wines and set limits on yields as well as which types of grapes could be grown in which area. Another one of the Baron's requirements was that no vineyards could be planted on land that wasn't arid enough to support plantings of both lavender and thyme. 

The producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape have historically been known to be fiercely protective of their vineyard properties which is said to have led to the 1954 passing of a municipal decree in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that banned the overhead flying, landing or taking off of flying saucers in the commune. As of 2007, this law has yet to be repealed.

Climate and geography

The area covers 3200 hectares of land with at least three distinct types of soil or terroirs. In the north and north-east the famous galets roulés, round rocks or pebbles covering the clay soil. The rocks are famous for retaining the heat from the plentiful sun, some 2800 hours a year, releasing it at night, ripening the grapes faster than in the eastern part of the appellation, where the soil is mostly sand, as well as to the south where the soil is more gritty. The powerful mistral wind carries away the moisture, intensifying the dry climate.

Terroir

The characteristic terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from a layer of stones called galets ("pebbles"). The rocks are typically quartzite and remnants of Alpine glaciers that have been smoothed over millennia by the Rhône River. The stone retains heat during the day and releases it at night which can have an effect of hastening the ripening of grapes. The stones can also serve as a protective layer to help retain moisture in the soil during the dry summer months.

Grape varieties

Red varieties allowed are Cinsaut, Counoise, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Piquepoul noir, Syrah, Terret noir, and Vaccarèse (Brun Argenté). White and pink varieties are Bourboulenc, Clairette blanche, Clairette rose, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Picardan, Piquepoul blanc, Piquepoul gris, and Roussanne.(The varieties not specifically mentioned before 2009 are Clairette rose, Grenache gris and Piquepoul gris.)

There are no restrictions as to the proportion of grape varieties to be used, and unlike for many other appellations, the allowed grape varieties are not differentiated into principal varieties and accessory varieties.Thus, it is theoretically possible to produce varietal Châteauneuf-du-Pape from any of the eighteen allowed varieties. In reality, most Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are blends dominated by Grenache.

Only one of every 16 bottles produced in the region is white wine.

It is common to grow the vines as gobelets (bushvine), and this is the only vine training system allowed for the first four red varieties. Yields are restricted to two tons per acre.

Red wines
In most red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Grenache noir is the most common variety, although some producers use a higher proportion of Mourvèdre. Grenache produces a sweet juice that can have almost a jam-like consistency when very ripe. Syrah is typically blended to provide color and spice, while Mourvèdre can add elegance and structure to the wine.Some estates produce varietal (100%) Grenache noir, while a few producers insist on using at least a token amount of all thirteen permitted varieties in their blend. The only estate to grow all thirteen varieties and use them consistently in a blend is Château de Beaucastel.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wines are often described as earthy with gamy flavors that have hints of tar and leather. The wines are considered tough and tannic in their youth but maintain their rich spiciness as they age.The wines often exhibit aromas of dried herbs common in Provence under the name of garrigue. Châteauneuf-du-Pape dominated by Mourvèdre tend to be higher in tannin and requiring longer cellaring before being approachable.

WINE 4 -  with Joue de boeuf a la facon bourguignonne (braised beef cheek bourguignon-style with truffle and parsley mash, baby turnip and braising jus

Tyrrells Vat 9 09  Hunter Shiraz –RRP$82. Our Cost $51.50 (from Advintage) 13% Alc/Vol

Winner of 5 trophies and 2 Gold Medals, Robert Parker gives this 97/100.
The winery writes: "Bright purple in colour, the wine has a fresh nose of berries and violets with a subtle oak lift. The palate is medium weight with the immediate fruit sweetness being the core of the palate structure. The oak fills out the mid palate which is extended with a fine, clean acid structure. A creamy, soft textured wine which is a great example of modern Hunter shiraz."

Established in 1858 by English immigrant Edward Tyrrell, Tyrrell’s Wines is one of Australia’s pre-eminent family owned wine companies with vineyards extending from their historic home in the Hunter Valley to the Limestone Coast (SA) and Heathcote (VIC). 

          

Bruce Tyrrell

WINE 5 

Mini tarte Tatin (mini apple tart Tatin with toffee and calvados sauce and vanilla ice cream

Fromm 2010 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer – RRP$27 for 375ml. Our Cost $24 (from vineyard) 12.5% Alc/Vol

Ripe 100% Gewürztraminer characteristics dominate the aromas of this wine with classic rose petal, lychee, ginger and elderflower. 

Being botrytis free allows the wine to show great purity of its fruit and style. It is dense, concentrated and rich with ample acid to cut the residual sweetness. Classic florals,Turkish delight and spice linger on a very clean, intense finish. A particularly refreshing dessert wine.