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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