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The Wines of France Some of the World’s Best
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The Wines Of France

May 08, 2015

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Page 1: The Wines Of France

The Wines of France

Some of the World’s Best

Page 2: The Wines Of France

The Bordeaux Connection

The Soul of the Wine Industry

Page 3: The Wines Of France

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

Page 4: The Wines Of France

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

Page 5: The Wines Of France

French Wines Laws

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

Page 6: The Wines Of France

Vin de Table

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

Page 7: The Wines Of France

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

Page 8: The Wines Of France

Vin Délimite de Qualité Supérieure

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

yielding vines that AOC• A step toward AOC classification

Page 9: The Wines Of France

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

Page 10: The Wines Of France

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

produce the unique character that goes into each wine

Page 11: The Wines Of France

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

Page 12: The Wines Of France

Top Players

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

• Graves– St Emillon– Pessac-Leognan

• Pomerol• Sauterne

Page 13: The Wines Of France

Margaux• Margaux• Châteaus in all 5

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

merlot

Page 14: The Wines Of France

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

Page 15: The Wines Of France

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

Page 16: The Wines Of France

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

Page 17: The Wines Of France

St Emillon

• Gravel and limestone• Higher merlot content

– Drinkable young or cellar• Château Cheval Blanc

– 60% cab franc, 40% merlot

Page 18: The Wines Of France

Pessac-Leognan

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

Brion

Page 19: The Wines Of France

Pomerol

• Pomerol– deep clay– creamy &

seductively rich– Chateau Pétrus

• Average vine over 40 yrs.

Page 20: The Wines Of France

Sauternes

• Sauternes– Dry or sweet– one vine= one

glass– three pressings– >20 degrees

sugar– 10 years

Page 21: The Wines Of France

Alsace & Loire

Page 22: The Wines Of France

Alsace- On the border of Germany

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

Page 23: The Wines Of France

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

Page 24: The Wines Of France

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

Page 25: The Wines Of France

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

Page 26: The Wines Of France

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

Page 27: The Wines Of France

Loire Valley Region

Page 28: The Wines Of France

Loire• Grape Varieties

– Chenin Blanc– Muscadet– Cabernet Franc (red)

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

• mountainous

Page 29: The Wines Of France

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

Page 30: The Wines Of France

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

Page 31: The Wines Of France

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

Page 32: The Wines Of France

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

Page 33: The Wines Of France

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

Page 34: The Wines Of France

Burgundy

Page 35: The Wines Of France

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

Page 36: The Wines Of France

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

Page 37: The Wines Of France

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

Page 38: The Wines Of France

By the Sub-Regions

• Chablis-4.7%– 7 grand crus, 17

premier crus– Chablis, Petit

Chablis– northern

location, limestone, south facing vineyards

Page 39: The Wines Of France

Continuing South• Cote de Nuits-

3.2%– Gevrey

Chambertin, Nuits St. George

– 25 grand crus

Page 40: The Wines Of France

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

Page 41: The Wines Of France

Still further South

• Maconnais-10.9%– white equivalent of

Beaujolais– 68% chardonnay,

25% gamay, 7% pinot noir

– Vlgs- Pouilly-Fuisse, Macon-Villages

Page 42: The Wines Of France

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

Page 43: The Wines Of France

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

Page 44: The Wines Of France

The Rhone

From Avignon to Vienne

Page 45: The Wines Of France

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

shore• Dozens of medieval cities line its

banks

Page 46: The Wines Of France

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

Page 47: The Wines Of France

Northern Rhone• Top appellations:

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

Page 48: The Wines Of France

Northern Rhone

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

white Hermitage

Page 49: The Wines Of France

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

Page 50: The Wines Of France

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

Page 51: The Wines Of France

Vermouth

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

• Speeds aging

Page 52: The Wines Of France

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

Page 53: The Wines Of France

Champagne

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