Alsace, Jura, And Savoie (Advanced Sommelier Exam)

Front 1

Year Alsace achieved AOP status

Back 1

1962
Note - This makes it the last major French winemaking region to do so. It is also France's smallest winemaking region

Front 2

Departments of Alsace
(which one is more closely associated with quality wines?)

Back 2

Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin (more associated with quality; home to over 2/3 of Alsace's Grand Cru vineyards)

Front 3

Which mountain range separates Alsace from the rest of France, and what role does it play in the region's climate?

Back 3

The Vosges Mountains create a "rain shadow" effect making Alsace one of France's sunniest and driest climates

Front 4

Colmar

Back 4

Capital of Alsace
Driest city in France

Front 5

Climate of Alsace

Back 5

Semi-continental

Front 6

Soil Types - Alsace (General)

Back 6

- Granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, and "gres de Vosges," a local pink sandstone
- Soil types play a crucial role in determining the appropriate grape variety

Front 7

Soil Types - Alsace (Steeper Mountain Slopes)

Back 7

Schist, granite, volcanic sediment

Front 8

Soil Types -Alsace (Lower Slopes)

Back 8

Limestone base

Front 9

Soil Types - Alsace (Mountain base)

Back 9

Richer alluvial clay and gravel soils

Front 10

Four Noble Grapes of Alsace

Back 10

Riesling (last to ripen), Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat (Blanc a Petit Grains, Rose a Petit Grains, or Ottonel)

Front 11

Ageability of Alsatian Wines

Back 11

Due to their pronounced minerality and acidity, Alsatian wines have an extraordinary ability to age

Front 12

Grapes allowed in Alsace AOP

Back 12

- Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir
- Wines must contain 100% of the labelled grape (with the exception of Auxerrois)

Front 13

Nuances of Auxerrois

Back 13

-Similar but not synonymous to Pinot Blanc
- May be labelled "Pinot Blanc"

Front 14

White wines labelled "Pinot" may contain ________

Back 14

Any proportion of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or Auxerrois

Front 15

Alsace's Most Planted Grape

Back 15

Riesling

Front 16

Edelzwicker

Back 16

- "noble mixture" though it typically refers an inexpensive blended wine
- does not have to be vintage-dated nor does it even legally have to include more than one grape
- no indication of blended grapes or percentages is legally required

Front 17

Gentil

Back 17

- a superior designation for blends
- requires minimum of 50% of noble grapes
- base wines MUST be vinified separately

Front 18

Number of Grand Cru Vineyards in Alsace

Back 18

51 (Kaefferkopf was most recently added in 2006)

Front 19

Smallest Grand Cru in Alsace

Back 19

Kanzlerberg (3 ha)

Front 20

Largest Grand Cru Vineyard in Alsace

Back 20

Schlossberg (80 ha)

Front 21

Requirements for Grand Cru Alsace AOP wines

Back 21

- must be made from 100% single-varietal (with 3 exceptions)
- must be hand-harvested
- generally, minimum sugar levels are higher, and yields are more restricted
- though some vineyards mandate higher minimums, the min. ABV for Riesling and Muscat is 11%; for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, it is 12.5%

Front 22

Notable producers to omit Grand Cru designations from their labels

Back 22

- Trimbach (Clos Ste. Hune is NOT labelled as Rosacker)
- Hugel

Front 23

Exceptions to Noble Grape Mandate in Grand Cru Alsace AOP

Back 23

- Altenberg de Bergheim (can contain Pinot Gris)
- Kaefferkopf (can be made from Pinot Gris)
- Zotzenberg (can be made from Sylvaner)
- none of these vineyards can produce single-varietal Muscat

Front 24

Vendages Tardives (VT)

Back 24

- must contain a single noble varietal and pass a blind tasting panel
- MAY show botrytis quality, but emphasizes varietal characteristic
- quality VT wines originate from the vine in a state of PASSILERAGE
- must be hand-harvested
- min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 235 g/L for Riesling and Muscat; 257 g/L for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris

Front 25

Selections de Grains Nobles (SGN)

Back 25

- must contain a single noble varietal and pass a blind tasting panel
- suppresses varietal characteristic in favor of botrytis
- always "dessert-like"
- generally picked in TRIES
- must be hand-harvested
- min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 276 g/L for Muscat and Riesling; 306 g/L for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer (some of the highest must weights in France)

Front 26

Only red grape allowed in Alsace AOP wines

Back 26

Pinot Noir

Front 27

Only Alsatian AOP to allow Chardonnay

Back 27

Cremant d'Alsace AOP

Front 28

Grapes Allowed in Cremant d'Alsace AOP

Back 28

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc (workhorse), Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois (roses may only be made with Pinot Noir)

Front 29

Cotes de Toul AOP

Back 29

- In Lorraine
- Whites made from Auxerrois and Aubin
- Light reds made from Pinot Noir
- Roses made in "vin gris" style from Pinot Noir and Gamay

Front 30

Moselle AOP

Back 30

- In Lorraine
- Produces reds, whites, and roses from Auxerrois and Pinot Noir

Front 31

Jura (Geography)

Back 31

- South of Alsace
- Shares a small part of its Eastern border with Switzerland
- The forested Jura mountains provide a geological detachment that allows certain traditional wine styles and grapes to persist

Front 32

Jura (Climate)

Back 32

Continental, turning harshly cold in the wintertime

Front 33

Jura (Soil Types)

Back 33

Vineyards on the lower slopes rest upon Jurassic limestone and marl with a substantial amount of clay at the lowest sites

Front 34

Cotes du Jura AOP

Back 34

- Reds from Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir
- Whites typically from 100% Chardonnay (aka Gamay Blanc) though Savagnin (aka Nature or Traminer) can be used for blending
- Roses can be made from any or all five grapes and are made in the "vin gris" style
- Vin de paille (straw wine) can be made from any or all but Pinot Noir
- Vin Jaune (yellow wine) is only made from Savagnin

Front 35

Arbois AOP

Back 35

- Home of Louis Pasteur
- Covers 12 communes and produces all styles of Jura wines
- One commune, Pupillin, may append its name to Arbois

Front 36

L'Etoile AOP

Back 36

- Appellations for WHITES ONLY
- Named for a local fossil shaped like a five-point star
- Wines may contain Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin, and are generally made in an OXIDATIVE style

Front 37

Chateau Chalon AOP

Back 37

- Specializes in Vin Jaune produced exclusively from Savagnin (aka Nature) grown on local limestone and marl
- The wine is deliberately oxidized and aged for decades
- After fermentation, the wine is kept in barrel until 12/15 of the sixth year following harvest
- "Voile" forms (similar to "flor" of Sherry), though vin jaune is not fortified like Sherry
- Wines are aldehydic with a nutty almost curried flavor on a delicate DRY palate
- Wines must be bottled in a CLAVELIN
- 1980 and 1984 were poor vintages and were declassified

Front 38

Vin de Paille

Back 38

- "Straw wine" that can be labelled Arbois, L'Etoile, or Cotes du Jura
- Ripe, but not botrytised grapes are left to dry for a minimum of six weeks after harvest on straw mats (though often hung or boxed)
- Grapes must surpass a minimum must weight of 320 g/L
- EVERY element of the wine is concentrated --> High acidity balances high RS and high ABV (min. 14%)
- After fermentation, wines must be aged for 3 years before release, including a mandatory 18mos in neutral wood barrels

Front 39

Cremant de Jura AOP

Back 39

- Methode traditionelle sparkling wines
- Designation established in 1995

Front 40

Macvin du Jura AOP

Back 40

- Vin de Liqueur
- Marc is added to unfermented grape must --> sweet, unfermented, but alcoholic grape juice (think RATAFIA)
- May be white, red, or rose
- MUST be aged in oak for one year after MUTAGE

Front 41

Vin de Savoie AOP

Back 41

- Mostly comprised of white grapes
- Whites from Jacquere (most planted), Altesse, Roussanne (Bergeron), and Chardonnay (latter 3 produce higher quality wines
- Reds and Roses from Gamay, Mondeuse, and Pinot Noir
- Chignin-Bergeron (100% Roussanne wines), Marignan, Ripaille, and Crepy (latter three mandate min. of 80% Chasselas)

Front 42

Roussette de Savoie AOP

Back 42

- "Roussette" is also known as Altesse and is the only grape allowed in the appellation's wines (Chardonnay no longer allowed for blending)
- Four communes may attach their names: Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod, and Monthoux

Front 43

Seyssel AOP

Back 43

- North of Lake Bourget
- Dry and off-dry still wines as well as mousseux wines
- Still wines must be 100% Altesse
- Sparkling wines require only 10% Altesse and may blend in Molette and Chasselas

Front 44

Bugey AOP

Back 44

- West of Lake Bourget
- Produces still whites, reds, and roses in addition to sparkling rose Bugey-Cerdon

Front 45

Roussette de Bugey AOP

Back 45

- 100% Altesse (like Roussette de Savoie AOP)
- Montagnieu and Virieu le Grand may add their names to the appellation

Front 46

Only Alsatian Grand Crus to allow Pinot Gris

Back 46

Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf

Front 47

Only Alsatian Grand Cru to allow Sylvaner

Back 47

Zotzenberg (as it is a historical site fro Sylvaner)