Title: WSET Level 3 / WSET Level 3 C20 - The Southern Rho

Front: What is the first town north of the Southern Rhone?
Back: Valence

Front: Describe the terrain in the Southern Rhone
Back: Much flatter than that of the Northern Rhone

Front: Describe the soils of many of the best vineyard sites in the Southern Rhône
Back: They have very stony soils
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Name: Describe the soils of many of the best vineyard sites in the

Front: What is the effect of the very stony soils in the Southern Rhone?
Back: They absorb the sun's heat and warm the vineyard, aiding ripening
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Name: What is the effect of the very stony soils in the Southern R

Front: What are the soils in some areas of Chateauneuf-du-Pape like?
Back: The stones/galets completely cover the soil surface
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Name: What are the soils in some areas of Chateauneuf-du-Pape like

Front: Describe the climate of the Southern Rhone
Back: It is mediterranean
Mild winters and warm, dry summers

Front: What are the two major climatic hazards of the Southern Rhone?
Back: Drought
High winds (from the Mistral)
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Name: What are the two major climatic hazards of the Southern Rhon

Front: Why is the Mistral more of a problem in the Southern Rhone than the Northern Rhone?
Back: Winds gain more speed here
There is less shielding from the wind by slopes
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Name: Why is the Mistral more of a problem in the Southern Rhone t

Front: How are the effects of the Mistral protected against in the Southern Rhone?
Back: By building wind-breaks
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Name: How are the effects of the Mistral protected against in the

Front: Describe how Grenache and Syrah respectively are protected from the Mistral
Back: Grenache is trained low
Syrah benefits from the support offered by trellising systems
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Name: Describe how Grenache and Syrah respectively are protected f

Front: What is particularly different about grape content in Southern Rhone wines (particularly relating to the North)
Back: The wines are often complex blends
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Name: What is particularly different about grape content in Southe

Front: How many grape varieties can a Southern Rhone wine be made from?
Back: More than a dozen
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Name: How many grape varieties can a Southern Rhone wine be made f

Front: Which variety is by far the most widely planted in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Grenache
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Name: Which variety is by far the most widely planted in the South

Front: Which variety dominates the wines of the Southern Rhone?
Back: Grenache

Front: Why is Grenache successful in the Southern Rhone?
Back: The warm summers allow it to ripen fully

Front: What flavours does Grenache produce in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Concentrated, spiced red fruit flavours

Front: What can happen to Grenache-based wines in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Their flavours can become baked and jammy
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Name: What can happen to Grenache-based wines in the Southern Rhon

Front: What does Syrah offer to blends in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Extra colour and tannin

Front: Which grape variety of the Southern Rhone can struggle in the hottest sites?
Back: Syrah
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Name: Which grape variety of the Southern Rhone can struggle in th

Front: Which grape is at its northernmost limit in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Mourvedre
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Name: Which grape is at its northernmost limit in the Southern Rho

Front: Describe Mourvèdre in Southern Rhône
Back: Deeply coloured
Very high tannins
Dense, black fruit flavours and gamey/meaty aromas when fully ripe
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Name: Describe Mourvedre in Southern Rhone

Front: Where are Mourvedre's ripe aromas most prized in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
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Name: Where are Mourvedres ripe aromas most prized in the Souther

Front: Name the fourth most important grape in the Southern Rhone and describe its role(s)
Back: Cinsault
It provides red fruit flavours (rather than structure)
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Name: Name the fourth most important grape in the Southern Rhone a

Front: What is the best known role of Cinsault in the Southern Rhone?
Back: As a blending partner to Grenache in the production of fresh, fruity Roses
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Name: What is the best known role of Cinsault in the Southern Rhon

Front: What is notable about winemaking in the Southern Rhone
Back: It is incredibly varied

Front: What is a consistent challenge for winemakers in the Southern Rhone?
Back: They must all find a way of managing potentially high tannins and high alcohol levels to produce a balanced wine
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Name: What is a consistent challenge for winemakers in the Souther

Front: Name some ways in which Southern Rhone producers may battle high tannins and high alcohol levels
Back: Cold pre-fermentation maceration and storage in stainless steel
Warm, extractive fermentations in traditional open fermenters and maturation in large old oak vessels
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Name: Name some ways in which Southern Rhone producers may battle

Front: How will Southern Rhone producers usually make up their blends?
Back: With wines that have been fermented using different techniques
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Name: How will Southern Rhone producers usually make up their blen

Front: What is the role of oak in the Southern Rhone?
Back: New oak is used by some producers
Some producers believe that new oak overwhelms the flavours of Grenache

Front: What is the range of styles within the Southern Rhone?
Back: From light-to-medium bodied fresh, fruity wines with low tannins to highly tannic, full-bodied reds with flavours of spice, meat and/or earth

Front: What are the notable white grape additions to those of the Northern Rhone in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Clairette
Grenache Blanc
Bourboulenc
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Name: What are the notable white grape additions to those of the N

Front: Describe the best whites of the Southern Rhône
Back: Usually richly textured and full-bodied
High alcohol
Low to medium acidity
Subtle fruity aromas
Rarely made with new oak
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Name: Describe the best whites of the Southern Rhone

Front: What is the role of white wine in the Southern Rhone?
Back: Relatively very small

Front: What are the generic appellations of the Southern Rhone?
Back: Cotes du RhoneCotes du Rhone Villages

Front: What fraction of appellation wine production in the Southern Rhone does Cotes du Rhone account for?
Back: More than half
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Name: What fraction of appellation wine production in the Southern

Front: Describe most Cotes du Rhone wines
Back: Medium-bodiedFruity but simple

Front: What colour of wine is Cotes du Rhone made into?
Back: White, red and rose

Front: What kind of rules must a producer adhere to if it is to call its wine 'Cotes du Rhone Villages'?
Back: More stringent minimum alcohol levels and maximum yields must be observed
A greater percentage of the blend must be made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
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Name: What kind of rules must a producer adhere to if it is to cal

Front: What additional rule must a producer adhere to if they are to add a village name to Cotes du Rhône Villages?
Back: 100% of the wine must come from the village on the label
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Name: What additional rule must a producer adhere to if they are t

Front: Give an example of a village-labelled Cotes du Rhone
Back: Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne

Front: What are the best Southern Rhone wines outside of the crus?
Back: Village-named Cotes du Rhone Villages wines

Front: What sets the wine flavour/structure of a village CDR apart from generic CDR?
Back: They have more body, structure and spiced red fruit flavours
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Name: What sets the wine flavour/structure of a village CDR apart

Front: Legally what option do village-named CDRs have?
Back: To apply for cru status

Front: Where is Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
Back: On the east bank of the Rhone

Front: What is the largest of all of the crus in the Rhone valley?
Back: Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Front: What was the first area in France to have Appellation Controlee status?
Back: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
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Name: What was the first area in France to have Appellation contro

Front: What is the general topography of CNdP?
Back: It is notably flat

Front: What has the biggest impact on how Syrah and Mourvedre perform in CNdP?
Back: Small variations in aspect
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Name: What has the biggest impact on how Syrah and Mourvedre perfo

Front: What are the factors accounting for CNdP's diversity in styles?
Back: Appellation size
Wide range of soil types
Wide range of aspects
Large number of grape varieties (13)
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Name: What are the factors accounting for CNdPs diversity in styl

Front: Which grape dominates the wines of CNdP?
Back: Grenache

Front: Some CNdPs are 100%...
Back: Grenache

Front: What do producers hope to bring to a wine by adding Mourvedre?
Back: Its gamey, meaty quality
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Name: What do producers hope to bring to a wine by adding Mourvedr

Front: Describe the best wines of Chateauneuf-du Pape
Back: Full bodied and richly textured
High alcohol
Concentrated spiced red fruit flavours

Front: What are the characteristic problems of lesser-quality CNdPs?
Back: It can be dilute and high in alcohol
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Name: What are the characteristic problems of lesser-quality CNdPs

Front: What colours of CNdP are produced?
Back: Red and some white

Front: How many Southern crus are on the west bank of the Rhone? What are they?
Back: 2Tavel and Lirac
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Name: How many Southern crus are on the west bank of the Rhone? Wh

Front: What are Tavel and Lirac most famous for?
Back: Rosés

Front: Describe the Roses of Lirac and Tavel
Back: Made mainly from Grenache and Cinsault
Full-bodied
Intensely flavoured
Capable of further complexity when bottle-aged

Front: What styles can be made in Tavel and Lirac respectively?
Back: Tavel: Rosé only
Lirac: Rosé, red and white (reds and whites in the style of CNdP)

Front: Where else in the Southern Rhone has been promoted to cru status?
Back: Some other Southern Rhone villages that lie in and around the hills to the east of Chateauneuf
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Name: Where else in the Southern Rhone has been promoted to cru st

Front: What are the two most longstanding crus in Southern Rhone besides CNdP?
Back: Gigondas and Vacqueyras
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Name: What are the two most longstanding crus in Southern Rhone be

Front: Describe the cru wines of Southern Rhone besides CNdP
Back: Red wines
Usually Grenache-led blends
Full-bodied and spicy (similar to CNdP)

Front: What is the quality of the cru wines outside of CNdP?
Back: Many are as good as the better CNdP

Front: What colours are the cru wines of Southern Rhone made into?
Back: Mainly red, but some permit white and rose production

Front: What is the fortified wine of the Southern Rhone called?
Back: Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise