Getting to Know Grolleau

You have  probably already met Grolleau, but you just don’t know it yet.

The Grolleau grape variety—more precisely known as Grolleau Noir, to differentiate it from its siblings/color mutations Grolleau Blanc and Grolleau Gris—is the third most widely planted red grape variety in France’s Loire Valley (after Cabernet Franc and Gamay). It has most likely made its way into your glass via a snappy rosé or creamy sparkling wine (either white or rosé) produced somewhere around Anjou, Saumur, or Touraine.

Grolleau—believed to one of the many descendants of Gouais Blanc—was first recognized as “Grolleau de Cinq-Mars” (in reference to the Central Loire Valley town of Cinq-Mars-le-Pile) in the early 1800s. It is also known to have been cultivated in the Charente Department of Southwest France around this same time, but it is assumed to be native to the Loire. The name may derive from the Old French grolle—meaning black crow—referencing the dark skin of the grapes.

Image via: http://www.palmbay.com

Grolleau is appreciated for its reliable high yield, but this rampant fertility can pose a challenge. If left unchecked, the plant can produce huge crops of uninspiring grapes somewhat lacking in flavor and tannin—despite the lovely dark-skinned appearance of the grapes. Due to this tendency—coupled with the variety’s susceptibility to certain vine diseases—plantings of Grolleau have been declining over the last fifty years. In the 1950s, there were over 28,000 acres/11,000 ha of Grolleau planted in the Loire Valley; as of the last decade, there are just over 5,800 acres/2,350 ha (although the decline seems to have stabilized).

Nevertheless, Grolleau is widely used in the sparkling wines of the Loire Valley and persists as one of the leading grapes of region’s rosé. It is often the majority grape in the much beloved and slightly sweet wines of the Rosé d’Anjou AOC. Alas…this could be because Rosé d’Anjou is one of the few AOC wines of the region—and even the country—that allows for its use.

Grolleau-based wines tend to be high in acid, moderate in alcohol, and may show aromas/flavors of red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry),  watermelon, citrus (lemon, tangerine), rose petals, and (some say) red candy.

image via http://www.wilsondaniels.com

Despite its dark reddish-black hue, the grape’s thin skins mean that Grolleau is rarely used to produce red wines. If you find one, it is likely to be labeled under an IGP—such as the Vin de Pays du Val de Loire— or a Vin de France designation. It might also be produced via carbonic maceration. (Fun fact: Grolleau is only allowed to be used in the red wines of ONE single AOC—the Anjou AOC—and even here it is limited to no more than 10% of the total blend.)

In the world of wine, one can always find the exception to the rule—and despite its penchant for bubbles and rosé, there are some serious red wines produced with Grolleau. Domaine Clau de Nel—located in Anjou—cultivates two hectares (about five acres) of 60-to-90-year-old Grolleau vines trained in gnarly, gobelet style and farmed biodynamically (Demeter Certification and all). The grapes are hand harvested, sorted in the field, and fermented with native yeasts. The resulting wine is placed in used French oak barrels and aged for at least 12 months in “ancient troglodyte cellars cut into the limestone hillside on the property.” The wine is then bottled—unfined and unfiltered. Jancis Robinson described this wine as having a “mid garnet color, a certain wildness on the nose” and as “possibly the most serious Grolleau I have ever tasted.”

Loire Valley AOCs that allow for Grolleau include the following:

• Anjou AOC (allowed in sparkling wines; red wines may include a max. 10% Grolleau)
• Coteaux du Loir AOC (allowed in rosé only, limited to a max of 30%)
• Crémant de Loire AOC (no limits, but this is a bubbly-only appellation)
• Rosé d’Anjou AOC (Grolleau is typically the majority grape, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Gamay, and Pineau d’Aunis/Chenin Noir are allowed as well)
• Touraine AOC (allowed in sparkling wines and rosé only)
• Saumur AOC (allowed in sparkling wines and rosé only)

References/for more information:

• Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding, and José Vouillamoz: Wine Grapes. New York, 2012: Harper Collins Publishers
• Robinson, Jancis, and Julia Harding: The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford, 2015: The Oxford University Press.
• Grolleau in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
• Loire Valley Wines – Discover our varietals and appellations
• https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-739-grolleau-noir
• Wilson Daniels | Grolleau, Vin de Pays du Val de Loire — 2018

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

The Toughest Wine Theory Question in the World? (les Notres Dames)

Notre-Dame de Paris (2015)

I think I may just have stumbled upon one of the toughest wine theory questions in the world. Here goes: Name all the French wines that have a “Notre Dame” sub-appellation.

How many did you get? If asked this question yesterday, I am quite sure I would have only come up with one: Bourgogne-La Chapelle Notre-Dame AOC.

However, for some reason I became intrigued with the name, and after some research I discovered two more (and I may have missed some; if so, let me know in the comments below).

So, with a tip of the hat to the great cathedrals, chapels, and universities of the world that take the name of Our Lady, here are the three wines of Notre Dame. 

Photo via: https://www.dubreuil-fontaine.com/

Bourgogne-La Chapelle Notre-Dame AOC: The Burgundy Region is known for its web-like system of overlapping, scattered, and nested appellations. Critics call this system confusing; proponents prefer to call it complex…like the wines.

Even at its most basic, generic level of geographical indication—the area-wide Bourgogne AOC—the region is complex. Theoretically, a Bourgogne AOC wine may contain grapes grown anywhere within the region—and this includes Chablis, the Côte d’Or, the Côte Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais, and Beaujolais. Allowed in red, white, and rosé, Bourgogne AOC wines may be produced as still (non-sparkling) wines based on Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, or Pinot Noir, with other grapes—Pinot Gris, Gamay, and César—allowed in limited amounts, but only if grown in certain places.

In addition, the Bourgogne AOC has no less than 14 geographically defined subzones, many of which carry their own specific standards (as to yield, density, and minimum must weights, for example). The most interesting of the 14 subzones, for our question du jour, is Bourgogne–La Chapelle Notre-Dame AOC.

The tiny (5 acre/2 ha) La Chapelle Notre-Dame subzone is located in the commune of Ladoix-Serrigny (near the northern edge of the Côte de Beaune). The region sits at the bottom of the hill of Corton, just below the vines of the Corton Grand Cru (and overlapping the single-vineyard Ladoix Premier Cru (there’s that mash-up again). The vineyard overlooks the town of Ladoix-Serrigny and takes its name from the nearby Chapelle Notre Dame du Chemin. 

Puy Notre-Dame: photo by AnnyB via Wikimedia Commons

Saumur-Puy Notre-Dame AOC: The Saumur AOC—covering a sizable area in the central Loire Valley—is approved for a range of wine types and styles, including Chenin Blanc-based whites and Cabernet Franc-based reds. However, a significant amount of the appellation’s production (and lots of the attention) is focused on the region’s high-quality, traditional-method sparkling wines—Saumur Mousseux. The area is also home to some renowned red wines, such as the Cabernet-Franc based wines of the Saumur-Champigny AOC (tucked into the northwest corner of the larger Saumur AOC, just south of the Loire River).

The Puy Notre-Dame sub-appellation covers most of the larger region, save for the area designated as the Saumur-Champigny AOC and a few other outposts. The Saumur-Puy Notre-Dame AOC is named for the commune of Puy Notre-Dame (sometimes referred to as Le Puy; and built around the hill of Puy. The Saumur-Puy Notre-Dame AOC is approved for Cabernet France-based red wines only, and has stricter standards (as for yield, viticultural practices, and aging) than those for the red wines produced under the larger Saumur AOC.

The village church of Puy Notre Dame purportedly houses a wristband once worn by the Virgin Mary and has served as a way station for pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Francés.

Photo of Sanctuaire Notre-Dame des Anges by Christian Pinatel de Salvator, via Wikimedia Commons

Côtes de Provence-Notre-Dame des Anges AOC: The Côtes de Provence AOC is ground zero for Provençal rosé. Although red and white wines are approved for production, nearly 90% of production is rosé.

Rosé made in the Côtes de Provence AOC must contain at least two grape varieties—typically Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and/or Tibouren. 

Covering close to 50,000 acres/20,000 ha—and encompassing almost the entire eastern half of the region—the Côtes de Provence AOC is the largest appellation in Provence. The terrain is understandably varied, ranging from the rolling hills in the north, limestone ridges, low coastal mountains, and the coastal plain. In 2019, an area located somewhat in the center of the Var Département—known as Notre-Dame des Anges—was approved as the fifth sub-appellation of the Côtes de Provence AOC.

The Côtes de Provence-Notre-Dame des Anges AOC surrounds the Massif des Maures—a low mountain range that cuts (west to east) across the center of the Var department. The AOC is named for the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame des Anges—a catholic church and pilgrimage site at the top of one of the Massif’s highest peaks.

Bonus Points—French cider also has a Notre-Dame connection: Within the Pays d’Auge AOC—centered around the Calvados department and approved to produce dry-to-off-dry, frizzante apple cider—there are 22 sub-appellations. Two of these—Notre-Dame-deLivaye and Notre-Dame-d’Estrées—are communes named for Our Lady. 

References/for more information:

• Vins de Provence: https://www.vinsdeprovence.com/en
• Cider/Pays d’Auge: https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/13070
• Loire Valley Wines: http://loirevalleywine.com/
• Bourgogne-La Chapelle-Notre-Dame

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

One Small Step for the EU, a Giant Leap for German Wine?

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All good wine students know that Germany famously has 13 Anbaugebiete (quality wine regions); each of which can produce Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein.  In theory, these are wines of the highest quality—with multiple layers of regulation and protection—classified in the EU as wines with a protected designation of origin (PDO). The 13 Anbaugebiete are all permitted to produce a wide range of wines, and each region’s product specification contains a long list of allowed grape varieties, wine styles, and wine-making techniques.

Well, good wine students of the world, hold on—because things are changing. Germany now has five PDOs defining small, specific areas within the larger Anbaugebiete. In addition, their rules dictate a list of approved grape varieties, limits on yield, and required/allowed/disallowed methods of production—just like a French-style AOC or an Italian DOCG. Welcome to the world, German PDOs.

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Here are some details concerning Germany’s new region-grape-and-style-specific PDOs:

Monzinger Niederberg (Nahe): This vineyard was registered as a PDO by the EU on December 13, 2018. Monzinger Niederberg PDO is approved for the Riesling grape only; specifically for wines with “fine apple and citrus fruit notes in their aroma and a distinct minerality.” The region specializes in dry wine (defined as having less than 25 g/L residual sugar/less than 18 g/L if total tartaric acid is below 7.2 g/L), but sweet wines are produced as well. PDO regulations specify that the wines must be produced using taste-neutral containers, but allows for the use of oak containers if the oak character in the finished wine is “discreet” or not discernible. The use of small, new oak barrels is specifically prohibited.

Bürgstädter Berg (Franken): Bürgstädter Berg PDO was registered by the EU on May 17, 2017. It allows for the production of white wine, rosé/weissherbst, red wine, and sparkling wine. The wines may be produced in a range of styles, including the “traditional but very rarely produced sweet wines—Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein.” The Bürgstadter Berg PDO is located on a predominantly south-facing slope alongside the River Main. According to the documentation, the area within the Bürgstädter Berg PDO differs from the surrounding region by way of its variegated sandstone soils that contain “lower soil cohesion and the lower pH value than is usual in Franconian soils.” The preferred grape varieties for white wines are Riesling and Silvaner; other allowed grape varieties include Zweigelt, Frühburgunder, Weissburgunder, Silvaner, Spätburgunder, Müller Thurgau, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Map of the Uhlen Roth Lay, Uhlen Laubach, and Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay PDOs via https://www.ble.de/DE

The following three PDOs—Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay, Uhlen Laubach, and Ulen Roth Lay—are all part of the larger Winninger Uhlen vineyard. Located in the Lower Mosel—just 5 miles/8 km from where the Mosel meets the Rhine—they are positioned next to each other (intertwined in some spots), on a series of south-facing terraces along the Mosel River. All three of these PDOs were registered on December 13, 2108:

Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay (Mosel): This region is approved for white wines, both still and sparkling. Riesling is the only grape variety permitted. The wines are described as having fruity notes (ripe autumn apples) as well as notes of violets and licorice—but it is the “slate minerals” and “cool metallic” aromas that the wine is best known for.  Some wine making practices (including the use of potassium sorbate, de-alcoholization, concentration via centrifuge or osmosis, sweetening with grape must, and the use of oak chips) are specifically prohibited.

Uhlen Laubach (Mosel): This PDO is approved for the same styles of wine (Riesling only, still and sparkling) as its neighbors. It also shares the same list of prohibited wine making practices. However, in addition to fruity aromas and the character of clean slate, the wines of the Uhlen Laubach PDO are described as smelling of “cool smoke and hazelnuts,” and as “generally fuller, softer, and with great depth of flavor.”

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Uhlen Roth Lay (Mosel): Like its neighbors, the Uhlen Roth Lay PDO is approved for Riesling only, which may be still or sparkling. The wines of the area are known to demonstrate fruity and aromas and notes of minerality. The region is unique for its sparse rainfall and climate, which features slightly higher temperatures than the surrounding areas.

Wait, there’s one more: A sixth appellation—Würzburger Stein-Berg, located in Franken—is at the “publication” stage of the EU approval process. The Würzburger Stein-Berg PDO application was accepted earlier this year and published in the Journal of the EU on April 17, 2020; it still needs that final step of EU registration. Update: the Würzburger Stein-Berg PDO was approved on November 24, 2020. 

Pictures or it didn’t happen: If you are finding all this a bit hard to believe, I feel you. As proof-positive, you can read the documentation—straight from the Official Journal of the EU—in the reference section below.

References/for more information:

• Burgstadter Berg PDO-CED
• Monzinger Niederberg PDO-CED
• Uhlen Blaufuesser Lay PDO-CED
• Uhlen Laubach-PDO-CED
• Uhlen Roth-Lay-PDO-CED
• Wurzburger Stein-Berg PDO-Proposal
• http://www.moselfinewines.com/winninger-uhlen-sectors-recognized-as-gu.php

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

The Bubbly Professor’s Second Annual “I don’t Wanna Study on Christmas Eve” Wine Quiz

Study tonight? Who, me?

I know you probably don’t want to study today, tonight, or tomorrow…but you also don’t want to lose your study rhythm! How about a nice compromise….the Bubbly Professor’s second annual “I don’t wanna study on Christmas Eve” quiz!

If you want to go for it, click here.

Happy Holidays to those that are celebrating, and best wishes to all!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

Click here if you want to try last year’s “I don’t wanna study on Christmas” quiz.

Peculiarities of Perception

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Time flies when you’re having fun (or better put: time flies when you’re having rum).

A watched pot never boils.

A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

It seems—at least from the platitudes we often use—that we all understand that perception is relative. Time does seem to fly by when you’re having fun, but every  second spent while stuck in traffic drags by endlessly.

This vagary of perception is equally easy to understand when applied to taste. For instance, I love coffee, but when served black it’s too bitter for me. Once I add a shot of milk, I don’t notice the bitterness as much (and I drink at least three cups every morning). I also like Earl Grey tea, but only if there is a spoonful of sugar and a squeeze of lemon involved, making it taste less tannic and (in my opinion) richer and smoother.

Wine enthusiasts experience these peculiarities of perception with just about every taste – despite the fact that we don’t always know or recognize it. First-time sippers of Sauternes often have an immediate reaction to the sweetness of the wine (some even recoil from it). However, Sauternes is typically quite acidic in addition to its more obvious sweetness. We just don’t notice it (unless we are truly focused on finding it), as our perception of the acidity is masked by the sweetness – especially on the attack (the first few seconds of the tasting experience).

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Sweetness (residual sugar) in a wine really does a number on our overall perception of that same wine, and can be credited with the following peculiarities on the palate:

• Suppresses the perception of acidity
• Suppresses the perception of bitterness
• May suppress the perception of astringency (tactile dryness)
• May enhance the perception of viscosity

And then there are those factors that cause a quirk in our ability to perceive true sweetness (residual sugar) in a wine:

• Acidity, tannin, and/or bitterness may suppress the perception of sweetness
• High(ish) levels of alcohol enhance the perception of sweetness
• Bubbles in sparkling wine tend to suppress the perception of sweetness
• Aromas of oak and/or vanilla mimic sweetness
• Oak-derived lactones: mimic sweetness
• Fruity aromas tend to mimic sweetness
• Cold temperatures suppress the perception of sweetness
• Glycerol (glycerin) has a sweet taste (but is not sugar)

Most of this only really matters if you are trying to analyze a wine (as in a blind tasting or when writing a tasting note), or when you are trying to develop your palate and improve your wine tasting ability. If this happens to be one of your idiosyncrasies, perhaps you’d like to check out the attached chart (see below) that lists the peculiarities of the perception of sweetness in wine, as well as some for bitterness, tannin, and acidity.

I hope it makes the time fly!

Check out the chart here: The Peculiarities of Wine Perception – the Bubbly Professor

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net