Wset Intermediate Level 2 Varietals

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Chardonnay - Climate & Flavor Characteristics Cool, Moderate, Hot:

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Cool: Chablis flavors of green fruit (apple and pear) with citrus and vegetable notes (cucumber)
Moderate: Burgundy and some New World flavors of white stone (peach) with citrus and melon.
Hot: Most New World, California Central Valley flavors of tropical fruit (peach, banana, pineapple, mango and fig).

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Chardonnay:
High in:
Low in:
Body:
Aging
Malolactic fermentation

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High in: Body, acid,
Low in: Tannins
Body: Full
Aging - Steel or oak barrel
Malolactic fermentation – Soften harsh acids, buttery/creamy

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Chardonnay Blending partners:

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Australia - Semillion, Pinot Noir for champagne, Chenin-Blanc and Colombard (South Africa/Australia), Viognier

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Chardonnay Regions:

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France Bourgogne, North America, South America, South Africa, Chili, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand.

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Chardonnay Classic

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Cote d’Or – heart of Burgundy, moderate climate, ideal conditions, from Southern half known as the Cote de Beaune and sold under the name of the village.
Meursault & Puligny-Montrachet –Complexity and body added by fermenting in small oak barrels and ageing in contact with yeast left over from fermsentation. Full bodied, citrus, white stone, tropical fruit, oak, spice and savory.
Maconnai – Southern Region for White Burgundy. Source for large volumes. Light, fruity, melon and citrus. Little or no oak sold as Macon.
Pouilly-Fuisse full bodied tropical fruit, pineapple, melon and oak

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Pinot Noir Characteristics

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Thin skinned, light in color, black grape

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Pinot Noir Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Cool: Vegetal, high acid, low tannins
Moderate: Red fruit, medium/high acid, low/medium tannins
Hot: Vegetal, animal, mushroom, gamey

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Pinot Noir
High in:
Low in:
Aging

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High in: red fruit flavors,
Low in: Color, tannins
Aging: Oak

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Pinot Noir Blending partners:

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Chardonnay for Champagne and Sparkling.
Red Burgundies = Gamay & Pinot Noir

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Pinot Noir Regions:

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Burgundy - Bourgone AC medium bodied balance of red fruit and savory, light tannins and medium to high acidity.
Grevrey-Chabertin, Nutis-Saint-Georges, Beaune and Pommard more intensity, complexity and length.
Australia – Martinbourough, Central Otago
New Zealand – Marlborough
North America – Oregon, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Carneros
South America – Chili – Casa Blanca, San Antonio
South Africa - Coastal

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Pinot Noir Classic Regions:

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Burgundy – Bourgone AC.
Grevrey-Chabertin, Nutis-Saint-Georges, Beaune and Pommard

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Additional Notes

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Premier Cru, Grand Cru Le Chambertin most powerful, long lived and complex.
Label – Bourgongne AC = 100% Pinot Noir
Can not ripen in hot climates

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Cabernet Sauvignon Characteristics:

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Deeply colored, tannic, acidity and strong aromas, black fruit

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Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Moderate: Black Fruit, high acid, high tannin
Hot black fruit, medium acid, high tannin
Other flavors blackcurrant, black cherry, herbaceous bell pepper, mint and cedar.

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Cabernet Sauvignon
High in:
Aging

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High in: Color, tannin, acidity, body, depth, intensity
Aging - oak

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Cabernet Blending partners:

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Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec, Carmenere

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Cabernet Regions:

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Australia Coonawarra, Margaret River
New Zealand Hawke’s Bay
California Napa Valley
Chile Central Valley
Argentina Mendoza
South Africa Stellenbosch
Bordeaux – Left Bank West and south of Gironde and Garronean – Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Paulliac, Margauz, Graves, Pessac-Leognan

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Additional Notes:

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Ages well, can not ripen in cool climates
Best varieties come from Cru Classe

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Merlot Grape Characteristics

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less aromatic, less intense, lighter tannins and acidity. Black fruit. More body and high alcohol

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Merlot Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Moderate – Black fruit, high acid, high tannin
Hot – Black fruit, medium acid, high tannin
Other flavors – Oak, bell pepper, cedar

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Merlot Blending Partners

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Cabernet to provide softness, add aroma, color and tannin, Malbec, Carmenere

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Merlot Regions

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Australia Margaret River
New Zealand Hawke’s Bay
California Napa Valley
Chile Central Valley
Argentina Mendoza
South Africa Stellenbosch
Bordeaux – Right Bank north and east of Gironde and Dordogne – Saint-Emilion & Pomerol.

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Sauvignon Blanc Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Cool – Pungent herbaceous, green fruit, high acid, dry Bordeaux body
Moderate – less pungent, stone fruit, medium high acid, dry
Other flavors– green fruit, elderflower, mineral, asparagus

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Sauvignon Blanc
High in:

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body, dry, acid

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Sauvignon Blanc Regions

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Bordeaux Cru Classe = Pessac-Leognan AC, Graves AC
Australia
Marlborough New Zealand – new classic region
California – Napa Valley labeled Fume Blanc and may be oaked, less body, higher acidity.
Chile – Casablanca and San Antonio
South Africa – two styles:
Pungent and fruit driven, less intense and complex
Oak and less pungent

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Sauvignon Blanc Blending Partners

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Semillon can add sustainability and complexity

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Additional Notes

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Do not benefit from age

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Riesling
Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Cool – Green, Citrus fruit, high acid, dry, medium or sweet. Harvested when ripe.
Moderate – Citrus, stone fruit, high acid, dry.
Other flavors– Smoke, honey, tropical fruit, mineral, botrytis

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Riesling
High in:

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Aromas, acid

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Riesling Blending Partners

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Rarely blended but could with other sweet wines

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Riesling Regions and styles

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Germany – Range of styles Basic:
Qualtiatswein – light bodied, fruity, refreshing, medium sweetness but can include dry.
Kabinett – light bodied, high acidity, green fruit notes (apple, grape). Medium sweetness, light alcohol.
Spatlese - (late harvest) more body, citrus and exotic fruit (lemon, pineapple)
Auslese - more body, exotic fruit (pineapple, mango), highest to be dry wines.
Beerenauslese & Trockenbeerenauslese – sweet made from Noble Rot.
Eiswein – sweet made from frozen grapes
Mosel – lightest bodied, medium sweetness, high acidity.
Rheingau – smaller region. Dryer in style, medium bodied
Pfalz – large southern region close to Alsace. Dry, medium bodied.

France – Alsace – dry med bodied, grn, citrus, stone fruit. Also fuller bodied, late harvest with intense flavors and hint of sweet.
Austria – med-full bodied, citrus, stone fruit, med-high acidity.
Australia – dry med bodied, high acidity, citrus
New Zealand – dry, high acidity, intense green fruit, citrus flavors.

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Additional Notes

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Different ripeness levels emphasis different aspects. Suitable for late harvesting due to high acidity. Late harvest can be sweet, dry or medium. Susceptible to Noble Rot making it ideal for sweet wines. High acidity helps age in bottle

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Syrah Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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France and Australia
small, thick dark colored skins. Med-high tannins, full bodied, black fruit, dark chocolate.
Cool – will not ripen
Moderate – herbaceous, mint/eucalypts, smoked meat, spice black pepper
Hot – sweet spice licorice, cloves

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Syrah High in

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tannins, color, body

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Syrah Blending partners

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Grenache to Syrah more alcohol, low tannin and acidity. Viognier, Cabernet

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Syrah Regions

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Northern Rhone – classic for Syrah. Grown steep terraces
Cote Rotie & Hermitage – complex, ageworty, rare and expensive
Croze Hermitage larger app, flatter, less intense and complex
Australia full bodied, soft tannins, less acidity than Northern Rhone. Intense black fruit due to heat. Oaked.
Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley

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Grenache Climate & Flavor Characteristics:

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Spain
Thin skins, high sugar, low acidity, full bodied, red fruit (strawberry, raspberry), spice (white pepper, licorice, clove)
Cool – will not ripen
Moderate – will not ripen
Hot – needs hot climate to ripen.
Southern Rhone

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Grenache
High in
Low in

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High in: sugar
Low in: acidity

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Grenache Blending Partners

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Syrah to Grenach color, tannin and acidity. Mourvedre, Cinsault, Tempranillo, used in rosé wines

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Grenache Regions

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Southern Rhone – classic for Grenach. no steep slopes, covering stony planes
Spain - most widely planted varietal. Deep colored, powerful, full bodied wines - Priorat where usually blended.
Rioja and Navarro can stand alone or ben be blended with Tempranillo