Archive for soils

A Product of Your Environment

{ November 4, 2009 @ 8:29 pm } · { Grapes and Styles, soils }
{ Tags: , , , } · { Comments (1) }

Hi Francesco,
I have a project that I have to submit for my class, and I’d like your opinion on one of the questions: Why is a Pinot Noir from Australia so different in style from a Burgundy Pinot Noir? I know the basic reasons for this (mostly due to the difficult/delicate nature of growing the grape itself), but would like to know what you think.

Thanks,
Joe

Thank you Joe for the question, Its been a while since Ive did one of these.  Pinot is a difficult grape to grow perfectly.  It is prone to extreme weathers, has thin skin which makes the berries vulnerable to all sorts of diseases, and it also has problems in the cellar during fermentation and these are just a few.

But these types of situations exist no matter where  Pinot is grown, be it Burgundy or Australia.  The main difference here is the terroir.  Grapes are products of their environment, just like you and I.  The soil, sun, rain, air circulation,  and exposure all help to determine their character, including the wine maker.  When one or more of these factors are changed the product is different, hence you have differences between Burgundian Pinot Noir,Australian, New Zealand, and American etc.

Lets talk a little specifically about the terroirs of Burgundy and Australia.

The risk of growing Pinot in Burgundy is very high compared to other places, but the reward is worth it.   The climate is continental and usually experiences cold winters which can damage or even kill young vines.  Burgundy  is northerly enough that the grapes just make it to full ripeness and there is constantly a threat of hail and under ripe fruit.  The long and cool growing season allows the berries to produce all of those complexities and nuances that we all love;  patience is a virtue.  In some years, there is too much rain and too much cold which can hurt production and quality.  Pinot does not live and easy life, but this why some say the best wines in world come from Burgundy.  Check this post out about Bad Soil, Good Grapes to get a better idea.

Pinot_noir_-_Bourgogne_(Santenay)

Burgundian Pinot Noir

The soil is extremely varied in Burgundy.  There is limestone, marl, sand and gravel that exist through out the region and within single vineyards.  Pinot tends to be planted on soils richer and marl and Chardonnay planted on limestone.  These soils provide drainage and warmth which help the grapes to ripen.  The bottom line is that these conditions allow the Pinot Noir grape to flourish and produce their best wines.  The wines are aromatically complex and elegant.  The color is light ruby and the flavors are more earth driven than fruit forward.  The wine delicately caresses your mouth with a good intensity backed by a symphony of nuances.

Pinor_Noir_vines,_Clos_de_Bèze,_Burgundy

Here's a look at another vineyard in Burgundy. The trees in the background are important in blocking strong and cold winds that can damge teh vines. you can also get a good look at the soil in this one.

Now let’s take a look at Australia.  The problem with Australia is that the climate is way too hot in most places. Yarra Valley and Geelong have particularly cooler climates and this is where the better Pinots are being produced.  Most Pinots from Australia are over extracted and fruit bomby due to the heat.  The grapes are picked in an over ripe state resulting in jammy fruitiness with a high alcohol content that takes away from the elegant nature of the grape.  The use of oak is sometimes overdone as well.

There are poor examples of each in both regions.  Some Australian Pinot is better than some Burgundian Pinot.  The producer and vintage are vitally important, especially for Pinot.  Where conditions prevail for the grape, the better the resulting wine. When buying, look for regions that have a known reputation for producing quality grapes.

Bad Soil, Good Grapes

{ September 25, 2009 @ 6:39 pm } · { soils }
{ Comments (2) }

Ironically, grape vines used for the production of quality wine must be planted on infertile  soils in order to generate good grapes.  This concept may seem contradictory at first, but as you will see shortly, it makes perfect sense.

THE most important factor in making great wine is the quality of fruit and the only way to get quality fruit is to choose the perfect vineyard site for the grapes that you want to grow.  Climate, position, and soil, (otherwise known as terroir)   are the three factors in choosing this site.  Each one of these is important on their own merit, but we will talk about  “soil”  for now.

The vineyards of the Rhone Valley

The vineyards of the Rhone Valley

When say I say poor soil I mean poor soil.  Sometimes, like in the Rhone Valley, there is not even an ounce of dirt in sight, just rocks.  Who would think that soils made up of rocks can produce such fantastic grapes?  Rocky soils provide excellent drainage for the vines as well as capturing heat during the day to warm the vines at night.  The physical components of the soil  like those that regulate water supply  are of the utmost importance in determining a wines quality, not the chemical nutritive elements that most may think.   This is whole other beast which I will not get into here, but I will soon.

Grapevines for wine are planted on soils that are usually not fertile enough to sustain other agricultural crops.   Grapevines  need to be stressed to produce quality fruit. The poor soil encourages the roots to dig deeper for water and other nutrients.  When this happens the roots begin to ramify and the surface area of the roots that eventually comes into contact with the soil increases.  In turn, more nutrients are delivered to the precious clusters of berries.  Also, more roots equal better regulation of water supple which is very important during the veraison.

The fertile and rich  soils that are used to grow commercial crops would spoil the grapes.  Here’s the definition of spoil, “: to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise. (as in spoiling a child)”  When grapes are spoiled the quality of the resulting fruit is inevitably inferior.  In other words, fertile soils make it too easy for vines to produce grapes.  When this happens, the quality of fruit is sacrificed for quantity.    It’s like a child never having to work a day their life.  The harder and entity has to work for something the greater it will be rewarded in the end.

These are just a couple of basic concepts of vine cultivation.  These concepts are not universal but provide a good background in understanding how some of this stuff works and the varying factors that go into producing the delicious beverage we call wine.

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