johanb
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As far as Northern Rhones go, only Cote Rotie allows the addition of up to 20% Viognier (must be co-fermented) although typically the percentage is much less. Also, the viognier vines must be co-planted with the syrah vines in field blends, not grown in separate parcels. This explains the co-fermentation as it would have been impractical to separately pick and vinify the viognier and syrah grapes on the very steep Cote Rotie hillsides.
Other appellations such Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage and St Joseph allow the addition of up to 15% of Marsanne and Rousanne although the practice has essentially disappeared. Cornas has to be 100% syrah by law.
In the Southern Rhone, it is extremely rare to blend or co-ferment any white grapes with the red grapes. Some appellations like Gigondas don't produce any white wines at all and don't allow any white varieties in the blend. Other crus and village wines similarly don't allow any white varieties in the blend. Basic Cotes du Rhone wine producers are technically allowed to blend in white grapes but hardly ever do.
CDP is somewhat of an outlier. CDP was among the very first areas replanted after the phylloxera. (which first appeared in France in Roquemaure across the river from CDP). Nobody knew which varieties would thrive on the new american rootstocks so co-plantation (field blends) was the preferred approach in the 1890s when CDP was replanted. The first five varieties replanted were all red: grenache, mourverdre, counoise, vaccarese, cinsault, syrah. Some of the older historic varieties such as terret noir, picpoul and muscardin which had always been present were also replanted. Even some hybrids such as jacquez were initially planted. White varietals were planted somewhat later. It also turned out some of the initial field blends also included some white varieties which ended being picked and cofermented with the red grapes as it would have been too complicated to ferment them separately. Pretty much nobody coferments any white grapes with the red grapes in CDP anymore except for some occasional leftover field blends in the very oldest vineyards.
When the local producers originally registered the name Chateauneuf du Pape in 1928 to limit counterfeiting, they were not prepared to rip out any vines and essentially allowed whatever had been customarily grown to that date. When the AOC system finally came into existence in 1935, CDP became the first official appellation controlee in France, and except for any hybrids which were banned all over France, no changes were made to the allowed varieties and Chateauneuf got to keep the 13 varieties growing at the time. (Actually 18 counting the white & grey mutations of grenache, clairette and piquepoul). It did not hurt that the founder and first president of the AOC system was also the mayor of CDP and owner of one of its largest estates, Chateau Fortia. To this day, CDP remains the only appellation where there are no minimum requirements as long as it is on the approved list. 100% grenache wines are increasingly common especially for high end cuvees and even 100% mourverdre or syrah wines have been produced. This is not possible for the other Rhone appellations which all stipulate minimum amounts of certain varietals.
< Message edited by johanb -- 9/3/2014 2:13:40 PM >
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lou vin de castou noù douno la voio, emai l'amour, emai la joio
(The wines of Chateauneuf give us singing, love and joy)
Frederic Mistral
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