Here's information from Decanter Magazine, which I turned into flashcards from the issues of September 2010 through March 2011. These flashcards are specific to material I'm missing or need to know better. In the cases when I read through the issues, if I knew I already made a flashcard for what could be a possible test question on the Master Sommelier Diploma Exam, I didn't go to the trouble to chronicle that below. In other words, this record is specific to my pursuit, which may or may not help your studying endeavors. Having said that, I have created so many cards now, I'm sure when I integrate these new cards into the stack, I'll find I've accidentally made duplicates. I hope this information is useful to anyone furthering their education in wine.

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine September 2010

Castilla y Leon DOs – Year established and size from page 77
Ribera del Duero / 1982 / 20,173ha
Rueda / 1980 / 10,173ha
Toro / 1987 / 5868ha
Bierzo / 1989 / 4300ha [my note: mos def "Green" Spain, but not Rías Baixas]
León / 2005 / 2500ha
Tierras del Vino de Zamora / 2007 / 791ha
Arribes / 2007 / 743ha
Arlanza / 2007 / 450ha

There is a useful map of Castilla y Leon

Villages of Sancerre from page 85
Bannay / Bué / Chavignol / Crézancy-en-Sancerre / Menetou-Ratel / Ménétréol-sous-Loire / Montigny / St-Satur / Ste-Gemme / Sancerre / Sury-en-Vaux / Thauvenay / Veaugues / Verdigny / Vinon

There is another useful map of these Villages' locations

I didn't make any Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine October 2010 as this is the World Wine Awards issue.

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine November 2010

Villages of Priorat (aka Vilas or Villas or Pueblas) from page 49.
Vila de Bellmunt
Vila de Escaladei
Vila de Gratallops
Vila de El Lloar
Vila de Morera de Montsant
Vila de Poboleda
Vila de Porrera
Vila de Torroja
Vila de la Vilella Alta
Vila de la Vilella Baixa
Masos de Falset
Solanes de el Molar

Unofficial Subregions of Ribera del Duero from page 50
Soria
Burgos
Valladolid

Average altitude of Ribera del Duero from page 53
between 800 to 850 meters

What is a pièce? From page 66
a 216 litre barrel in Burgundy, used for Hospice de Beuane wine

How long has wine been auctioned at the Hospice de Beuane? From page 66
Since 1859, but as an organization and its importance, helping the sick and poor, since 1450

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine December 2010

Location of Jacquesson's Single Vineyard Vintage Champagnes from page 62
Avize Grand Cru and Dizy 1er Cru

Harvest Date from Etna reds and the elevation of vineyards from page 76
The harvest can extend into November & the elevation is between 450m to 1200m

The owner of Etna's Passopisciaro from page 78
Andrea Franchetti, who also owns Tenute di Trinoro in Tuscany

The owner of Terre Nere from page 78
Marc de Grazie

Why is it called Pinotage? When was it created? When was the first commercial bottling and by whom? From page 83
Because Cinsault was called Hermitage; therefore Pinot Noir x Hermitage = Pinotage in 1925 when it was created. The first bottling was in 1959 by Lanzerac in Stellenbosch. [Please read this correction from Peter F May, the author of PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine, "First commercial bottling was released in 1961  by SFW - Stellenbosch Farmers Winery - and it was the 1959 vintage. Lanzerac was a brand name they used for that wine. The wine was grown and made by P K Morkel owner of Bellevue estate which sold  finished wine to SFW for maturation/bottling (in those days most wine was sold via SFW or KWV). Bellevue now sells wine under their own name or the family name 'Morkel' since Bellevue is trademarked in several countries by other companies. The original vineyard that produced the 1959 vintage is still there and producing." Thank you for this information!]

The Soil of Bas-Armagnac from page 88
Boulbènes – sand / silt mix with a hi iron content from nearby Pyrenees, creates a delicate style

Soil of Ténarèze from page 88
Chalky-clay plus some Boulbènes, creates a richer, rounder style

Soil of Haut-Armagnac from page 88
Chalky

What is the grape Baco? From page 88
Created in 1898 by François Baco; it's a crossing of Folle Blanche and the hybrid "Noah" and is the only hybrid permitted in an AOP

The traditional still used in Armagnac production from page 90
Armagnacais Alambic still, allowing for a single continuous distillation in contrast to a batch by batch double distillation, commonly used in Cognac

Which producers use the double distillation method in Armagnac? From page 90
Janneau
Samalens
Delord

What is Armagnac Blanche? From page 90
A mixable, cocktail-friendly, white spirit, introduced in 2005, aged for around three months in oak

Pinot Noir to Chardonnay planted in Chassagne-Montrachet's Premier Crus from page 97
116ha is Chardonnay, making 5933hl of 1er Cru annually, compared to 34ha of Pinot Noir [my note: what would John Roenigk say about that, I wonder?]

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine January 2012 [there is a new look and feel to the Magazine, which I like]

Notes on Krug's Clos du Mesnil from page 4
1.85ha planted and is South-facing, Chardonnay, 1st Release was the 1979 Vintage, 12,000 bottles produced in excellent years, recent vintages are 1998, 1996, 1995, 1992, 1990.

Côtes du Rhône-Villages- number of communes, hectares and location of the named villages from page75
90 communes, just of 10,000ha, 17 named villages are all located in Drômes, Vaucluse and Gard Departments, but none are located in the Ardeche Department.

History of Côtes du Rhône-Villages Rochegude and Laudun from page 75
viticulture dates back to Roman times here

Largest of the Côtes du Rhône-Villages for production from page 75
Cairanne

There is a useful map of the Côtes du Rhône-Villages

Cellar Master in Jerez (Sherry)
Capataz

What is Manzanilla Pasada? From page 83
Aged Manzanilla, has more depth and complexity, tending toward Amontillado in style

"en rama" in Jerez from page 83
Straight from the barrel, a Sherry style

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine February 2011

In Clos Vougeot, historically speaking, what is Cuvée du Papes, Cuvée du Roi and Cuvée des Moines? From page 39
The top of the clos, bordering Grand-Echèzeaux is the best land, pebbly, oolithic limestone, the Cistercian Monks made the best wine, Cuvée du Papes. Next in quality is Cuvée du Roi, made from the land halfway down the slope, a mix of limestone and clay. The final level in quality from the Monks was Cuvée des Moines, made from the lower alluvial soils. During the French Revolution in 1789, Clos Vougeot was requisitioned by the state and sold off.

Winds affecting Limoux AOP from page 57
The Northwesterly Tramontane and the Sers

Altitude of the vineyards of Limoux page 57
200m to 500m, Limoux is South of Carcassonne in Aude Valley

When was Sparking Wine made in Limoux and by whom? From page 58
1531 by the Benedictine Monks

Where else is Mauzac found? From page 58
Gaillac AOP in Southwest France

Typical abv and residual sugar of Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale
7% abv and 80-90 grams of residual sugar

The quality control checks [criteria] for the New Cru Bourgeois Reconnaissance system from page 81
Wines will be judged two years after harvest at the point of bottling for its quality, the quality of the estate, and the quality of its facilities. The winery itself will be check every five years and once it has been approved, the chateau can submit its wines for the annual blind tasting.

Master Sommelier Flashcards from Decanter Magazine March 2011

When was Romanée-Conti identified? Which Grand Crus does it abut? When was it replanted completely? How many cases per year does it produce? From page 4
1512; Richebourg, Romanée-St-Vivant, La Romanée are its neighbors; completely replanted in 1947; 400 cases per year.

There is some useful Bordeaux First Growth information on page 27- Chateaux owners, size, production price ranking, etc.

What is the Tramontane Wind called in Northeastern Spain? From page 50
Tramuntana

What's another way to say "forest floor" as a Tasting descriptor? From page 33
"sous-bois"

Murray Tyrrell's 1st Chardonnay Vintage from page 73
1973 from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales; he is credited with putting Chardonnay on the map in Australia

What is a "Split Vintage" in Port? From page 82
When a Shipper declares for one year and another opts for the next year in Vintage Port

Over the last 100 years, how many generally declared vintages and how many splits and name the splits? From page 82
28 generally declared and 4 split vintages: 1934 / 1935, 1947 / 1948, 1982 / 1983, 1991 / 1992

Anthony Garcia
http://www.wineisdivine.com
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