2 Champagne Flashcards
Where is the Champagne located?
north-east France
Which Comité is looking for the concerns of the Champagne?
Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) known as: Comité Champagne
Describe the style of Champagne
mostly white, fully sparkling, non vintage, medium intensity aromas/flavours from apple and lemon and biscuit autolysis notes with high acidity and medium alcohol. Made from the main grape varieties Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay
Name the different styles of Champagne
Sparkling:
- Non-vintage
- Vintage
- Rosé
- Blanc de Blanc
- Blanc de Noir
- Grand Cru
- Premier Cru
- Prestige Cuvée
- Late release, recently disgorged wines
Non Sparkling:
- AOC Rosé des Riceys in the Côte des Bar (Pinot Noir Rosé)
- AOC Coteaux Champagnois (red, white or rosé). Mainly a light-bodied, high acidity, pale ruby Pinot Noir
Describe the historical style of Champagne
pink and still with a slight fizz
Which development enabled higher pressure in the Champagne?
thicker bottles with the glass production in coal-fired ovens in England
Which developments where be done form Dom Pierre Pérignon?
- producing the first white wine from black grapes
- investing the Coquard press
- blending wines (assemblage) to make a superior wine from grapes grown in different areas of the region
- re-introducing the cork stopper into France
- Pioneer to use the stronger English glass
Which development was done in the nineteenth century?
- controlled second fermentation by using a measured amount of added sugar and yeast
- riddling (remuage) using pupitres (Madam (Veuve “widow”) Clicquot
- dipping the neck of the bottle in a ice-cold bath of salty water (rapid production of clear wine on a large scale)
- creation of a dry style of Champagne
When was the vineyard area defined
in 1927
What is the “échelle des crus” system?
- ladder of growth
- rating system to determinate grape prices
What for the échelle des crus system was also used?
for defining the grand cru and premier cru villages
What is the “blocage” system?
- reserve wine system
- initially a portion of young wine was set aside as an insurance policy against future disasters
- it becomes a system of blending wines to reduce vintage variations and a rise of the quality of non-vintage wines
Where is the Champagne located?
- north-west of France
- south of the 50th parallel
- east of Paris
How big is the region of Champagne?
- 150km from north to south
- 120km from east to west
Name the sub-regions of the Champagne
- Montagne de Reims
- Vallée de la Marne
- Côte des Blancs
- Côte de Sézanne (south of the Côte des Blanc)
- Côte des Bar (100km south of Epernay, closer to Chablis)
Describe the climate of the Champagne
- cool continental
- some oceanic influence
- 700mm rain per year, spread throughout the year
- too cold for still wines, but ideal for sparkling wines (average temperature 11°C)
- warmer climate in the last 30 years
- harvest dates move forwards 18 days by average
- acidity has dropped
- potential alcohol has risen by 0,7%
Describe the soil types in Champagne
- chalk
- chalky soils with limestone subsoil
Describe the benefits of the chalky soil
- highly porous and therefore water storable
- beneficial for high-quality Chardonnay
Name the grape varieties allowed in Champagne
- Pinot Noir (red) (38%)
- Meunier (red) (32%)
- Chardonnay (white) (30%)
- Pinot Blanc (white) (less than 1%)
- Arbanne (white) (less than 1%)
- Petit Meslier (white) (less than 1%)
- Fromenteau (Pinot Gris) (white) (less than 1%)
How many hectares has the Champagne?
35.000 hectares
Name the maximum allowed inter-row space
1,5m
Name the maximum allowed intra-row space
0,9-1,5m
Name the maximum allowed total space
- combination of inter-row and intra-row space
- never more than 2,5m
What is the planting density in the vineyard?
8.000 vines per hectare
Why can grapes for sparkling wines be grown at high yield?
- tannin ripening is not necessary
- flavours and colour must not be concentrated
Since when is the training, pruning and trellising regulated?
Since 1938
Name the different training systems
- Taille Chablis
- Cordon du Royat
- Guyot
- Vallée da la Marne
Name hazards, pests and diseases
- occasional sever winter frost -> kill vines or parts of the vine
- spring frost -> destroying new buds and reduce yield
- disruption to flowering and fruit setdue to cold and rainy weather in June -> reduce yield, production of ripe and unripe grapes together
- violent storms and hail in summer -> damage grapes and vines
- hot and humid weather in summer (especially after heavy rainfall) -> botrytis
Name sustainable viticulture approaches
- one of the first regions
- reduce of pesticides due to sexual confusion techniques
- soil protection methods (e.g. management of groundwater use of cover crops)
- water management in the winery
- recycling of waste and by-products
- lighter weight bottles (60g lighter)
Which are the harvest rules specified by the Comité Champagne
- start date (individual start dates can be applied to the INAO e.g. by derogation due to botrytis
- max. yield
- min. alcohol by volume
- hand picking
- whole bunch pressing
Why is the max. yield regulated?
- to protect the quality of the wine
- protect the price of the wine
Name different winemaking rules specified by the Comité Champagne
- second fermentation made by traditional method (historic name: méthode champenoise)
- whole bunch pressing
- splitting press juice in two fractions
- max. yield of 79hl/ha (can be raised to 98hl/ha)
- surplus yield can be used for reserve if agreed by the Comité Champagne
How much grapes are one marc?
4.000kg
Name the two fractions of juice of one marc and the amount
- cuvée: the first 2.050l (free run juice and first press juice)
- taille: second press juice of 500l
What is the reason for limiting the pressing yield?
it avoids over-extraction of phenolics and maintain fruit flavours
Describe the style and the usage of the cuvée juice
- rich in acids
- produces wines with greater fitness and long aging potential
Describe the style and the usage of the taille juice
- lower acidity
- richer in coloring pigments and phenolics
- blending partner for wines with more expression but less aging potential
In which wines the taille is the bigger blending part?
in non-vintage wines
When is chaptalisation permitted?
to reach the min. alcohol level of 11% abv.
What is the max. allowed alcohol level?
max. 13% abv. (EU wine law)
What is the most common fermenting vessel?
temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks
Why do some producers use large oak vessel?
to introduce more texture and mouth feeling
Why is MLC often done?
to soften the acidity (especially in cool years)
What is the aim of blending?
create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts
What can be blended together?
different:
- vineyards
- grape varieties
- vintages
Why is blending an important part at non-vintage wines?
to achieve a constant style year by year and reduce vintage variation
How much reserve wines can be available in large Champagne houses?
sometimes more than 100
How much reserve wine is usually blended in?
- 10-15%
- premium brand: 30-40%
How is the reserve wine be stored?
- for large volume wines: stainless steel containers
- old oak barrels can add mildly oxidative notes
- magnum bottles
How can rosé wines be blended?
- adding a small amount of red wine into the white base wine to achieve the desires colour
How long is the maturation time of vintage Champagne?
36 month (min. 12 month on the lees)
After which time, the lees aging takes place in just little changes?
beyond one decade
How is a Champagne with long lees aging be called?
late disgorged
Which nature can a liqueur d’expédition have?
- base wine of the current vintage
- aged reserve
What can the liqueur d’expédition in a rosé wine adjust?
the colour
How much grand cru villages are in the Champagne?
17
How much premier cru villages are in the Champagne?
42
How much other villages are in the Champagne?
257
How was the price of the grapes with the “échelle des curs system” be determined?
- fixed price by the Comité Champagne
- grand cru villages: 100%
- premier cru villages: 90-99%
- other villages: 80-89%
Who is now determine the price trend
the big buyers (e.g. Moet & Chandon)
When is the village name appear on a grand cru label
when all grapes come from the same village
Why do large Champagne houses produce prestige cuvées?
to reduce the quality variations within the different grand cru villages (e.g. aspect, soil etc.)
How much growers are in the Champagne?
16.000
How much area do the growers own?
90% of the vineyard area
How much Champagne houses are in the Champagne?
340
How much area do the Champagne houses own?
10% of the vineyard area
How is a Champagne from a grower called?
grower Champagne
Who sells the most Champagne
Champagne houses
What is a co-operative?
they are a bridging point between the growers and the Champagne houses
What are the brokers do?
they play an important role in finding wine for the houses
What does the code “NM: Négociant manipulant” mean?
- known as: houses
- buy grapes, must or wine
- make and market Champagne under their own label
- all big houses belong to this category
- a company in this category often called: négociant
- a group in this category often called: négoce
What does the code “RM: Récoltant manipulant” mean?
- known as: growers
- make and market Champagne under their own label, produce from their own vineyards
What does the code “CM: Coopérative de manipulation” mean?
- known as: co-operatives
- make and market Champagne under their own label, produce from members grapes
How much sales by value are done by the top five Champagne houses?
the top five account for two-thirds of all sales by value
How is the distribution of Champagne?
50% is sold in the domestic market, 50% are exported
How high is the total sales of bottles?
302 million bottles (2018 figures)
How high is the amount of sales and export of the Champagne houses?
- 73% of all sales
- 87% of export
How high is the amount of sales and export of the co-operatives?
smaller and evenly split between domestic and export
How high is the amount of sales and export of the grower Champagnes?
mostly sold in the domestic market
How has the business changed between Champagne houses and co-operatives
- co-operatives moved their business to promoting their own brand a sell less to large houses
- Champagne houses buy their grapes directly from growers or agents and deal less with co-operatives
How can the supply be influenced by the region?
they can adjust the individual max. allowed yield for the coming harvest
Which are the two parts of the yield adjustment?
- grape yield for the base wine
- allowance to produce reserve wines
Which factors are relevant for the decision of the yield adjustment?
- current stock
- world demand
- progress of the season until the decision is done in late June
Name a benefit from having reserve wines in stock
they can use there additional stock for sale
Name the big five export markets by volume
- UK
- USA
- Japan
- Germany
- Belgium
Which are the two most valuable markets with highest prices per bottle?
- USA
- Japan
Which is the country with the lowest average price per bottle?
UK
How has the volume and the value be changed the last decade?
- volume has dropped by 10%
- value has risen by 25%
What is the price for one kg grapes?
6,10€ (grand cru or premier cru are more expensive)
How much grapes are needed for one 75cl bottle
1,2kg
Why is Vintage Champagne more expensive to produce?
grand cru or premier cru grapes are often used
Why is rosé Champagne more expensive to produce than white Champagne?
the needed red wine is more expensive to produce than the white base wine (lower yields due to required ripeness and flavour and colour levels)
What is a typical amount of marketing of the bottle price
20%
Define the amount of the grape, production an commercialisation cost per bottle
- cost for grapes: 50%
- total production costs: 30%
- commercialisation: 20%
Name facts of the sub-region “Montagne de Reims”
located:
- central Champagne
grape varieties:
- best known for black grapes
- some important vineyards of Chardonnay
soils:
- types vary
- grand crus are chalky soils
grand cru villages:
- Mailly
- Verzenay
- Verzy
- Ambonnay
- Bouzy
facts:
- more wide plateau than a mountain
- some top villages face north (excellent cool-climate sites)
Name facts of the sub-region “Vallée de la Marne”
located:
- wester Champagne (western of Epernay)
grape varieties:
- Meunier (late budding/early ripening, well-adapted for this frost-prone valley)
- Chardonnay (used for blending into early-drinking wines)
soils:
- clay (Ton/Lehm)
- marl (Mergel)
- sandy soils
grand cru villages:
- Ay
Name facts of the sub-region “Côte des Blanc”
located:
- runs at right angles to the Vallée de la Marne due south from Epernay
grape varieties:
- Chardonnay (95%)
soils:
- chalk (purest form)
grand cru villages:
- Cramant
- Avize
- Oger
- Le Mesni-sur-Oger
Name facts of the sub-region “Côte de Sézanne”
located:
- continues due south of Côte des Blancs
grape varieties:
- Chardonnay (warm south facing slopes)
soils:
- clay (mostly)
- clay/silt
- some chalk pockets
fact:
- quality is rated lower than the other sub-regions (except Côte des Bar)
Name facts of the sub-region “Côte des Bar”
located:
- south of the Champagne
grape varieties:
- Pinot Noir
soils:
- kimmeridgian calcareus marls
- stony limestone
facts:
- important source of Pinot Noir for non-vintage blends
Describe the training technique “Taille Chablis”
- best for Chardonnay
- 3-4 cordons (max. 5)
- spur with up to five buds at the end of each cordon
- large proportion of permanent wood can protect against frost
- spurs a trained to a maximum of 0,6m above ground level to ensure ripening due to solar energy reflected from the soil
Describe the training technique “Cordon du Royat”
- used for Pinot Noir and Meunier
- single cordon that is spur-pruned
- shoots are vertically positioned
Describe the training technique “Guyot”
- used for all three varieties
- replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning
- permitted in lesser-rated vineyards
- single or double Guyot is permitted
Describe the training technique “Vallée de la Marne”
- similar to Guyot, but with a higher number of buds
- used less than in the past
