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WSET 4: D4 - Sparkling Wines Nov2024 > 2 Champagne > Flashcards

2 Champagne Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is the Champagne located?

A

north-east France

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2
Q

Which Comité is looking for the concerns of the Champagne?

A

Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) known as: Comité Champagne

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3
Q

Describe the style of Champagne

A

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

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4
Q

Name the different styles of Champagne

A

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

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5
Q

Describe the historical style of Champagne

A

pink and still with a slight fizz

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6
Q

Which development enabled higher pressure in the Champagne?

A

thicker bottles with the glass production in coal-fired ovens in England

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7
Q

Which developments where be done form Dom Pierre Pérignon?

A
  • 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
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8
Q

Which development was done in the nineteenth century?

A
  • 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
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9
Q

When was the vineyard area defined

A

in 1927

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10
Q

What is the “échelle des crus” system?

A
  • ladder of growth
  • rating system to determinate grape prices
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11
Q

What for the échelle des crus system was also used?

A

for defining the grand cru and premier cru villages

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12
Q

What is the “blocage” system?

A
  • 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
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13
Q

Where is the Champagne located?

A
  • north-west of France
  • south of the 50th parallel
  • east of Paris
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14
Q

How big is the region of Champagne?

A
  • 150km from north to south
  • 120km from east to west
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15
Q

Name the sub-regions of the Champagne

A
  • 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)
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16
Q

Describe the climate of the Champagne

A
  • 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%
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17
Q

Describe the soil types in Champagne

A
  • chalk
  • chalky soils with limestone subsoil
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18
Q

Describe the benefits of the chalky soil

A
  • highly porous and therefore water storable
  • beneficial for high-quality Chardonnay
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19
Q

Name the grape varieties allowed in Champagne

A
  • 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%)
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20
Q

How many hectares has the Champagne?

A

35.000 hectares

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21
Q

Name the maximum allowed inter-row space

A

1,5m

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22
Q

Name the maximum allowed intra-row space

A

0,9-1,5m

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23
Q

Name the maximum allowed total space

A
  • combination of inter-row and intra-row space
  • never more than 2,5m
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24
Q

What is the planting density in the vineyard?

A

8.000 vines per hectare

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25
Q

Why can grapes for sparkling wines be grown at high yield?

A
  • tannin ripening is not necessary
  • flavours and colour must not be concentrated
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26
Q

Since when is the training, pruning and trellising regulated?

A

Since 1938

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27
Q

Name the different training systems

A
  • Taille Chablis
  • Cordon du Royat
  • Guyot
  • Vallée da la Marne
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28
Q

Name hazards, pests and diseases

A
  • 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
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29
Q

Name sustainable viticulture approaches

A
  • 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)
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30
Q

Which are the harvest rules specified by the Comité Champagne

A
  • 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
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31
Q

Why is the max. yield regulated?

A
  • to protect the quality of the wine
  • protect the price of the wine
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32
Q

Name different winemaking rules specified by the Comité Champagne

A
  • 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
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33
Q

How much grapes are one marc?

A

4.000kg

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34
Q

Name the two fractions of juice of one marc and the amount

A
  • cuvée: the first 2.050l (free run juice and first press juice)
  • taille: second press juice of 500l
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35
Q

What is the reason for limiting the pressing yield?

A

it avoids over-extraction of phenolics and maintain fruit flavours

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36
Q

Describe the style and the usage of the cuvée juice

A
  • rich in acids
  • produces wines with greater fitness and long aging potential
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37
Q

Describe the style and the usage of the taille juice

A
  • lower acidity
  • richer in coloring pigments and phenolics
  • blending partner for wines with more expression but less aging potential
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38
Q

In which wines the taille is the bigger blending part?

A

in non-vintage wines

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39
Q

When is chaptalisation permitted?

A

to reach the min. alcohol level of 11% abv.

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40
Q

What is the max. allowed alcohol level?

A

max. 13% abv. (EU wine law)

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41
Q

What is the most common fermenting vessel?

A

temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks

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42
Q

Why do some producers use large oak vessel?

A

to introduce more texture and mouth feeling

43
Q

Why is MLC often done?

A

to soften the acidity (especially in cool years)

44
Q

What is the aim of blending?

A

create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts

45
Q

What can be blended together?

A

different:
- vineyards
- grape varieties
- vintages

46
Q

Why is blending an important part at non-vintage wines?

A

to achieve a constant style year by year and reduce vintage variation

47
Q

How much reserve wines can be available in large Champagne houses?

A

sometimes more than 100

48
Q

How much reserve wine is usually blended in?

A
  • 10-15%
  • premium brand: 30-40%
49
Q

How is the reserve wine be stored?

A
  • for large volume wines: stainless steel containers
  • old oak barrels can add mildly oxidative notes
  • magnum bottles
50
Q

How can rosé wines be blended?

A
  • adding a small amount of red wine into the white base wine to achieve the desires colour
51
Q

How long is the maturation time of vintage Champagne?

A

36 month (min. 12 month on the lees)

52
Q

After which time, the lees aging takes place in just little changes?

A

beyond one decade

53
Q

How is a Champagne with long lees aging be called?

A

late disgorged

54
Q

Which nature can a liqueur d’expédition have?

A
  • base wine of the current vintage
  • aged reserve
55
Q

What can the liqueur d’expédition in a rosé wine adjust?

A

the colour

56
Q

How much grand cru villages are in the Champagne?

A

17

57
Q

How much premier cru villages are in the Champagne?

A

42

58
Q

How much other villages are in the Champagne?

A

257

59
Q

How was the price of the grapes with the “échelle des curs system” be determined?

A
  • fixed price by the Comité Champagne
  • grand cru villages: 100%
  • premier cru villages: 90-99%
  • other villages: 80-89%
60
Q

Who is now determine the price trend

A

the big buyers (e.g. Moet & Chandon)

61
Q

When is the village name appear on a grand cru label

A

when all grapes come from the same village

62
Q

Why do large Champagne houses produce prestige cuvées?

A

to reduce the quality variations within the different grand cru villages (e.g. aspect, soil etc.)

63
Q

How much growers are in the Champagne?

A

16.000

64
Q

How much area do the growers own?

A

90% of the vineyard area

65
Q

How much Champagne houses are in the Champagne?

A

340

66
Q

How much area do the Champagne houses own?

A

10% of the vineyard area

67
Q

How is a Champagne from a grower called?

A

grower Champagne

68
Q

Who sells the most Champagne

A

Champagne houses

69
Q

What is a co-operative?

A

they are a bridging point between the growers and the Champagne houses

70
Q

What are the brokers do?

A

they play an important role in finding wine for the houses

71
Q

What does the code “NM: Négociant manipulant” mean?

A
  • 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
72
Q

What does the code “RM: Récoltant manipulant” mean?

A
  • known as: growers
  • make and market Champagne under their own label, produce from their own vineyards
73
Q

What does the code “CM: Coopérative de manipulation” mean?

A
  • known as: co-operatives
  • make and market Champagne under their own label, produce from members grapes
74
Q

How much sales by value are done by the top five Champagne houses?

A

the top five account for two-thirds of all sales by value

75
Q

How is the distribution of Champagne?

A

50% is sold in the domestic market, 50% are exported

76
Q

How high is the total sales of bottles?

A

302 million bottles (2018 figures)

77
Q

How high is the amount of sales and export of the Champagne houses?

A
  • 73% of all sales
  • 87% of export
78
Q

How high is the amount of sales and export of the co-operatives?

A

smaller and evenly split between domestic and export

79
Q

How high is the amount of sales and export of the grower Champagnes?

A

mostly sold in the domestic market

80
Q

How has the business changed between Champagne houses and co-operatives

A
  • 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
81
Q

How can the supply be influenced by the region?

A

they can adjust the individual max. allowed yield for the coming harvest

82
Q

Which are the two parts of the yield adjustment?

A
  • grape yield for the base wine
  • allowance to produce reserve wines
83
Q

Which factors are relevant for the decision of the yield adjustment?

A
  • current stock
  • world demand
  • progress of the season until the decision is done in late June
84
Q

Name a benefit from having reserve wines in stock

A

they can use there additional stock for sale

85
Q

Name the big five export markets by volume

A
  • UK
  • USA
  • Japan
  • Germany
  • Belgium
86
Q

Which are the two most valuable markets with highest prices per bottle?

A
  • USA
  • Japan
87
Q

Which is the country with the lowest average price per bottle?

A

UK

88
Q

How has the volume and the value be changed the last decade?

A
  • volume has dropped by 10%
  • value has risen by 25%
89
Q

What is the price for one kg grapes?

A

6,10€ (grand cru or premier cru are more expensive)

90
Q

How much grapes are needed for one 75cl bottle

A

1,2kg

91
Q

Why is Vintage Champagne more expensive to produce?

A

grand cru or premier cru grapes are often used

92
Q

Why is rosé Champagne more expensive to produce than white Champagne?

A

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)

93
Q

What is a typical amount of marketing of the bottle price

A

20%

94
Q

Define the amount of the grape, production an commercialisation cost per bottle

A
  • cost for grapes: 50%
  • total production costs: 30%
  • commercialisation: 20%
95
Q

Name facts of the sub-region “Montagne de Reims”

A

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)

96
Q

Name facts of the sub-region “Vallée de la Marne”

A

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

97
Q

Name facts of the sub-region “Côte des Blanc”

A

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

98
Q

Name facts of the sub-region “Côte de Sézanne”

A

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)

99
Q

Name facts of the sub-region “Côte des Bar”

A

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

100
Q

Describe the training technique “Taille Chablis”

A
  • 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
101
Q

Describe the training technique “Cordon du Royat”

A
  • used for Pinot Noir and Meunier
  • single cordon that is spur-pruned
  • shoots are vertically positioned
102
Q

Describe the training technique “Guyot”

A
  • used for all three varieties
  • replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning
  • permitted in lesser-rated vineyards
  • single or double Guyot is permitted
103
Q

Describe the training technique “Vallée de la Marne”

A
  • similar to Guyot, but with a higher number of buds
  • used less than in the past

WSET 4: D4 - Sparkling Wines Nov2024 (21 decks)

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