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WSET D4 > 4.1.1 > Flashcards

4.1.1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Describe Champagne in terms of Style

A
  • A traditional method sparkling wine from grapes grown within the appellation in North East France. Most Champagne is a white, fully sparkling, non-vintage Brut wine made from a blend of the three main varieties.
  • Principal Varietals: Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay
  • Sweetness: Most Brut
  • Acidity: High
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Green apple and lemon fruit with biscuit autolytic notes
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2
Q

Describe Champagne in terms of Quality

A
  • They are typically good to outstanding quality.
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3
Q

Describe Champagne in terms of Price

A
  • They are typically mid- to premium-priced. Vintage and prestige cuvée wines command premium and super-premium prices.
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4
Q

Describe Non-vintage or NV Champagne

A
  • A wine blended from a number of vintages. The wine usually follows a set house style and blending of different parcels of base wine can smooth out vintage variations, creating a product with the same profile every year.
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5
Q

Describe Vintage Champagne

A
  • 100 per cent of the wine must come from the year indicated. Theoretically, these wines are only produced from the best vintages; however, there is often some variance, as different producers rating some vintages more highly than do others. In some years, the growing conditions have been so favourable that a vintage is almost universally declared, for example 2002 and 2008. The vintage wine will still reflect the house style, but can be a unique wine, showing the characteristics of the year without having to meet a set mould.
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6
Q

Describe Rosé Champagne

A
  • Pink wines, usually made by blending red wine with white. In French, these wines are known as Rosé d’assemblage. However, skin maceration of black grapes is also permitted and then the wine is ‘bled off’, i.e. drawn off the skins. Hence, in French, these wines are known as Rosé de saignée.
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7
Q

Describe Blanc de Blancs Champagne

A
  • A white wine made from white grapes only. These wines can be leaner and more austere in youth, but often have an unmatched ageing potential, developing notes of biscuit and hazelnuts.
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8
Q

Describe Blanc de Noirs Champagne

A
  • A white wine made from black grapes only. The wines are fuller bodied than Blanc de Blancs are. However, they are generally thought to age more rapidly than Blanc de Blancs wines.
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9
Q

Describe Grand Cru Champagne

A
  • Often mentioned on the label as a quality statement. All the grapes must have been grown within the vineyards belonging to Grand Cru villages.
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10
Q

Describe Premier Cru Champagne

A
  • Often mentioned on the label as a quality statement. All the grapes must have been grown within the vineyards belonging to Premier Cru and/or Grand Cru villages.
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11
Q

Describe Prestige Cuvée Champagne

A
  • Usually the top wine in a Champagne producer’s range. However, some houses, such as Krug, specialise in making a range of prestige cuvées. These wines should be the product of a strict selection of the best grapes, together with meticulous winemaking techniques. They can be non-vintage or vintage wines.
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12
Q

Describe Late release, recently disgorged wines Champagne

A
  • Have seen extended ageing on lees, and are disgorged just before release onto the market, ready to be consumed immediately. The wines have a different flavour profile from wines of the same vintage that were disgorged earlier, and they initially seem more youthful. However, after their disgorgement they age more rapidly than standard vintage wines. It is thought that the impact of disgorgement (the ingress of oxygen and disturbance of the liquid) is greater in older wines. Bollinger’s R.D. or Dom Pérignon’s P2 are examples of this style.
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13
Q

Describe Crémant

A
  • Regional French traditional method sparkling wines made outside of the Champagne region, the three largest being Alsace, Bourgogne and the Loire. Common features are:
  • whole-bunch pressing (and therefore hand harvesting)
  • maximum yield at pressing of 100 litres per 150 kg of grapes
  • minimum of nine months’ ageing on lees during second fermentation in the bottle
  • minimum 12 months’ maturation between tirage and release, which includes the nine months’ ageing on lees
  • maximum 13% abv in the finished wine
  • minimum 4 atmospheres pressure.
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14
Q

Describe Crémant d’Alsace in terms of Style

A
  • Most wines are in the Brut style.
  • Principal Varietals: Pinot Blanc
  • Sweetness: Most Brut
  • Acidity: Medium (+) to high
  • Body: Light to medium body
  • Intensity: Medium intensity
  • Aromas: Ripe, apple and pear fruit. The wines that have had longer ageing on the lees have medium intensity biscuit, autolytic notes.
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15
Q

Describe Crémant de Bourgogne in terms of Style

A
  • Most are white wines made in a Brut style. They range from lightly fruity to richly toasty. In addition to the standard white sparkling wines, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and rosé are made.
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, with up to 20 per cent of Gamay.
  • Sweetness: Most Brut
  • Acidity: Medium (+)
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Green apple and lemon (cooler areas) to apricot (warmer areas), with brioche autolytic notes.
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16
Q

Describe Crémant de Loire in terms of Style

A
  • About 90 per cent of Crémant de Loire is white and most is Brut. Brut Zéro is increasingly popular. The prices are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
  • Principal Varietals: Chenin Blanc
  • Sweetness: Most wines are Brut in style, but Demi-Sec is also made.
  • Acidity: High
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Green apple and citrus flavours with light toasty autolytic notes. Wines with two to three years of age can develop honeyed aromas.
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17
Q

Describe Crémant de Loire in terms of Price

A
  • The prices are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
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18
Q

Describe White Saumur Mousseux in terms of Style

A
  • Must be a minimum of 60 per cent Chenin Blanc and may contain a maximum of 10 per cent Sauvignon Blanc.
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19
Q

Describe Rosé Saumur Mousseux in terms of Style

A
  • Rosé wines must be a minimum of 60 per cent Cabernet Franc and again may contain a maximum of 10 per cent Sauvignon Blanc.
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20
Q

Describe Saumur Mousseux in terms of Quality

A
  • Mechanical harvest is allowed, and more juice can be extracted (100 litres from 130 kilos) than for Crémant, enabling producers to make more wine, and in a cheaper way, but at a potentially lower quality.
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21
Q

Describe Vouvray Mousseux in terms of Style

A
  • Chenin Blanc is the dominant variety, which must be 95 per cent of the blend. There is also a tiny production of Vouvray Pétillant (lightly sparkling) and a growing fashion for Pet Nat.
  • Principal Varietals: Chenin Blanc
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22
Q

Describe Cava in terms of Style

A
  • Spanish traditional method sparkling wine. Traditionally from Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Chardonnay is increasingly used in blends, though quality producers are also putting renewed emphasis on the local varieties. Unusually for a PDO wine, grapes can be sourced from a number of different, unconnected areas. Wine production is regulated and overseen by the Consejo Regulador del Cava.
  • Principal Varietals: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Chardonnay
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23
Q

Describe Prosecco in terms of Style

A
  • Prosecco is principally made from the Glera grape variety grown in north-east Italy and is tank fermented. They are produced in both fully sparkling (spumante) and lower pressure (frizzante) styles. The DOCG wines can show medium intensity and greater complexity than the DOC wines (pear, apple, white peach).
  • Principal Varietals: Glera
  • Sweetness: Range from Brut to Demi-Sec, with Extra Dry being a classic style.
  • Acidity: Medium to medium (+)
  • Body: Light body
  • Intensity: Light to medium (-) intensity
  • Aromas: Apple and pear
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24
Q

Describe Prosecco in terms of Quality

A
  • The wines are mainly acceptable to good quality in the Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and good to very good quality in the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) area.
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25
Q

Describe Prosecco in terms of Price

A
  • The prices are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
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26
Q

Describe Asti in terms of Style

A
  • Asti DOCG is a tank-fermented, sparkling, low alcohol wine made from Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains) in three provinces of Piedmont: Asti, Alexandria and Cuneo.
  • Principal Varietals: Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains)
  • Sweetness: Medium-sweet
  • Acidity: Medium
  • Alcohol: Low
  • Intensity: Pronounced
  • Aromas: Orange blossom, grapes and peach
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27
Q

Describe Asti in terms of Quality

A
  • The generally higher quality Moscato d’Asti DOCG, using fruit from the same three provinces, is lower in alcohol, medium (+) acidity and sweeter than Asti DOCG. The two wines are of good to very good quality.
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28
Q

Describe Asti in terms of Price

A
  • They tend to be inexpensive or mid-priced.
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29
Q

Describe Lambrusco in terms of Style

A
  • Mainly red and tank-fermented, sparkling (spumante) or semi-sparkling (frizzante) wines made from the family of Lambrusco varieties mainly in Emilia-Romagna in central Italy. The red wines have strawberry fruit, medium to medium (+) tannins, high acidity and, usually, residual sugar. The colour of the wine ranges from pale pink to deep ruby.
  • Principal Varietals: Lambrusco varieties
  • Acidity: High
  • Aromas: The red wines have strawberry fruit
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30
Q

Describe Lambrusco in terms of Quality

A
  • The quality is mainly acceptable to good with a small number of very good examples
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31
Q

Describe Lambrusco in terms of Price

A
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced.
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32
Q

Describe Franciacorta in terms of Style

A
  • Franciacorta is Italy’s largest producing region for traditional method sparkling wine. It is located in Lombardy in central northern Italy. It has pitched its wines to be ‘Italian-made’ competition for very good to outstanding quality Champagne, with high standards for viticulture and winemaking required.
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
  • Acidity: Medium (+)
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Aromas: Ripe apple and peach fruit and prominent biscuit-like, autolytic notes
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33
Q

Describe Franciacorta in terms of Quality

A
  • Typically very good or outstanding in quality
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34
Q

Describe Franciacorta in terms of Price

A
  • Premium-priced
35
Q

Describe Trentodoc in terms of Style

A
  • Trentodoc is the trademarked name for bottle-fermented sparkling wine made from the classic Champagne varieties (especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) grown in the Trentino region of northern Italy under the DOC Trento. It is named after Trento, the main town of the region.
  • Principal Varietals: Many 100% Chardonnay, can also include Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Meunier.
  • Acidity: Medium (+) to high
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Aromas: Ripe yellow apple fruit and biscuit-like, autolytic notes
36
Q

Describe Trentodoc in terms of Quality

A
  • The wines are typically very good to outstanding in quality
37
Q

Describe Trentodoc in terms of Price

A
  • Premium and super-premium prices.
38
Q

Describe Sekt Germany in terms of Style

A
  • Tank-fermented wines, without mention of grape varieties or vintage, typically made from a range of base wines sourced from inexpensive regions of southern Europe and made sparkling in Germany. It can only be sold six months after second fermentation has been started, with a minimum of 90 days on the lees or 30 if the lees are stirred. The wines are non-vintage. This is by far the largest category, accounting for 90 per cent of wines made.
  • Sweetness: They are typically made in the Brut or Extra Dry style, with noticeable residual sugar
  • Acidity: Medium
  • Intensity: Light
  • Aromas: Light intensity fruit and no autolytic notes.
39
Q

Describe Sekt Germany in terms of Quality

A
  • They are acceptable to good in quality
40
Q

Describe Sekt Germany in terms of Price

A
  • Inexpensive
41
Q

Describe Deutscher Sekt Germany in terms of Style

A
  • Sparkling wine made from German-grown fruit. It may be tank fermented or traditional method, vintage or non-vintage, from one variety (minimum 85 per cent of that variety if it is to be labelled with a single variety) or multiple varieties. The fruit may come from a number of different German regions. The wine cannot state its region of origin on the label.
42
Q

Describe Deutscher Sekt bA Germany in terms of Style

A
  • ‘bA’ is the common abbreviation of bestimmter Anbaugebiete, ‘of a defined region’. This is sparkling wine related to the general quality category, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete, quality wine from one of the 13 defined wine-growing regions (e.g. Rheingau and Rheinhessen). The name of the region must appear on the label. It may be tank fermented or traditional method.
43
Q

Describe Winzersekt Germany in terms of Style

A
  • Winzersekt (Winzer = winegrower) refers to a sparkling wine which is estate-bottled, uses only grapes grown by the estate, is made by the traditional method and is kept for a minimum of nine months on the lees in the bottle. The vintage, grape variety and producer’s name must appear on the bottle.
  • Principal Varietals: Most typically made with Riesling, but a range of other varieties may be used.
  • Sweetness: Typically in the Brut style.
  • Acidity: High
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Green apple and white peach fruit with toasty, smoky, autolytic notes
44
Q

Describe Winzersekt Germany in terms of Quality

A
  • Very good to outstanding in quality
45
Q

Describe Winzersekt Germany in terms of Price

A
  • Mid to premium-priced.
46
Q

Describe Perlwein Germany in terms of Style

A
  • More commonly known as Secco, is made either by the tank method or by carbonation from inexpensive base wine, usually with less than three atmospheres of pressure.
47
Q

Describe Perlwein Germany in terms of Price

A
  • These wines are cheaper in Germany than fully sparkling wine (minimum three atmospheres) as they do not attract tax.
48
Q

Describe UK in terms of Style

A
  • Traditional method. Sparkling white wines have crisp, high acidity, medium alcohol and a light to medium body. Flavours tend to be crisp green apple and lemon along with autolytic notes. Racy high acidity and just-ripe fruit are distinctive characteristics.
49
Q

Describe UK in terms of Quality

A
  • The quality is generally very good with some outstanding examples.
50
Q

Describe UK in terms of Price

A
  • Premium to super-premium
51
Q

Describe Traditional Method USA in terms of Style

A
  • Most production is in California, which produces more than half of all sparkling wine produced in the USA, but sparkling wine is made in many states including Oregon and Washington State.
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier now account for around 65 per cent of all plantings and production.
  • Sweetness: Typically Brut
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Ripe yellow apple and lemon with toasty autolytic notes and medium (+) acidity.
52
Q

Describe Traditional Method USA in terms of Quality

A
  • Good to outstanding
53
Q

Describe Traditional Method USA in terms of Price

A
  • Mid to super-premium
54
Q

Describe Non-traditional method USA in terms of Style

A
  • Tank-fermented wines with additional fruit flavours (raspberry, peach, etc.) and Pet Nat wines are made. Tank-fermented wines are often in an Extra Dry style, with noticeable residual sugar.
55
Q

Describe Non-traditional method USA in terms of Price

A
  • They are inexpensive to mid-priced.
56
Q

Describe Chile in terms of Style

A
  • Most wines are tank fermented and are made to be fruity. A small number of traditional method wines are also made.
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Sweetness: Brut and slightly sweeter are most common
57
Q

Describe Chile in terms of Quality

A
  • Acceptable to very good in quality
58
Q

Describe Chile in terms of Price

A
  • Most wines are inexpensive, with some, especially in export markets, being mid-priced
59
Q

Describe Argentina in terms of Style

A
  • Most wines are made by the tank method, but carbonation and traditional method are also employed.
60
Q

Describe Traditional Method Argentina in terms of Style

A
  • Traditional method wines
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
  • Sweetness: Brut
  • Aromas: Ripe apple and lemon fruit with light autolytic notes.
61
Q

Describe Traditional Method Argentina in terms of Quality

A
  • They are good to very good in quality.
62
Q

Describe Traditional Method Argentina in terms of Price

A
  • Prices are mostly inexpensive, but some wines are mid- to premium-priced.
63
Q

Describe Tank Method Argentina in terms of Style

A
  • Most wines are made by the tank method, but carbonation and traditional method are also employed.
64
Q

Describe Tank Method Argentina in terms of Quality

A
  • Acceptable to good quality
65
Q

Describe Tank Method Argentina in terms of Price

A
  • Mostly inexpensive, but some wines are mid- to premium-priced.
66
Q

Describe Carbonated South Africa in terms of Style

A
  • Inexpensive, carbonated sparkling wine, often sweet, is primarily consumed in the domestic market and exported to the sub-Saharan territories, especially Angola, Mozambique and Nigeria.
  • Sweetness: Often Sweet
67
Q

Describe Carbonated South Africa in terms of Quality

A
  • Acceptable to good quality
68
Q

Describe Traditional Method South Africa in terms of Style

A
  • Known as Cap Classique.
  • Principal Varietals: Champagne varieties and Chenin Blanc and Pinotage
  • Acidity: Medium (+)
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Aromas: Ripe yellow apple and citrus fruit with varying levels of autolysis.
69
Q

Describe Traditional Method South Africa in terms of Quality

A
  • Good to Very good.
70
Q

Describe Traditional Method South Africa in terms of Price

A
  • Mid to Premium-priced
71
Q

Describe Traditional Method Australia in terms of Style

A
  • Several styles (non-vintage, vintage, prestige cuvée, rosé). Time on lees in bottle varies. Premium producers look to Champagne as an example (without being constrained by its rules) and have similar minimum lees-ageing time. A significant number of the best producers have long lees ageing as standard (three or more years) and the emerging category of ‘late disgorged’ wines, with more than six years ageing.
  • Acidity: Medium (+) to high
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Body: Medium (-) to full
  • Intensity: Medium (-) to full depending on the style and length of lees ageing.
  • Aromas: The lighter styles will be softly fruity (citrus fruit and apple) whereas the richer styles will have prominent autolytic notes. Wines may or may not undergo malolactic conversion
72
Q

Describe Tank/Transfer/Carbonation Method Australia in terms of Style

A
  • These wines can be made by transfer method, tank method and carbonation and may be made from a number of different varieties.
  • Principal Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Moscato and Glera/Prosecco
  • Sweetness: Dry to medium-sweet
  • Acidity: Medium to medium (+)
  • Alcohol: Low to medium
  • Body: Light to medium
  • Aromas: Tend to be fruity, some intensely so, with anything from citrus fruits to riper peach and apricot fruits as well as the grapey fruit of Moscato. There is little or no autolytic character (just in some transfer wines).
73
Q

Describe Tank/Transfer/Carbonation Method Australia in terms of Price

A
  • Inexpensive and mid-priced sparkling wines are made across a number of cool, moderate and warm climate regions in Australia
74
Q

Describe Sparkling Shiraz Australia in terms of Style

A
  • Sparkling Shiraz is made like a normal still red wine, including malolactic conversion, and may or may not spend time maturing in oak. Acceptable to good wines may be made by transfer method, tank or carbonation. The wines tend to have slightly higher dosage than Brut white and rosé sparkling wines due to the presence of drying tannin.
75
Q

Describe Sparkling Shiraz Australia in terms of Quality

A
  • Very good and outstanding quality wines are made by the traditional method. Acceptable to good wines may be made by transfer method, tank or carbonation.
76
Q

Describe Moscato Australia in terms of Style

A
  • It is made from grapes grown in many different regions, though tending to warmer climates.
  • Sweetness: Off-dry to sweet.
  • Acidity: Medium
  • Alcohol: Low
  • Aromas: Distinctly fruity in style with classic Moscato grapey flavours.
77
Q

Describe Moscato Australia in terms of Quality

A
  • Wines are acceptable to good quality levels.
78
Q

Describe Moscato Australia in terms of Price

A
  • Higher quality, smaller production Moscato is made by the tank method, but most inexpensive to mid-priced Moscato is made by carbonation.
79
Q

Describe Prosecco Australia in terms of Style

A
  • Prosecco is made predominantly by the tank method to obtain a lightly fruity style. Some carbonated wine is also made.
  • Sweetness: Off-dry to medium-dry.
  • Acidity: Medium (+)
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Body: Light to medium
  • Aromas: Delicate white peach flavours.
80
Q

Describe Prosecco Australia in terms of Quality

A
  • It is predominantly made by small producers with a focus on quality. The quality is good to very good.
81
Q

Describe Pet Nat Australia in terms of Style

A
  • Pet Nat wine is now being made by many small, often natural, winemakers in several regions from several varieties. It is generally made in small quantities and the wines can be white, rosé or red. In general, these wines can be quite cloudy, with varying levels of pressure from slightly sparkling to fully sparkling.
  • Sweetness: Dry
  • Acidity: Medium (+)
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Body: Light to medium (+)
  • Intensity: Medium to pronounced
  • Aromas: The wines often have yeasty characteristics along with fruit flavours.
82
Q

Describe Traditional Method New Zealand in terms of Style

A
  • Traditional method bottle-fermented wines dominate the mid- to premium-priced sector.
  • Sweetness: Brut
  • Acidity: High
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Aromas: Yellow apple and lemon fruit with light toasty autolytic notes
83
Q

Describe Traditional Method New Zealand in terms of Quality

A
  • They are typically good to very good in quality, with some outstanding examples.
84
Q

Describe Traditional Method New Zealand in terms of Price

A
  • Mid to premium-priced

WSET D4 (21 decks)

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