Champage Flashcards
What is the oldest sparkling Champagne house?
Ruinart
What is oldest Champagne house still in operation today, founded in 1584 as a still wine producer?
Gosset
What is vin de cuvée?
First 2050 l of juice extracted from the must.
What are the districts of Champagne?
Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and the Côte des Bars (the Aube)
How many villages are authorized?
357
Many of the major commercial houses of Champagne are located in what city?
Reims
What is the dominant grape in Montagne de Reims and the Aube?
Pinot Noir
What is dominant grape of Côte de Sézanne? And which one on the southeast- and east-facing slopes of the Côte des Blancs?
Chardonnay on both.
Pinot Meunier is heavily cultivated in the sheltered vineyards of the frost-prone Vallée de la Marne, where its tendency to bud late and ripen early is prized by growers. True or False.
True.
What does RM stands for?
Récoltant Manipulant: A grower-producer who makes Champagne from estate-grown fruit. 95% of the grapes must originate in the producer’s own vineyards.
What is a CM?
Coopérative Manipulant: A growers’ co-operative that produces the wine under a single brand.
What does RC stand for?
Récoltant Coopérateur: A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label.
What does SR stand for?
Société de Récoltants: A firm, not a co-operative, set up by a union of often related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands.
What does MA stand for?
Marque d’Acheteur: A “buyer’s own brand”, often a large supermarket chain or restaurant, that purchases Champagne and sells it under its own label.
What does ND stand for?
Négociant Distributeur: A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make
What are Vins Claire?
High-acid base wines- after primary fermentation and, generally, chaptalization. The solids (bourbes) are first allowed to settle out during a phase called débourbage.
What is the liqueur de tirage?
A mixture of still wine, yeasts, sugar, and fining agents that will serve to ignite the second fermentation.
What is the prise de mousse?
Secondary fermentation. Lasts up to 8 weeks. Sugar is converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide.
What is autolysis?
the breakdown of dead yeast cells
What is the assemblage?
Blend that makes up the signature style
What is a pupitre?
two large wooden planks fastened together in an upright “A” shape
For what bottle sizes is the Transfer method allowed?
Larger than a Jeroboam and smaller than a half bottle.
What are the sweetness levels of champagne and their corresponding residual sugar levels?
Extra brut 0-6 Brut 0-12 Extra dry 12-17 Sec 17-32 Demi sec 32-50 Doux 50+
What is the dosage? Other name?
liqueur d’expédition, a liquid mixture of sugar syrup and wine
How long is NV champagne aged in bottle? Vintage?
15 mo. 36 mo.
What is a single vineyard champagne?
From a single vineyard that does not need to be vintage-dated but invariably is. Both large houses and small produce.
What is a Special club prestige cuvée?
Vintage dated, estate bottled wines from 1 of 24 RM producers who have banded together to market their top offerings- all share identical designs.
What are rosé champagnes? Importance of method?
Vintage, NV or prestige bottling are allowed. Made most often by blending in red wine (as opposed to saignée method). Champagne is the only AOP to allow blending to make rosé.
What are the still wines of champagne called?
Coteaux Champenois and Rosé de Riceys
CC- still red, white and rosé wines from the entire appellation
RR- 100% rosé from Pinot Noir from Les Riceys, a cru village in the Aube.
What does N.V. Stand for and represent?
Non-vintage. Generally brut in style, house signature, consistent from year to year. 75% of market.
What is vintage champagne?
Wine must come 100% from stated vintage. Aged at least 36 mo in bottle.
Can only sell 80% of a year’s harvest as vintage.
What is Blanc de Blancs?
Must come from 100% Chardonnay (doesn’t have to be from Côte des Blancs). Can be NV or Vintage. Most ageworthy.
What is Blanc de Noir?
White wine produced solely from black grapes. The wine usually displays richness, intensity, and weight, although it can lack the supreme elegance and finesse of Blanc de Blancs.
What is another name for a Prestige Cuvée?
Tête de cuvée. The finest and most expensive bottling that a house offers, the prestige cuvée is typically (but not always) vintage-dated and aged for a number of years prior to release. Prestige Cuvées are usually only released in superior vintages, and may undergo more traditional vinification procedures
What is the size of a quarter bottle (piccolo)?
187 ml
What is the size of a magnum? Jeroboam?
1.5 L
3 L
What is the size of a Rehoboam? Methuselah?
4.5 L
6 L
What is the size of a Salmanazar?
Balthazar?
Nebuchadnezzar ?
Solomon?
9 L
12 L
15 L
18 L
What are the Grand Cru villages of the Côte de Blancs?
Chouilly (white grapes only), Oiry, Cramant, Avize, Oger,
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger