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WSET D4 > Champagne > Flashcards

Champagne Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the areas of Champagne

A
  • Montagne de Reims
  • Vallée de la Marne
  • Cote de Blancs
  • Cote de Sezanne
  • The Aube (Cote des Bars)
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2
Q

How many Grand Cru villages are there, and where are the located?

A

17

  • Montagne de Reims
  • Vallée de la Marne
  • Cote de Blancs
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3
Q

What are the 7 permitted Champagne varietals?

A
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Meunier
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Petit Meslier
  • Fromenteau
  • Arbane
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4
Q

Describe ‘most’ Champagne

A

Most Champagne is:

  • White
  • Fully Sparkling
  • Non Vintage
  • Brut
  • Blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier
  • Medium Intensity - Apple, Lemon, Biscuit
  • Good to Outstanding Quality
  • Mid to Premium (Vintage/Cuvee Premium-Super Premium) priced
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5
Q

When was the current AOC boundary set in Champagne

A

1927

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6
Q

What is the climate in Champagne

A

Cool, continental

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7
Q

What is the average annual temperature in Champagne

A

11C

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8
Q

Why is Champagne ideal for production of traditional method sparkling wines?

A

The low average annual temp (11C) results in low-alcohol, acidic base wines.

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9
Q

What is considered beneficial to the production of high quality Chardonnay in Champange?

A

The thick layer of chalk in the wider Paris basin.

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10
Q

Why is chalk beneficial?

A

It is highly porous and stores water, providing a steady supply even in dry periods.

Planting on slopes means rainfall provides sufficient water to survive without risking water logging.

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11
Q

What is Montagne de Reims known for?

A

Black grapes. Also some Chardonnay. The Grand Crus are on chalky soils.

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12
Q

What is Vallèe de la Marne known for?

A

Meunier. (fruity)

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13
Q

What is Cote des Blancs known for?

A

White Grapes (95% Chardonnay)

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14
Q

Where does the ‘Meunier’ name come from?

A

Meunier is French for ‘miller’. Meunier is a pinot noir mutation with white hairs on the leaves, giving it a floury appearance.

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15
Q

Describe Meunier

A
  • Early budding (but later than Chardonnay/PN)
  • Ripens earlier than PN (helpful when harvest is interupted by rain)
  • Sensitive to botyritis
  • Reliable producer of fruity wine
  • Contributes softness to blend. (important for NV)
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16
Q

Why can grapes for sparkling wines be grown at higher yields?

A

Ripeness of tannins and concentration of fruit/colour uis not as important

17
Q

What is the planting density restrictions in Champagne

A

1.5m inter-row, 0.9-1.5m intra-row. 2.5m total maximum

= ~8000 vines per hectare.

18
Q

Who sets harvest dates and yields in Champagne? And how?

A

Comité Champagne.

By taking samples at veraison.

19
Q

What is the system of reserve wines known as?

A

Blocage

20
Q

What is a marc?

A

A unit of 4000kg of grapes, the amount loaded into a basket press.

21
Q

What are the limits on juice extraction?

A

2050 litres of cuvee followed by 500 litres of taille per 4000kg (‘marc‘)of grapes

22
Q

How is the taille fraction typically used?

A

It is higher in colour and phenolics and lower in acidity, with less aging potential, so often is important in non-vintage wines

23
Q

When is chapitalisation permitted?

A

When the natural sugars cannot produce a wine up to 11% ABV

24
Q

What are the maturation requirements for Champagnes?

A

NV: 15 months (12 months on lees)

Vintage: 12 months on less minimum but release 3 years after tirage (in practice much longer than 12months)

25
Q

What determines the sweetness of Champagne?

A

The amount of sugar in liqueur d’expedition

26
Q

What are the types of producers?

A
  • NM - Negociant manipulant - the houses - buy grapes to make wine under own label
  • RM - Recoltant manipulant - the growers - own grapes, own label
  • CM - Cooperative de manipulant - own label from members grapes
27
Q

What is Taille Chablis?

A
  • Form of vine training system used in Champagne region that is considered best for Chardonnay
  • 3-4 cordons with max of 5;
  • at end of each cordon is a spur with up to 5 buds
  • form of spur pruning which retains a lot of permanent wood to help protect against frost
  • train spurs at makx of 0.6 metres above the ground so can benefit from heat/light reflected from chalk
28
Q

What are the 4 approved vine training systems in Champagne?

A
  1. Taille Chablis (best for Chardonnay)
  2. Cordon du Royat (best for PN & Meunier)
  3. Guyot (single or double permitted)
  4. Vallée de la Marne (similar to Guyot but more buds)
29
Q

What are the main hazards, pests and diseases in Champagne?

A
  1. occasional severe winter frost that kills parts of or whole vine
  2. spring frost that kills new buds and decreases yield
  3. cold/rainy weather in June leads to poor flowering and fruit set which can reduce yields
  4. violent summer storms and hail damages vines/grapes
  5. hot/humid summer increases botrytis
  6. downy and powdery mildew
  7. Fanleaf virus spread by dagger nematode

WSET D4 (21 decks)

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