Champagne Flashcards
Provide a description of a typical Champagne
- Med intensity aromas
- Apple, lemon, biscuit
- High acid
- Med alcohol
- Good to outstanding
- Mid-premium priced
What is a non-vintage Champagne? (2)
- Blended from number of years to smooth vintage variation
- Usually follows an consistent house style
What is a vintage Champagne? (3)
- 100% for year indicated
- Usually only in best years but some producers may declare while others do not
- May still reflect house style but can often be unique to vintage
What is a rosé Champagne/ (2)
- Usually made by blending red and white (Rose d’assemblage)
- Maceration also permitted (Rose de saignee)
What is a BdB Champagne/ (2)
- White grapes only
- Leaner, austere when young, ages superbly
What is a BdN Champagne? (3)
- Black grapes only
- Fuller bodied
- Age more rapidly
What is a Prestige Cuvee Champagne? (3)
- Producer’s top wine
- Some producers specialise in range of prestige cuvee
- Strict selection of best grapes and no-expense-spared during winemaking
- Vintage or non-vintage
What is a Late Release / R.D. Champagne? (3)
- Extended lees ageing and disgorged just before release onto market
- Ready for immediate consumption
- More youthful when released but age faster due to greater impact of oxygen ingress during disgorgement
Describe the style of still wines produced in Champagne?
AOC Coteaux Champenois - red, white or rose
- mainly light-body, hig acid, pale reds from PN
AOC Rosé des Riceys
Describe the typical wine produced in Champagne prior to the C19th
- Pink, still wine from PN
- Wines may referment after winter causing slightly fizzy wine
Which five innovations did Dom Pierre Perignon pioneer in Champagne?
- White wine from black grapes
- Coquard press
- Blending grapes grown in different areas
- Reintroduced use of cork stopper
- Use of strong English glass
What did Madame Cliquot contribute in the C19th?
Riddling using pupitres
When was the controlled secondary fermentation introduced to Champagne?
C19th
When was the modern, dry, clear style of Champagne created?
Last quarter of C19th following invention of disgorgement
When was the AOC for Champagne established?
1927 - along with the designation of villages as Premier and Grand Cru (Ecelle des Crus)
What is the blocage system and what is its purpose?
Now called ‘reserve wine’
System of storing reserve wines to reduce vintage variation + system also adds depth and complexity, raising average quality of cheapest Champagne
Describe the climate of Champagne and how it has changed in the past 30 years
- Cool, continental (just south of 50th parallel
- Average annual temp: 11c –> ideal for low ABV, acidic base wine
- Some oceanic influence
- 700mm of rain spread throughout year
Climate Change
- warming impact
- harvest date has moved forward 18 days
- Lower acid, potential ABV up 0.7pp
- More consistent ripeness, fewer poor vintages
What are the main climatic challenges in Champagne
- Frost
- Rain during flowering / fruit set + harvest
- Lack of warmth / sunlight during growing season
Describe the soil and topography of Champagne
- Thick layer of chalk with limestone subsoil and more chalk
- Limestone porous - stores water so can help provide water during dry spells
- Most vineyard 90-300m
- Slopes prevent waterlogging
Describe the terroir and wines of Montagne de Reims
- Plateau with top villages facing north - frost-prone
- Grand Crus on chalky soil - balance between water retention and drainage
- Best known for black grapes
- Wines have very high acidity, austere in youth
- GC: Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy
Describe the terroir and wines of Vallee de la Marne
- Clay, marl and sandy soil
- Pinot Meunier - bud break later, ripens earlier so avoids frost
- Chardonnay used in early-drinking wines
- GC: Aÿ
Describe the terroir and wines of Cote des Blancs
- Purest chalk
- 95% Chardonnay
- Wines have intensity and longevity, austere in youth
- GC: Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Describe the terroir and wines of Cote de Sezanne
- Continuation of Cote de Blancs
- Clay / clay/silt soils and some pockets of chalk
- Warmer south-east facing slopes –> fruitier, riper grapes
- Mainly Chardonnay
- Lower quality than MdR, VdlM, CdB
Describe the terroir and wines of Cote des Bar
- Large region with 25% of vineyard area
- Kimmeridgian calcareous marl
- Steep, stony slopes with good drainage
- Full-bodied Pinot Noir, good for NV blends in particular
What the ha under vine in Champagne?
35,000ha
What is the % of plantings between the main grape varieties?
38% PN, 32% PM, 30% Chardonnay
What other grape varieties are permitted?
Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Fromenteau
Describe the characteristics of PM and where is grows well
- Late budding - avoids frost
- Early ripening - may avoid harvest rains that impact PN and Chard
- Grows well on heavier soils
- Sensitive to botrytis
What does PM add to a wine and what sort of wine is it used for?
- Fruity and adds softness
- Important for NV blends with shorter lees aging and intended for early drinking
What is the typical density of a Champagne vineyard and why?
High density (~8000 VPH) as we don’t need ripe tannins or concentrated flavour / colour
Name the four approved training, pruning, trellising systems
Taille Chablis
Cordon du Royat
Guyout
Valle de la Marne
Describe the Taille Chablis system of training/pruning/trellising
- 3-4 cordons with spur of 5 buds
- Permanent wood helps protect against frost damage
- Spurs trained no further than 0.6m away from ground so fruit benefits from solar energy reflected from soil
- Best for Chard
Describe the Cordon du Royat system of training/pruning/trellising
- Single cordon with spur pruning and shoot vertically position
- PN / PM
Describe the Guyot system of training/pruning/trellising
- Replacement can with VSP allowed for lesser-rated vineyards
- Single or double
- All varieties
Describe the Vallée de la Marne system of training/pruning/trellising
- Similar to Guyot with more buds
The average number of buds cannot exceed what?
18 buds per vine per sq meter
What are the main vineyard hazards in Champagne?
Climatic
- Winter frost - damage or kill vines
- Spring frost - kill buds and reduce yield
- Cold and rainy weather in June which disrupts flowering and fruit set - reduce yield and evenness of ripening
- Summer storms and hail - damage grapes and vines
- Hot and humid summer weather - botrytis
Disease
- Powdery and downy mildew
- Dagger nematode spreads fanleaf
How has the Comite Champagne promoted sustainable viticulture?
- Sexual confusion to reduce pest population w/o insecticides
- Ground water management to reduce erosion
- Cover crops to improve biodiversity
How does the Comite Champagne set the harvest start date / yield?
- Takes samples from 450 control plots from Veraison onwards…
- Measure colour change, average weight, sugar concentration, acid, botrytis
- Determines harvest start date, max yield and min potential alcohol
Under what circumstances may growers ignore the set harvest start date?
- May pick later under any circumstances
2. Apply for derogation from INAO to pick early if crop is threatened e.g. by rain, botrytis
Why does the Comite set a max harvest yield?
- Protect quality of wine (by preventing over-cropping)
2. Protect price of Champagne
In bumper years, what may be done with a proportion of the harvest?
May be set aside as reserve stocks as a precaution against crop failure or poor quality vintages e.g. 2006/7
Describe the steps taken to ensure high-quality fruit is harvested
- Grapes must be picked by hand as whole bunch pressing is required - also avoids microbial spoilage and oxidation
- Grapes collected in bins of 50kg max
- 1,900 pressing centres operated to reduce transport time
- Many producers hire the same individuals each year and pay a premium for quality fruit
Describe the process of pressing grapes in Champagne?
- Grapes pressed as whole bunches
- Basket press (traditional) or pneumatic press - pressure applied gently to ensure high-quality juice, low in phenolics, low in colour
- Per marc of grapes (4000kg), the free run and first pressing = 2,050L is called the cuvee
- Second pressing of 500L is the taille
- The remainder cannot be used to make Champagne
What is the maximum yield normally allowed in terms of juice?
79 hL/ha (may be raised to 98 hL/ha and surplus put into reserve)
Compare the cuvee and taille
Cuvee - high acid, wine with finesse and aging potential
Taille - lower acid, rich in colour and phenolics, used in NV blends as has more expressiveness in youth
Is Chapatilisation allowed?
Yes - to produce a final wine between 11-13%
What are the main vessels used to ferment the base wine?
- Stainless steel - most common
2. Oak (esp. foudre) - to increase texture and mouthfeel
When / why is malo allowed / disallowed?
Allow malo - in cool years to reduce / soften acidity
Disallow malo - in warm years, where they feel their style is better without modification
What are the advantages / disadvantages of keeping reserve wines?
Advantages
- More blending options
- -> potential to increase complexity of wine - Reduces impact of poor vintage on production that year
- Only good use of excess wine during bumper vintages
Disadvantages
- Opportunity cost of keeping wine back
- Cost of storage - space, equipment, labour requirement
At what stage is blending performed?
Usually before the base wine has been placed into the bottle for 2nd ferment
What volume of reserve wine is typical?
10-15% for large brand NV
30-40% for premium to add depth / complexity
How is reserve wine stored?
- Stainless steel - reductive, for high vol
- Old oak - adds mildly oxidative notes
- Magnums
- Perpetual reserve - adds complexity
How is blending used to create rosé Champagne?
Blend small amount of still, dry, red wine with base wine - yeast absorbs colour so winemaker needs to predict impact
Why is the autolytic character in Champagnes typically more pronounced than in other sparkling wines? (3)
- Bottle fermentation increased contact between wine and lees
- Min 12 months lees aging
- Cool climate means primary fruit more subtle
Outline the aging requirements for Champagne
NV - 12 month on lees, 15 months total
Vintage - 12 months on lees, 36 months total (lees aging usually longer)
How does the composition of the LdE impact the wine?
- Youthful base wine –> enhance fruit
- Aged reserve wine –> baked apple, dried fruit
- Red wine –> correct colour changes in rosé
How many appellations are there in Champagne?
- Champagne
What was the echelle des crus?
A hierarchical system of ranking villages and setting prices established in early c20th
Price for grapes fixed by Comite Champagne and then…
Grand Cru received 100% - 17 villages
1er Cru received 90-99% - 42 villages
Remaining villages received 80-89% - 257 villages
Ended by EU
Outline the rules around labelling a wine Grand / Premier Cru
Designation is for village as a whole
Label can state Grand / Premier Cru and name of village is all grapes from that village
Label can state Gran / Premier Cru if grapes come from different villages in that tier
Why do Champagne houses tend to focus on vintages / prestige cuvee as the mark of quality and not villages? (2)
- Quality of vineyards varies within villages sometimes considerably depending on soil, topography, aspect etc.
- Need to produce large volumes means grapes from different villages often blended
Briefly describe the structure of the Champagne industry?
16,000 growers - own 90% of vineyards
340 Champagne houses - own 10% of vineyards
Co-ops and brokers help houses buy grapes from growers
Some growers keep all or some of their grapes and vinify their own wines- grower Champagne
What does NM, RM and CM mean on a bottle of Champagne?
Negociant manipulant - Champagne house which buys grapes, must or wine to make and market under their own label
Recoltant manipulant - grower who makes and markets their own wine from their own grapes, vinfied on their own premises
Cooperative de manipulation - co-op that makes and markets a Champagne producers on behalf of its growers
What are the two largest Champagne groupings?
LVMH - Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Krug
Vranken Pommery Monopole - Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsick…
The top five Champagne house groupings account for what proportion of sales?
2/3 by value
How much Champagne is sold per year and where is it sold?
~300m bottles per year
50% domestic, 50% export
UK, USA, Japan, Germany and Belgium are largest export markets by vol
USA / Japan are largest by value
How much production are Houses, Growers and Co-Ops responsible for?
Houses - 73%
Growers - 18%
Co-Ops - 9%
Total = 301m bottles
What differences are there in where Houses, Growers and Co-Ops sell their wine?
Houses - strong export, account for almost 90% of exports
Growers - mostly sell to home market
Co-Ops - even split, some strong brands like Nicolas Feuillatte
Outline two changes in the structure of the Champagne industry in recent years.
- Co-Ops - making / marketing wine under their own brands
2. Houses - buying wine directly from growers / via agents
How does the Comite Champagne set the supply? (2)
- Sets max yield of grapes harvested - kg/ha
Includes:
-Max yield for base wine
- Allowance for reserve wine
Average of 10,500kg/ha in past decade
- Delimits the land where Champagne grapes may be grown, considering an expansion in light of climate change
Outline and explain trends in the price of Champagne
Volume down 10%, price up 25% 2008-18
Market share of Champagne <12EUR has been falling, share >20EUR rising
Change in position due to rise of mid-price sparkling like Prosecco
Reduce use of chemical fertiliser and lower max yields to support this
Outline factors that influence the cost of production of a wine. (4)
- Grapes - 6.10EUR per kg, Grand/1er Cru more expensive, vintage wines more likely to be made from highly-rate grapes
- Aging - direct cost / cash flow problems, vintage wines require longer maturation
- Rosé - requires red wine which is more expensive (ripeness higher)
- Oak
Roughly what % of the cost of Champagne is due to the cost of grapes, production, marketing?
Grapes - 50%
Production - 30%
Marketing - 20%
How do large Champagne houses get their wine to market and why?
Many operate their own distribution systems with own companies set up in destination markets - esp for conglomerates with several brands
- Increases control over price and how the wine is marketed
- Limits grey market trading where wine bought and sold outside of authorised channels
May use agents in destination market and provide a budget for market their wine
- Less control but fewer costs
How do growers distribute and market their wines?
- Mainly sold domestically
- Rely on specialist agents for export who sell to specialist shops, private clients and hospo
- Promote wines by in-person visits and tastings
Outline new products and trends in Champagne
Drier wines - Brut Nature and Extra Brut, small market but exports doubled 2011-16
Sweeter wines - Demi-Sec for use in cocktails and drunk over ice
Rose Champagne - 3% –> 10% of market since 2000
Single Vineyard - allows growers to achieve higher prices
Grower Champagne - e.g. Selosse, Jacquesson, Drappier
