Champagne Flashcards
Topography (Cities, water bodies, mountains)
Factor effecting climate, hazards, Terroir
City: Epernay, Reims, Chalons, Troyes
Rivers: Marne, Seine, Aube
Ocean: Atlantic (influence the climate)
Climate: Cool continental
Hazards: Rain, frosts and summer hail.
To tackle frosts there are 3 methods:
Heaters, wind machines and sprinkling water candles
Soil: Chalk, limestone (provides good drainage and retain a fairly constant temperature), Marne, clay
Vineyards: best ones on slopes
Grape varieties allowed
Chardonnay (acidic, finesse), Pinot noir (acidic, texture), Pinot Meunier (fruity).
Others: Voltis (new one) Arbane, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Petit Meslier
Winemaking
Methode Champenoise - also called:
- Méthode classique
- Classic method
- Traditional method
- Méthode Traditionelle
Ageing requirements:
NV - 15 months of which min 12 months on lees
Vintage - 36 months
Styles:
Rose
Blanc de blanc
Blanc de noir
Sugar content g x Lt
- Brut nature / zero dosage - less than 3 grams per liter
- Extra brut - between 3 and 6 grams per liter
- Brut - Between 6 and 12 grams per liter
- Extra dry - between 12 and 17 grams per liter
- Dry - between 17 and 32 grams per liter
- Semi-dry - between 32 and 50 grams per liter
- Sweet - more than 50 grams per liter
Subregions / main grape variety
- Cote des Bar (Aube): Pinot Noir
- Cote de Blanc: Chardonnay
- Cote des Sezanne: Chardonnay
- Montagne de Reims: Pinot noir
- Vallee de la Marne: Pinot Meunier
Classification
17 Gran Cru
44 Premier Cru
Village level
Villages
Cote des Bar (Aube)
Cote de Blanc: Avise, Cramant, Chouilly
Montagne de Reims: Ambonnay, Bouzy, Reims
Vallee de la Marne: Ay, Epernay, Hautvillier
Main Producers
Cote de Blanc: Salon, Selosse
Montagne de Reims: Charles Heidsieck, Piper-Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Ruinart, Tattinger, Louis Roederer, Henriot
Vallee de la Marne: Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, Moet and Chandon and Dom Perignon, Gosset, Pol Roger, Mousse Fils
Gran Cru (17)
Cote de Blanc (6): Avise, Cramant, Chouilly, Oiri, Ogel, Le Mesnil
Montagne de Reims (9) : Ambonnay, Bouzy, Beaumont-sur Vesle, Louvois, Mailly, Puisieulx, Sillery, Verzy, Verzenay
Vallee de la Marne (2) : Ay, Tours sur Marne
Prestige Cuvee
Bollinger - La Grande Année Les vieilles vignes francaises
Billecart-Salmon - Nicolas François Billecart, Clos St Hilare , Elisabeth rose
Charles Heidsieck - Blanc des Millénaires, Charlie, Royale
Deutz
Gosset - Celebris, Grand Millésime
Henriot - Cuvée des Enchanteleurs, Hemera
Louis Roederer - Cristal
Moet and Chandon - Dom Perignon
Krug - Clos du Mesnil, Clos d Ambonnay, (Private)
Pol Roger - Sir Wiston Churchill
Perrier Jouet
Piper-Heidsieck - Rare
Ruinart - Dom Ruinart (reserve) L’exclusive
Taittinger
Veuve Clicquot - La Grande Dame
What is the 1st step in making Méthode Champenoise?
Making the base wine.
- grapes pressed quickly to avoid skin contact and oxidation;
- grape must go through primary fermentation resulting in a low alcohol, high acid, lightly colored wine. This is your base wine.
What is the 2nd step of making Méthode Champenoise (after creating the base wine)?
Blending, aka assemblage
- once the base wine is made, the winemaker will blend the different base wines (different vintages, villages, etc.)
What step in Méthode Champenoise comes after blending?
Secondary fermentation
- the blended base wine is bottled with liqueur de tirage (a mixture of yeast + sugar);
- the tirage ignites the secondary fermentation (because the yeasts will eat the sugar, creating CO2 and alcohol);
- bottle gets a crown cap (bottle cap), is laid on its side, and secondary fermentation begins;
- the CO2 created by the tirage is trapped and dissolves in the wine.
What are the 2 things tirage creates?
- CO2
- (a little bit of) Alcohol
What step in Méthode Champenoise comes after tirage?
Aging on the lees
- As the yeast cells from the tirage expire, they settle onto the bottom of the bottle;
- The wine rests on these expired yeast cells, called lees, for at least 12 months.
What is autolysis?
A process when yeasts decompose;
- These dead yeast cells release proteins and flavor compounds redolent of bread;
This sur lie aging will create flavors of biscuit, brioche, and toast.
What is the name of the process that moves lees from bottle to neck post aging?
Riddling or Remage
Describe the process of riddling.
- Each bottle is turned about 45º every day to gently cajole the lees into the neck of the bottle;
- Riddling is done until the bottle is standing upside down and all less have settled into the bottle’s neck.
What is a gyropalette?
The machine that riddles sparkling wine bottles. (holds 504 bottles, it takes 8 days)
What is the name of the wooden A-frame rack used to hand riddle champagne bottles?
Pupitre - invented by Widow Clicquot
can hold 60 bottles, it takes 8 weeks
How are lees removed after riddling?
Disgorgement
- after all sediment has been moved into the neck of the bottle after riddling, the neck is frozen to solidify the yeast plug;
crown cap is removed, either by hand or machine, and the plug is forced out by the pressure of the CO2 gas that was created.
After disgorgement, what can be added to a bottle of Champagne?
Dosage
- mixture of wine + sugar, called liqueur d’expédition;
- the amount of sugar in the dosage determines the final sweetness level of champagne.
What are the 2 main types of Champagne producers?
A producer who buys grapes, juice or finished wine which they bottle uner their own name or label.
A Grower is someone who makes wine from grapes grown in vineyards that they own.
List 3 special bottlings often found in Champagne.
Single Vineyard
A wine whose grapes come from one, single vineyard.
Clos or Mono Parcel
A parcel of, or smaller area within, a single vineyard that’s owned by one producer.
Cuvée Prestige or Tête de Cuvée
The highest-tier bottling of a Champagne house or producer.
