Champagne Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Vintage Champagne requirements

A

100% from that vintage

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2
Q

Examples of universally declared Champagne vintages

A

2002, 2008

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3
Q

Rosé d’assemblage

A

Blend red wine with white

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4
Q

Rosé de saignée

A

Skin macerate black grapes; draw off skins

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5
Q

Blanc de Blancs character

A

austere in youth

long ageing

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6
Q

Blanc de Noirs

A

FUller bodied

Age more rapidly than BdB

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7
Q

Grand Cru

A

all grapes from Grand Cru villages

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8
Q

Premier Cru

A

all grapes from Premier Cru or Grand Cru villages

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9
Q

Drink late disgorged CHampagne immediately, why?

A

Initially seem more youthful tahn same vintage disgorged earlier
But after disgorgement they age more rapidly
Impact of disgrogement (ingress of oxygen, disturbance of liquid) greater in older wines

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10
Q

Wine from Champagne was historically what style/colour?

A

Still, rosé

Pinot Noir

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11
Q

Who developed riddling?

A

Veuve Cliquot

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12
Q

Remuage

A

Riddling

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13
Q

Champagne AOC boundary set in what year

A

1927

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14
Q

Blocage

A

Reserve wines

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15
Q

Why blocage came about?

A

Reserve wines

Portion of young wine set aside as insurance policy against low yields/disasters later

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16
Q

5 subregions of Champagne

A
Montagne de Reims
Valée de la Marne
Cote des Blanc
Cote de Sézanne
Cote des Bar
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17
Q

Champagne climate

A

Cool continental
Some oceanic influence
700mm rain

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18
Q

Average annual temp in Champagne

A

11C

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19
Q

How has climate change impacted Champagne?

A

Over last 30 years, harvest dates have moved forward 18 days on average
Average acidity has dropped
Potential alcohol risen 0.7%

Result: more consistently ripened grapes, fewer poor vintages

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20
Q

Best geographical area in Champagne for high quality grapes?

A

Chalky hillsides in northern part

High chalk content = high quality Chardonnay

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21
Q

Characteristics of chalk soils

A

Highly porous
Stores water
Steady supply of water in dry periods

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22
Q

Montagne de Reims

A

Black grapes
Grand Cru: Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy
Wide plateau, not mountain
North-facing villages = excellent cool-climate site (frost prone)
High acidity
Austere in youth
Grands Crus on chalk = balance of water retention and drainage
Some good Chardonnay

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23
Q

Vallée de la Marne

A

Meunier on clay, marl and sand (fruity wines)
Meunier bud break later, ripen earlier = well suited to frost prone valley
Grand Cru: Ay
Early drinking Chardonnay also

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24
Q

Cote des Blancs

A

Almost exclusively white grapes
Purest chalk (water retention and drainage)
95% Chard
GCs: Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Long aged wines, austere in youth

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25
Q

Cote de Sézanne

A
Continuation of Cote des Blancs
Clay and clay/silt, some chalk
Chardonnay on warm SE-facing slopes
Fruitier, riper
Quality lower than VdlM, CdBlanc and MdR
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26
Q

Cote de Bar

A

South of region
25% Pinot Noir
Kimmeridgian calcareous marls (Sancerre and Chablis)
Steep slopes, stony limestone = drainage = good Pinot
Important source of Pinot for other areas
Merchants from north buy grapes here

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27
Q

Hectares under vine in Champagne

A

35,000ha

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28
Q

Breakdown of grapes %

A

Pinot Noir 38%
Meunier 32%
Chardonnay 30%

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29
Q

Which of three grapes is increasingly in demand?

A

Chardonnay
Planted more and more
Demand from big Houses
Higher price per kilo, larger yields

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30
Q

Other grapes in Champagne

A

Pinot Blanc
Arbanne
Petit Meslier
Fromenteau

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31
Q

Meunier

A
aka Pinot Meunier
Mutation of PN with white hairs/floury
Meunier = miller
Early bud (but later than PN and Chard = less prone to frost)
Earlier ripen than PN = good in years with late rain
Sensitive to botrytis
Fruity wine, adds softness
Important for NV wines
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32
Q

Producers that use Meunier for long-ageing wines

A

Krug

Egly-Ouriet

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33
Q

Average density in Champagne vyd

A

8,000v/ha

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34
Q

Why are high yields ok?

A

Not necessary for ripe tannins or flavours

Don’t need concentrated colour

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35
Q

Taille Chablis

A

Pruning system best for Chardonnay
3-4 cordons (old wood), max 5
End of each cordon: a spur with up to 5 buds
Form of spur pruning, lots of permanent wood (good vs. frost)
Spurs grown t yearly intervals, trained to max 0.6m above ground (benefit solar energy reflected from soil)

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36
Q

Cordon du Royat

A

Used for PN and Munier
Royat = RED wines
Single cordon, spur pruned, VSP

37
Q

Guyot

A

Replacement cane, VSP. Lesser rated vyds. Single or double guyot

38
Q

“Vallee de la Marne” training system

A

similar to Guyot but more buds

Used less than in the past

39
Q

What is Vallée de la Marne

A

1) a sub-region (Meunier)

2) a training system (like Guyot but more buds; less popular now)

40
Q

Climatic threats in Champagne

A
Winter frost
Spring frost
Cold/rain affect flowering/fruit set = reduce yields, unripe grapes
Violet storms/hail
Hot and humid summer = botrtryis
41
Q

Pests and diseases

A

Downy mildew
Podwery mildew
Dagger nematode (which spreads fanleaf virus)

42
Q

Sustainability in Champagne

A

Promoted by Comité Champagne
Pesticides reduced (sex confusion instead)
Soil protection (groundwater on slopes; cover crops)
Water management
Recycling waste and by-products
Lighter bottle for NV

43
Q

How are harvest dates decided?

A

Comité Champagne decides
Sample grapes from 450 control plots from veraison onwards
Measure colour change, weight, sugar, acidity and botrytis
Determine max yield for year, required abv
Announce start dates but producers can pick later

44
Q

Can producers pick earlier than set harvst dates?

A

Yes by special derogation from INAO

if for example botrytis threat

45
Q

AOC regulations for picking and pressing?

A

Hand harvest

Whole bunch pressing

46
Q

How long does harvest last?

A

Usuall 3 weeks

around 100,000 workers

47
Q

How many pressing centres around Champagne?

A

1,900

keep transportation times to a minimum

48
Q

Why is pressing gentle in Champagne?

A

Gradual increase of presusre
Ensure high quality
Low phenolics (avoid extracting tannins)
Make white wine from black grapes

49
Q

Marc

A

4,000kg of grapes

50
Q

Max yield

A

79hl/ha

can be raised to 98hl/ha if agreed with Comite

51
Q

Cuvée

Taille

A

4,000kg of grapes loaded in to press
Cuvée: first 2,050L (free run juice and first pressing)
Taille: next 500 litres

Limiting total pressing ptoects quality, avoiding over-extraction of phenolics
Maintains fruit flavours

52
Q

Cuvée how many L

A

first 2,050L

53
Q

Taille how many litres

A

500L

54
Q

Characteristic of cuvee

A

Rich in acids

Finesse, ageing potential

55
Q

Characteristics of taille

A

Lower acid, more colour and phenolics

Useful for blends = expressive in youth but not ageing potential

56
Q

NV: more cuvée or taille?

A

More taille. Expressive in youth but doesnt have same ageing potential

57
Q

Chaptalisation allowed?

A

Yes to produce a wine with minimum alcohol 11%

final alcohol cannot reach 13% NB

58
Q

Alcoholic fermentation vessel

A

Stainless steel

More large oak foudres = textural richness, mouthfeel

59
Q

MLF?

A

Yes, often, after alcoholic ferment
Reduce and soften acidity
Some avoid it

60
Q

Store base wine where?

A

Large producers: big vessels, reductive environment away from oxygen
Others: old oak, mild oxidation
Bollinger: age in magnum
Others eg Pierre Peters: perpetual reserve

61
Q

Source of red wine for rose blending?

A

Still dry Pinot Noir or Meunier, locally grown

62
Q

Example of skin contact rosé producer?

A

Laurent Perrier

63
Q

Colour consideration for rosé blending?

A

Yeast absorbs colour pigments during each fermentation = getting colour right in final wine requires experience and expertise

64
Q

Brioche flavours prominent in CHampagne why?

A

More prominent than in warmer climates due to lower intensity of primary fruit present

65
Q

NV lees ageing

A

12 months

Total 15 months in cellar

66
Q

Vintage lees ageing

A

12 months

Cant be relaesed until three years after tirage (many keep for longer)

67
Q

How did Echelle des Crus system end?

A

Pressure from EU

68
Q

Biggest buyer of grapes?

A

Moet & Chandon

69
Q

Grand Cru refers to village or vineyard?

A

Village entirely

70
Q

Why Grand Cru not used as widely here by Houses as eg Burgundy negciants?

A

Houses need to produce large volumes and high quality; there is variation within and between GCs; Houses thus focus on the brand of the vintage or prestige cuvee rather than promote individual village or vineyard names

71
Q

How many growers in Champgne?

A

16,000

remember: 35,000ha underr vine

72
Q

Growers own what % of vineyards?

A

90%

73
Q

How many Champagne Houses?

A

340

74
Q

All big CHampagne Houses belong to which acronym/category?

A

NM

Negociant Manipulant

75
Q

Growers belong to which acronym/category?

A

RM

Recoltant Manipulant

76
Q

LVMH owns what?

A
Moet and Chandon
Dom perignon
Mercier
Veuve Clicquot
Ruinart
Krug
77
Q

Vranken Pommery Monopole owns what?

A
Vranken
Pommery
Monopole Hiedsieck
Charles Laffite
Bissinger
78
Q

Champagne sales split between export and domestic what %?

A

50-50

79
Q

Total sales for Champagne (2018)

A

302 million bottles

80
Q

Growers sell most of their wine in which market?

A

Domestic

81
Q

How is supply of Champagne controlled?

A

Max grape yields for base wine this year
Allowance of wines to go into reserves
Potentially adding more land to AOC

82
Q

Main export markets

A

UK, USA, Japan, Germany, Beligum

83
Q

Price per kilo of grapes

A

€6.10/kg (not GC or PC)

1.2kg makes one bottle

84
Q

How many kg of grapes makes one bottle of Champagne?

A

1.2kg

85
Q

Why is vintage Champagne more expensive to produce?

A

Premium grapes cost more
Cant be sold for three years = cost of storage nad cashflow
(vs 15 months for NV)

86
Q

Why is rose champagne a bit more expensive to make?

A

Red wine is needed = more expensive bcos lower yields

87
Q

Markeitng and advertising approx what % of bottle price for large Houses?

A

20%

88
Q

Broad breakdown of costs for bottle of Champagne

A

50% grapes
30% production
20% commercialisation