Champagne Flashcards
How does a Vertical Press work?
accounting for at least 1/3 of champagne presses - vertical basket presses have a plate that is lowered onto a circular or square basket. The juice percolates across the press cake “gateau de marc” and runs away down the sides and base of the press. This results in a more limpid, clear juice because particles get trapped in the compacted skins. The press cake is broken up with pitchforks between pressings - a manual action called the “retrousse”
How does a PAI Press (Coquard) work? (latest innovation)
Pressoir a Plateau Incline. The press plates are inclined. One plate is immobile and one plate is moved by a hydraulic piston. Because the two plates are inclined, when the mobile plate is released, it creates space and the compact “gateau” falls to create a natural “retrousse.” This saves the trouble of turning up the “gateau” with forks to un-compact it.
Official sweetness levels for champagne changed in 2010 in which direction?
They became less sweet;
Brut must now be under 12 g/L RS from 15 g/L,
Extra Dry from 20 - 17,
Sec from 35 - 32
What are the 5 Departments of Champagne?
Aisne, Aube, Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine et Marne
What appellation in champagne designates still rose wines made from semi carbonic maceration?
Which Department is it located in?
Rose des Riceys;
Aube
Where do Champagne’s toasty/biscuity aromas seem to come from?
NOT necessarily from autolysis, but from oxidative aging in the bottle after disgorgement and the Maillard Reaction between the amino acids of autolysis and the sugar of the liqueur d’expedition. LEES keep the wine fresh through their reductive enzymes -
the impacts of autolysis are more structural than aromatic - Herve Alexandre (Dijon)
What is the northernmost 1er Cru Village?
Grand Cru?
Vrigny;
Sillery (more CH planted than PN)
What is Ratafia and how is it made?
A mistelle (VDL), fortified grape must from later press runs,
others - floc de gascogne (armagnac), pineau des charentes (cognac), macvin du jura, rinquinquin (rhone), cartagene (languedoc) - clairette du languedoc (or piquepoul or syrah)
What is the name for brandy made in the Champagne region?
Fine de Champagne or Fine de la Marne
Who farms biodynamically in Champagne?
Fleury, Francoise Bedel, Larmandier-Bernier, David Leclapart, Leclerc-Briant (left special club), Vouette & Sorbee, Louis Roederer, Laherte Freres, Marie-Noelle Ledru, Jerome Prevost
What are the soil types of the Cote des Bars?
Kimmerigian and Portlandian marls (Chablis)
What is a Special Club champagne?
A prestige cuvee that is marketed and packaged in an identical fashion across all RM members of the association “Club Tresors de Champagne.” Wines are taste analyzed and only made in outstanding vintage years. Est. 1971 (28 members) - 20% production can be earmarked for special club; estate owned vineyards, estate performed vinification
Name a CM producer
Nicolas Feuillatte, Jacquart, Mailly Champagne, Castelnau
What are the Grandes Marques (Maisons) de Champagne? (UMC - Union des Maisons de Champagne)
An association of 100 or so champagne houses who source grapes from growers through long-term relationships, blend across vintages to achieve a consistent style, have a global distribution and marketing that supports the reputation of champagne
AOC law specifies 3 zones for Champagne, which are:
Zone de l’Elaboration,
Zone de Production,
Zone Parcellaire de Production de Raisins
What was the first single cru champagne?
1860s Clos de la Chapter (Amedee Tarin) sold to Krug as Clos du Mesnil in 1972 (released 1979),
Salon in 1905 (only 38 vintage releases) 1921 first commercial,
2nd - Phillipponat Clos des Goisses (1935),
Cattier Clos du Moulin (1952),
Drappier Grande Sendree (1975),
Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale - Les Chetillons (1971), Leclerc-Briant Cumieres trilogy (1994) - discontinued,
Clos Cazals,
Clos Saint Hilaire (Billecart) 1995 released 2008, Taittinger Folies de la Marquetterie,
Krug Clos d’Ambonnay (1995 released 2008)
Velocity of an uncontrolled cork leaving the bottle?
50-60 km / h
What is Montgueux famous for growing? Where is it?
Chardonnay; between the Cotes des Blancs and the Cotes des Bars
Worst recent vintage of Champagne?
2016 - bad weather
2011 - early flowering led to early harvest with insufficient sugar levels - underripe grapes
What are the top vintages for champagne in the 90’s and 2000’s?
'95, ’96, ’02, ’04, ’06, ’08, ‘09
More recent?
2012, 2015 pretty good
North-facing Verzy and Verzenay produce what style of base wine?
refined, laser-etched pinot noirs
Which variety is primarily grown in Bouzy & Ambonnay?
Pinot Noir, south-facing exposures help to achieve ripeness - broader, more powerful
How many liters in a Nebachudnezzar?
15L (20 bottles)
Monsieur Jean Richard Met Son Blouson Noir
Salmanazar 9L (12 bottles) Balthazar 12L (16 bottles) Solomon 18L (24 bottles) Melchior 24L (32 bottles) Primat 27L (36 bottles) Melchisedech 30L (40 bottles)
What is a “marc” of grapes?
4,000kg - the standard amount of grapes to be pressed in a traditional coquard press
What does the topsoil in Champagne mostly consist of?
Sand and Clay
Grower champagnes account for how much of the market?
Less than one quarter
Which Grand Cru is designated for Reds only?
Whites?
Tours-sur-Marne (VdM);
Chouilly (CdB)
What percentage of the harvest may be used to make a vintage champagne?
80% but it must ALL come from stated vintage, 20% kept for reserve wine
Second fermentation in bottle typically finishes in what amount of time?
Up to 8 weeks, alcohol rises 1.2-1.3% during ‘en tirage’
AOC status
1936, 2009 expansion
Remuage takes how long vs. gyropalette?
8 weeks vs. 1 week
What is the name for press basket?
Maie
What is an SR
Societe de Recoltants - a firm who shares resources but markets several brands collectively - often occurs as a result of separate inheritance (brothers who wish to create separate brands)
Who makes champagne with the accessory varieties?
Laherte Frères (coteaux sud d’epernay) ‘Les 7’;
L. Aubry Fils (petit montagne de Reims) ‘Le Nombre d’Or’ (arbanne, petit meslier);
Moutard and Olivier Horiot (arbanne);
Pierre Gerbais, Cedric Bouchard, Charles Dufour (pinot blanc);
Duval Leroy (petite meslier),
Agrapart ‘Complante’
Who makes the following Prestige Cuvees … Louise, Grande Siecle, Grand Cru MV (Grand Cordon), Rare, Belle Epoque
Pommery (also Tarlant), Laurent Perrier, Mumm, Piper-Heidsieck, Perrier-Jouet
What is the size of a champagne barrel?
205L so you can fill 10 barrels from 2,050L - the coeur de cuvee of the coquard press yield - 2,550L (before 1992 it was 2,666L);
max press yield is 160 kg/ 102L - “la taille” is the last part of juice pressed
Roughly what percentage of all sparkling wine is champagne?
8%
What was the first rose champagne?
“Oeil de Perdrix Mousseux” made by Ruinart in 1764 to the Baron von Welzel - now it is made through blending of still wines;
first blended rose champagne was produced by Veuve Clicquot (1777)
Who makes champagne from rose de saignee?
Laurent Perrier, Drappier, Fleury, Mousse Fils, Paul Bara Special Club, Larmandier Bernier, Rene Geoffroy ‘Empreinte’VB, Vouette et Sorbee, LaSalle
What is the largest wine growing village (by acreage) in champagne?
Les Riceys - 866ha (350ha for still rose)
What are the maximum yields in champagne?
Measured in kg/ha 10,400
Which other product of France is not required to feature the AOC mention on the label?
Cognac
Typical liqueur de tirage for a classic champagne
24 grams = creates 1+% of alcohol
Secondary fermentation contributes an increase of..
1.2 - 1.3 % alcohol
What is the maximum abv at the point of sale for champagne
13%
Liqueur de Tirage
Mixture of still wine, yeast, sugar, and fining agents
Liqueur d’Expedition
Mixture of sugar syrup and wine
Pruning methods
Cordon de Royat, Chablis (both permitted for GC);
Vallee de la marne,
Guyot
Rebeche
3 extraction of press - can be used to make ratafia, marc de champagne, can be used to make dosage 1-10% of the press yield
Taille
2nd 500 L of the pressing - can be richer and more coarse sometimes used for blending
Cuvee
1st 2,050 L of the pressing
Debourbage
tank settling
100% PM champagnes
Chartogne Taillet ‘Les Barres’ (ungrafted),
Mousse Fils Special Club,
Terre d’Illite *5% PN (Cuisles),
Egly Ouriet Vignes de Vrigny,
Laherte Les Vignes d’Autrefois,
Tarlant Vigne d’Or
Moet et Chandon “Les Champs de Romont” Sillery GC
Wine with 20 g/L,
17 g/L ?
Dry,
Extra Dry
How many glasses in a Salmanazar?
9 L, 12 bottles, 60 glasses - 61 perfect pouring
Vielles Vignes Francais - which village?
Chaudes Terres (Ay), Clos Saint Jacques (Ay)
99% vineyards in the echelle de cru
Mareuil sur Ay (Vallee), Tauxieres (Montagne)
Largest landowner of champagne vineyards
Moet et Chandon, 1190ha,
En foule (planting without rows)
En provignage (method of propagation) - vine can gets buried and produces new fruiting canes, can provide much higher density
Pure chalk soils outside of the cotes des blanc?
Montgeuex - Jacques Lassaigne; historically important source for blending chardonnay
3 houses whose tete de cuvee are called ‘Prestige’?
Dethune (Ambonnay),
Bonnaire (Cramant),
Guy Larmandier “Cramant GC Prestige” (Vertus)
First Tete de Cuvee?
Cristal (1876) or Dom? (1921 launched in 1936) - Dom was the first to be commercially released because Cristal was exclusively for Tsar Alexander II
How many grams of sugar creates 1 bar of pressure?
about 4 g/L
Cuvees historically bottled at lower levels of pressure?
Cedric Bouchard - Roses de Jeanne, Roederer blanc de blancs, Doyard La Libertine, Pierre Peters Perle du Mesnil, Gimmonet Gastronome, Basserat de Bellefont, Lilbert Perle
define MCR
rectified concentrated grape must - can be used for tirage or dosage
Jetting
injection of CO2 done during bottling to avoid oxidation at disgorgement - practiced by Ruinart
zones of chalk in vineyards
belemnite - extinct squids (midslope);
micraster - plains
Fromonteau
Pinot Gris
Vallee de la Marne vine training
Cane pruning - easier to remove diseased - thicker trunk
Largest biodynamic holder
Roederer
Selosse introduced what technique to champagne
Solera ‘Substance’ - started in 1986 or 87 - inspired by Jerez
Vitryat
2nd most densely planted area after montagne de reims historically
Rose de Riceys producers
Guy De Forets,
Olivier Horiot
3 OG producers of Club Tresors
Paul Bara,
Gaston Chiquet,
Pierre Gimonnet
Who makes L’atavique, l’ineffable, l’incandescant,’
Mouzon-Leroux
Liesse d’Harbonville cuvee
Ployez-Jacquemart
2 main rivers flank the Aube
Seine and Aube
GC vineyards that are north-facing
Verzenay, Verzy, Mailly (Montagne de Reims)
3 Special Club Producers in the CdB
Gimonnet (Cuis),
Larmandier (Cuis) - Vielle Vigne du Levant (Cramant)
Vazart et Coquart (Chouilly)
Cotes de Sezanne and Cote des Blancs separated by
Marais de Saint Gonde - 1st battle of WWI
Cotes de Sezanne soil
heavier clay soils than Cotes des Blancs - major producer - Barrat Mason
How many bottles can a gyropalette riddle?
504 bottles - completes the process in 1 week vs. 8 weeks, invented by Claude Cazals - patented in 1968 but Codorniu was the first major user
Which houses are known to barrel-ferment their base wines
Krug,
Bollinger
Transvasage
Bottles are disgorged into pressurized tank, and filtered - larger than 3L (Jeroboam), smaller than a demi
Most vin clair undergo malolactic
TRUE
Houses that avoid malolactic
Alfred Gratien,
Krug (most lots don’t but no active system to prevent), Paul Bara,
Gosset (by cuvee),
Lanson
Taille Chablis is used for what grape?
Chardonnay - spur pruned - up to 5 spurs, up to 5 buds - restrains vigor and encourages fruit to grow inward
RC producer
Growers Co-op - most sold domestically
ND
Negociant Distributeur - middle man. distributes the wine, doesn’t make it
min. lees aging for vintage champagne
12 months
RM - allowed to purchase fruit?
up to 5%, so you can still make rose
MA
own-label, Kirkland, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Castelnau - produces many
Comtesse Marie de France (MA tete de cuvee)
Paul Bara - bottled for defunct restaurant
Large Producer Groups
LVMH, Laurent-Perrier, Lanson, Pernod-Ricard
Cote des Blancs 1er Crus
Vertus,
Cuis,
Bouve
What is the max press yield for Champagne?
102 L for 160 kg
What is the max press yield for Cava
100 L for 150 kg (less strict)
Vallee de la Marne 1er Crus
Cumieres,
Bisseuil,
Damery
Montagne de Reims 1er Crus
Ludes, Chigny les Roses, Vrigny (Egly), Sacy, Eceuil (Savart)
Nature wine
Pommery - 1874 - Brut style
Bidule
plastic piece affixed to
Prestige Cuvees for … Gratien, Bereche, Agrapart, Henriot, Krug
Paradis, Le Cran, Venus, Enchanteleurs (now different - Hemera?), Clos du Mesnil
What is the ‘reserve de blocage’?
the CIVC decides when a portion of the harvest should be reserved as juice for future wines during difficult vintages
the objective to is maintain a quality reserve of at least 1/2 of a harvest
T or F the CIVC has jurisdiction over all professions involved with the champagne industry?
TRUE - vine nurseries, press, barrel, equipment manufacturers, bottle and cork makers, packaging and transport
