Champagne Flashcards
What larger region is Champagne apart of?
Grand Est
What grapes varieties are allowed in Champagne?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Meunier
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Petite Messlier
Arbane
Voltis - 2022
What percentage of plantings are Pinot Gris, Petite Messlier and Arbane?
What has caused their decline?
0.3%
Difficulty to grow and not replanted after Phylloxera
What is Pinot Gris called in Champagne?
Fromenteau
Who is known for reviving Pinot Gris, Petite Messlier and Arbane in the 80s?
Who else works with these grapes?
L. Aubry Fils
Drappier
Laherte Freres
Tarlant
Rene Geoffroy
Apagrart
Describe how Pinot Noir buds and ripen in reference to it’s plantings in Champagne
- Buds early making it susceptible to frost
- Ripens later those other champagne varieties (early compared to most grapes) making it susceptible to frost.
- It also requires longer to develop complexity
Describe how Meunier buds and ripen in reference to it’s plantings in Champagne
Buds late helping avoid frost
Ripens early helping avoid frost
Describe how Chardonnay buds and ripen in reference to it’s plantings in Champagne
Buds early making it susceptible to frost
Ripens early helping avoid frost
What is Meunier named after?
Meunier means miller in French
Names comes from the fuzz on the leaves that looks like a dusting of flour
What was Meunier formerly known as?
Morillon Taconne
What is Chardonnay called in Champagne?
Epinette
Morillon blanc
Romeret
Describe Arbanne
- Very late ripening
- High acid
- Savory and herbal
- Austere
List producers that make a 100% Arbane
Olivier Horiot (Aube)
Moutard Pere et Fils (Aube)
What was Pinot Blanc confused for in Champagne and when was it distinguished?
Morillion Blanc (Chardonnay)
1868 by French amelographer Victor Pulliat
What village is known for having most of the Pinot Blanc planted in Champagne?
Celles-sur-Ource, Barsequanais, Aube
List wines that are make with 100% Pinot Blanc
- Pierre Gerbais, “L’Originale”, Celles-Sur-Ource, Barsequanais, Aube
- Bouchard (Roses de Jeanne) “Boloree”, Celles-Sur-Ource, Barsequanais, Aube
What village is known for Petite Messlier?
Venteuil, River Droite, Valle de la Marne
Name a 100% Petite Messlier Champagne
Duval-Leroy “Précieuse”, Venteuil, Rive Droite, Valle de la Marne
What styles are allowed in Chateaux Champenois?
White
Rose
Red
List top examples of White Coteaux Champenois
- Larmandier-Bernier’s Cramant Nature
- Bérêche et Fils’ Le Mont Fournois, Ludes
- Henri Giraud’s Aÿ blanc
- Jacques Lassainge’s Coteaux Champenois, Montgueux
- François Secondé’s Sillery Blanc
Describe the two styles of Coteaux Champenois Rouge and list examples
Elegant, mineral drive
- Paul Bara Bouzy Rouge
- Pierre Paillard’s Bouzy Rouge
- Marie-Noëlle Ledru’s Ambonnay Rouge
- Gatinois’ Aÿ Rouge
- François Secondé’s Sillery Rouge
- Georges Laval’s Cumières Rouge
- Bérêche et Fils’ red from the village of Ormes
- David Léclapart’s Trépail Rouge
- Larmandier-Bernier’s Vertus Rouge
- Franck Pascal’s Confiance
Powerful concentrated wines similar to Burgundy
- Egly-Ouriet’s Cuvée des Grands Côtes
- Gonet-Médeville’s Cuvée Anthenaïs
- René Geoffroy’s Cumières Rouge
- Bollinger’s Côte aux Enfants
- Benoît Lahaye’s Bouzy Rouge
What are the four vine training systems allowed in Champagne and what are they used for?
Cordon de Royat - Pinot Noir
Chablis
Guyot
Valle de la Marne - Only Meunier
What is the climate of Champagne?
Considered martime with a continental influce
What are the biggest climate risks in Champagne?
Extreme weather spikes
- Frosts are danger into late spring
- Heatwaves in the summer
- Hail
What parallel is Champagne located on?
49th
What is Boues de ville?
Sanitized urban compost from Paris that was spread across the vineyards
- Banned in 1999
- Blue trash bags are still found in the vineyard
- Brought heavy metal contamination to the soils
What is a Crayeres?
Deep pits and tunnels dug into Chalk
- Originally dug in Gallo-Roman times 2000 years ago to quarry chalk for buildings
- Pyramid shaped with a small hole in the top up to 100 feet deep
- Only found on the north side of Reims
Who first used Crayeres as a cellar?
Ruinart
Who is famous for their decorated Crayeres?
Pommery
- Has the most ornate examples thanks to Madame Louise Pommery
- She acquired 120 crayères in 1870s covering more than 11 miles of tunnels and rooms
- She commissioned Champenois artist Gustave Navlet to carve a huge bas-reliefs of bacchic times directly into the walls
- Project took 3 years to complete
How were the chalk soils in Champagne formed?
- Result of a vast sea that covered the area during the Campanian era of the Cretaceous period 72 million years ago
- Formed by sediment from tiny fossils and calcareous algae
- Thick layer up to 1,000 feet deep in some areas
What are the two layers of chalk found in Champagne?
Belemnite
- Upper slope made of the fossilized calcite beaks of cephalopods
Micraster
- Lower slope made of fossilized sea urchins
What is Cendres Noirs?
Lignite (“Black ashes”) - low grade coal formed from compressed peat
Prior to modern fertilizer, quarries of cendres noires allowed vine growers to replenish their soils. Still done in Ambonnay and Bouzy
What is the main soil type of the Cotes des Bar?
Kimmerdgian limestone
What is Sparnacian?
Stratum of soils
- Sands
- Clays
- Limestone
- Lightnite (cendres noirs)
What general soil types relative to slope in Champagne?
Top Slope - Clay and limestone (often Sparnacian)
Mid Slope - Belemnite
Low Slope - Micraster
Who was the first Champagne producer to certify biodynamic?
List others
Fleury - 1992
- Françoise Bedel
- Larmandier-Bernier
- David Léclapart
- Leclerc-Briant
- Vouette & Sorbée
- Louis Roederer (not certified but the largest bioD vineyard owner)
What directions to the vineyards face in Verzenay and Verzy?
North
What villages were promoted to Grand Cru in 1985?
Verzy
Chouilly
Oiry
Oger
Mesnil-sur-Oger
List notable sites in Verzy
Les Fervins
Les Epinettes
Les Blanches Voies
Penet-Chardonnet makes all 3
List producers from Verzy
Mouzon-Leroux
Penet-Chardonnet
What is Villers-Marmery almost entirely planted with?
Chardonnay - East facing Slopes
List notable sites in Villers-Marmery
Champs d’Enfer
Brocot
Les Alouettes Saint-Betzs - Hugues Godme
A. Margaine makes all 3
List prominent produces that use fruit from Villers-Marmery
Deutz
- Blanc de Blancs, Amour de Deutz
Arnaud Margaine
- All vines are from Villers-Marmey except for small plot of Pinot Noir in Verzy
Hughes Godme
What is Trepail mostly planted with?
Chardonnay - East and southeast facing slopes
Who is the most regarded producer in Trepail?
David Leclapart
What is Ambonnay mostly planted with?
Pinot Noir 80%
List important sites in Ambonnay
Les Crayeres - Benoit Marguet
Les Bermonts- Benoit Marguet
La Grande Ruelle - Benoit Marguet, Gonet-Medville
Le Bout du Clos - Jacques Selosse
Le Parc - Benoit Marguet
Clos du Ambonnay - Krug Monopole
What is most planted in Louvois?
Pinot Noir - 80-90%
What is most planted in Tauxieres?
Name a notable vineyard
Pinot Noir - 80-90%
Les Argentieres
Describe the climate of Bouzy
Warmer and sunnier than most of the Montagne de Reims
What is most planted in Bouzy?
Pinot Noir - 80-90%
List notable sites in Bouzy
Les Maillerettes - Pierre Paillard
Les Mottelettes - Pierre Paillard
Les Monts des Tours
List prominent producers in Bouzy
Paul Bara
Benoit Lahaye
Jean Vesselle
Hubert Dauvergne
Pierre Paillard
List notable sites in Tours-sur-Marne
Les Meslaines - Liamiable
What is the breakdown of planting in the Montagne de Reims?
41% Pinot Noir
34% Meunier
25% Chardonnay
What subzone in Montagne de Reims is known for Meunier?
Petite Montagne
What are the subzones of Montagne de Reims?
Massif de St. Thierry
Monts de Berru
Vesle
Ardre
Petite Montaigne
Grand Montaigne
What is Brulart?
Most famous Champagne estate in the 17th century, located in Sillery
How long is the Cote des Blancs?
12 miles north to south
How do wines from the northern Cote des Blanc compares to the south?
North - Richer due to higher clay content
South - More tense and saline due to more chalk and limestone
List a producer known for the Cuis 1er wine
Pierre Gimmonet, Blanc de Blanc, Cuis
What is Chouilly quality designation?
Grand Cru for Chardonnay
Premiere Cru for Pinot Noir
What are the two sections of Chouilly?
- Les Pertelains - Northwestern part, less desirable
- Butte de Sarran
What is the Butte de Sarran?
A large outcropping of rock between Chouilly and Cramant with vineyards planted on it
List notable sites in Chouilly
Les Grandes Terres
Montaigu - Suenen
Les Aventures - AR Lenoble “Les Aventures”, Vazart Coquart TC
What direction to vineyards in Cramant face?
East - Sits on the southern part of the Butte de Sarran creating an open facing amphitheater
List notable sites on Cramant
Chemins des Chalons - Jacques Selosse
Les Robarts - Suenen
Buzons
Gros Monts
Pimonts
Les Buissons
Les Moyens
Bourrons de Levant
Le Fond de Bâteau
Les Bionnes
List producers known for Cramant holdings or bottlings
Diebolt-Vallois - Cuvee Prestige, Fleur de Passion
Lilbert Fils
Larmandier-Bernier
Lancelot-Pienne
Jacques Selosse - “Chemin de Châlons”
Suenen - Les Robarts
List notable sites in Avize
- La Fosse - Agrapart Venus
- Les Chantereines - Jacques Selosse (Used in Substance)
- Champ Cain - Jacquesson
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- Chemin de Pivot - Used in Larmandier Bernier Les Chemins d’Avize
- Chemin de Flavigny - Used in Larmandier Bernier Les Chemins d’Avize
- Les Marvillannes - Used in Selosse Substance
- Le Champ Bouton
- Nemery
List producers known for their Avize
- Agrapart - Venus from “La Fosse”
- Jacques Selosse - “Les Chantereines”
- Jacquesson - “Champ Cain”
- Larmandier-Bernier - Les Chemins d’Avize frm “Chemin de Plivot” and “Chemin de Flavigny”
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- Louis-Roederer - uses in blends
- Billecart-Samon - uses in blends
- Tattinger - uses in blends
- Moet & Chandon - uses in Dom Perignon
- Charles Heidsieck - uses in Blanc des Millenaires
- Veuve Cliquot - Uses in La Grande Dame
List producers known for Oger
Claude Cazals
Jean Michel
Jean Milan
Charles Heidsieck - uses in Blanc des Millenaires
List notable sites in Oger
Clos Cazals - Claude Cazals
Terres de Noel - Jean Michel, Jean Milan
List notable sites in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
- Clos du Mesnil - Krug Monopole
- Les Chétillons - Pierre Peters, Pierre Moncuit Cuvée Nicole Moncuit Vielle Vigne, Robert Moncuit
- Les Musettes
- Coullemets
- Le Mont Joly
- Monts Martin
- Hautes Mottes - JL Vergnon Confidence
- Les Carelles - Jacques Selosse
What is Vertus mostly planted with?
Chardonnay - 92%
Describe the two sections of Vertus
Northern Side - closer to Mesnil, chalk with little topsoil
Southern Side - Deeper clay, also good for Pinot Noir
List notable sites in Vertus
Les Barillées
Les Faucherets
La Vielle Voie
Les Monts Ferrés
Clos de L’Abbaye - Doyard
Les Rougesmonts - Veuve Fourny
Clos Faubourg Notre Dame - Veuve Fourny
List notable sites in Oiry
La Cocluette - Suenen
List notable sites in Bergereles-les-Vertus
Le Mont Aime - Pascal Doquet
What is a marc?
8,800 pounds (4000 kg) of grapes put into a press in Champagne
Who is the most common traditional press maker in Champagne?
Coquard Press
What is Auto-Pressurage?
The first 100 L of free run juice that is discarded because it can contain dust and other impurities
What is a serre?
Each round of pressing after Auto-pressurage
What are the 3 presses in Champagne?
Cuvee - 2,050 liters - best quality, Coeur de Cuvee is the middle 1,800 litres
Taille - 500 liters, lesser quality, often sold off
Rebeche - final 10%, cannot be used for Champagne so it’s used for vinegar or distilled
What is a retrousse?
Using a pitchfork to separate grape between pressings
What is debourbage?
Overnight settling of must to clarify
List presses used in Champagne
Traditional Champagne press - Vertical Basket
Pneumatic Press
Pressoir automatique a plateau incline (PAI)
Describe a PAI press
Made by Coquard
Horizontal press with a large plate tilted at an angle
Plate pushes grapes against the opposite wall of the press
When the plate retracts grapes fall naturally with gravity, making the retrousse unnecessary
What is the base wine for Champagne called?
Vin clairs
When were concrete and stainless vats for ferment introduced in Champagne?
1960s
What selected yeast can biodynamic champagne producers use?
Quartz
Selected from Champagne Fleury vineyards