Champagne Flashcards
Name five districts for Champagne production?
Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and the Côte des Bars
What is ageing requirement for basic, NV Champagne AOP?
Min. 15 months from date of tirage, 12 months of which must be maturation on the lees.
What is ageing requirement for Vintage Champagne AOP?
Vintage Wines: Min. 36 months from date of tirage, 12 months of which must be maturation on the lees (in practice much longer)
Name Sweetness Levels for Champagne from driest?
Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec, and Doux.
What is the oldest Champagne house still in operation today?
Gosset was founded in 1584 as a still wine producer (Ruinart, established in 1729, can claim to be the oldest sparkling Champagne house).
What Champagne house released first brut wine on market?
Pommery put the first brut Champagne, Pommery “Nature,” on the market in 1874.
What Champagne house first released a tête de cuvée, or prestige cuvée?
Inaugural 1921 vintage of Moët et Chandon’s “Dom Pérignon”.
Which grape variety is the most planted in Champagne region?
In 2012, Pinot Noir accounted for 38% of total plantings, Chardonnay accounted for 30%, and Meunier accounted for 32%.
In Champagne blend what Chardonnay provides to the blend?
Elegance and longevity
In Champagne blend what Pinot Noir provides to the blend?
Structure, richness and body
In Champagne blend what Meunier provides to the blend?
Youthful fruitiness and approachability, important for non-vintage wines, tends not to be used in wines intended for long ageing.
What is “Échelle de Crus”
Percentile system by which the villages, or crus, of the Champagne appellation are rated.
What is “liqueur de tirage”?
Mixture of still wine, yeasts, sugar, and fining agents that will serve to ignite the second fermentation in the production of Champagne.
What is “prise de mousse”?
The second fermentation in Champagne production.
How is called breakdown of dead yeast cells?
Autolysis
What is “gyropalette”?
Spanish invention, which replaced hand-riddling, it is an automated device that holds 504 bottles.
What is “dosage” or “liqueur d’expédition”?
Liquid mixture of sugar syrup and wine. Rarely, bone-dry non-dosage styles are produced. The amount of sugar in the dosage is determined by the desired style of the wine.
What is “muselet”?
Wire cage.
What is the name of Champagne bottle which can hold 375 ml?
Half Bottle (Demi)
What is the name of Champagne bottle which can hold 1.5 L (2 bottles)?
Magnum
What is the name of Champagne bottle which can hold 3 L (4 bottles)?
Jeroboam
What is the name of Champagne bottle which can hold 6 L (8 bottles)?
Methuselah
How is called the finest and most expensive bottling that Champagne house offers?
Prestige Cuvée (Tête de Cuvée)
Name Prestige Cuvée`s produced by Moët et Chandon?
“Dom Pérignon”, and “Dom Pérignon Oenothèque”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by G.H. Mumm?
“Cuvée R. Lalou”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Perrier-Jouët?
“Belle Époque/Fleur de Champagne (USA)”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Piper-Heidsieck?
“Rare”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Pol Roger?
“Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Pommery?
“Cuvée Louise”
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Louis Roederer?
Cristal
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Ruinart?
Dom Ruinart
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Taittinger?
Comtes de Champagne” and “Taittinger Collection
Name Prestige Cuvée produced by Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin?
La Grande Dame
Name 100% Chardonnay produced by Krug?
“Clos du Mesnil”. Inaguaral vintage is 1979.
Name 100% Pinot Noir produced by Krug?
“Clos d’Ambonnay”. Inaguaral vintage is 1995.
How many ha are planted with vines in Champagne?
35,000 hectares
Describe typical Champagne?
Medium intensity aromas and flavours of green apple and lemon fruit with biscuit autolytic notes, high acidity, medium alcohol and a dry-tasting finish.
Name different styles of Champagne?
Non-vintage or NV, Vintage, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Prestige Cuvée, and Late release, recently disgorged wines
What is a Non-vintage or NV Champagne?
Generally brut in style, the NV cuvée represents a house’s signature style, and the blender’s job is to ensure its consistency from year to year. Non-vintage Champagne makes up at least three-quarters of the market.
What is a Vintage Champagne?
These are usually brut in style, 100 per cent of the wine must come from the year indicated. Produced only in best vintages but every producer decide by itself which year to indicate Vintage, some years have universally excellent growing conditions like 2002 and 2008.
What is a Rosé Champagne?
They are usually made by blending red wine with white (rosé d’assemblage), it is possible to make it with skin maceration of black grapes and then the wine is bled off (rosé de saignée)
What is a Prestige Cuvée Champagne?
Usually the top wine in a Champagne producer’s range. These wines should be the product of a strict selection of the best grapes, together with meticulous winemaking techniques. They can be non-vintage or vintage wines.
Name Champagne houses owned by LVMH?
LVMH is the largest of the groupings of Champagne houses, it owns Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart and Krug
What kind of wine is Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial?
Demi-Sec (sweet wine) that is intended to be drunk over ice and in cocktails. It started the new trend with Champagne
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Brut nature, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
0-6 grams per liter. Bone dry with no hint of any sweet sensation
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Brut, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
0-12 grams per liter. An inability to pick up the sensation of sweetness on the tongue
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Extra Sec, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
12-17 grams per liter. Any level of sweetness is barely perceived and only with difficulty and hard work
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Sec, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
17-32 grams per liter. A lightly sweet sensation is identified and perceived at a sufficient level
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Demi-Sec, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
32-50 grams per liter. Sugary, full, noticeable glycerin, containing gresidual sugar but pleasant in taste
What is Sweetness Levels for Champagne Doux, describe taste regarding to sweetness?
50+ grams per liter. Sweetness is at an unmistakably high level of perceptibility with a lot of emphasis
