Champagne Flashcards
True or False
Champagne is home to more co-operatives than any other French wine region.
True
What are two types of chalk found in Champagne?
Belemnite and Micrster Chalk
Describe “Solera” or “Perpetual Reserve”
Champagne made from a single stainless steel tank or foudre that is kept perpetually.
A portion may be put into bottle to undergo “prise de mousse” while the rest is kept to assimilate new wine when added, thus forming a perpetual reserve.
What is “Echelle des Crus”?
Scale of Growths
It ranks the wine producing villages from 80% to 100%.
Only villages with 80% or more can produce Champagne.
Best Villages have 100% rating and Grand Cru.
Define NM and RM:
- NM - Negociant.Manipulant - term describes a champagne producer that incorporates grape purchased from others in the vinification process. He may be using also his own fruits. All the big champagne houses are NMs.
- RM: Recoltant-Manipulant - describes a Champagne producer vinifying only his or her own estate-grown grapes. All RM do not purchase grapes from others.
What region does Champagne region lay?
Paris Basin
Of large downward depression of sedimentary rock strata
Why was unrest occurred after the zone of production was delineated in Champagne in 1908?
Region of Aube (Cote de Bar) was not included initially and then once they were allowed, those in Marne rioted.
The dispute was finally settled in 1927 when Aube was recognized and included as part of the official Champagne region.
Why is Belminite chalk is preferred over Micraster chalk?
The Belmnite chalk is at the upper to mid-slope levels…which happens to be the best place for optimal sun exposure, air circulation and water drainage for the growing of vines. In contrast the Miscraster chalk is located where the slope begins to flatten.
Name the four principal sub regions of Champaign growing area.
- The Montagne and Val de Reims
- Vallee de lar Marne
- Cote des Blancs and Surroundings
- Cote de Bar
What is Crayères?
Ancient underground quarries, now used as wine cellars, made of Chalk (calcium carbonate), porous sedementary rock.
What landscape characterizes Champagne wine region?
Mostly flat landscape, easier to be invaded historically.
Thin top soils, hardly any tall trees to be supported.
What grape variety is primarilly grown in Montagne de Reims?
Pinot Noir
What is “retroussage”?
Retroussage is a process:
After the grapes are pressed for the first time the top of the champagne press (called the MOUTON) is opened and the grapes are shovelled toward the centre of the press with wooden shovels (PELLES).
Define Non Vintage Champagne with Aging requirement
Reflects the ongoing vision of the hourse style.
Multi vintage champagne more accurately describes the product in the glass, a blend of several vintages.
Minimum of 12 months on its lees with additional three months in the cellar before release.
Non Vintage Brut makes the majority of exports by volume (78.5% in 2019).
What significant decree was made by the king in 1728 for Champeonis to capitalize on the sparkle?
For the transport and trade of Champagne in bottle.
Describe “Blanc de Noirs”
A white sparkling wine made from black grapes (Pinot Noir) and/or Meunier) It often carries a bit of tannin and a more overt and expressive aroma. Likely to be powerful and fruity,
True or False
Wines made from Fromenteau were called “Vins de la Montagne” while wines made from Gouais Noire was known as “Vins de la Riviere” historically.
False:
Fromenteau - Vins de la Riviere
Gouais Noir - Vins de la Montagne
This grape variety is considered to be the most importatnt white grape variety in Champagne.
Blanc de Blancs Champagne is almost always exclusively made from this grape.
Chardonnay
Define “Special Club”
Peer reviewed prestige cuvee from members of the Club Tresors de Champagne.
The Champagne must be made entirely in the member’s own premises with their own grapes and only in outstanding vintages.
The wines must undergo two blind tastings to earn to be labeled as “Special Club” and be sold in the club’s signature bottles.
List Residual Sugar Level for the following:
- Brut Nature
- Extra Brut
- Brut
- Extra Dry (Extra Sec)
- Dry (Sec)
- Semi Dry (Demi Sec)
- Sweet (Doux)
- Brut Nature: 0-0.3% No dosage added
- Extra Brut: 0-0.6%
- Brut: 0-1.2%
- Extra Dry (Extra Sec) 1.2-1.7%
- Dry (Sec): 1.7-3.2%
- Semi Dry (Demi Sec) 3.2-5%
- Sweet (Doux) Over 5%
0.1% = 1 g/l
What represents the most northerly of all the French wine region.
Champagne
What was the name of the first Champagne house established in 1729?
Ruinart
Describe “Rosé” Champagne
Structured with a noticeable taninc grip.
Most are made by adding 8-20% top quality red wine (Pinot Noir) to the base wine although some houses make a Rose de Saignee.
List of Champagne process
- Harvest (hand in bunches) at between 9-11.5% potential alcohol and then Pressed quickly
- Chilled and Rest
- First alcohol fermentation of the clear and particulate free juice and converted to as BASE WINE (Vin Clair)
- Maloactive Conversion to lower acid levels (Optional)
- Assemblage: Base wines (vin clairs) are now blended together(vs grapes) to make the CUVEE. Rose champange made with adding a small amount of Pinot Noir.
- Tirage and Prise de Mousse: Tirage is French for the act of bottling. Yeast and Sugar are mixed into the blended wine or cuvee to initiate a second fermentation and then the product is bottled. Prise de Mousse translates literally “seizing of foam”. Refers to the second fermntation which creates 4.9=6 atm.
- Elevage sur lattes: The bottle is sealed with a crown cap or cork and staple and placed on its side on the wine cellar in rows separated by thin strips of wood called LATTES. Storage method is called SUR LATTES.
- Remuage/Riddling: The bottles are turned rapidly and bruseqely in a series of one eight rotations in order to loosen the lees and move them to the neck of the bottle (in A shaped racks - Pupitres). Gyropalettes used today.
- Degoregment/Disgorging (A la Valee - traditional method): the bottles are turned upright the crown cap is removed and the bottle ejects the ice plug containing the yeast. Transverge: for small and large bottles, filled from disgorged 750 ml bottles)
- Liquer de Dosage (Liquer d’expedition/Dosage): Bottled topped up. Brut Nature finished with no sugar. Any wine lost is replaced with a sugar and still reserved wine mixture known as Liquesr de dosage.
- Bottle closure: Cork inserted and bottle cage dropped and returned to Crayere (cellar)
What is “Remuage”?
Riddling (process to gradually collect dead yeasts at the bottle neck)
Name an example of Mono-Parcelle bottling since 1935.
Clos des Goisses by Philipponnat
What modern grape variety is believed to be traditional variety Frometeau?
Pinot Gris
Describe “Blanc de Blancs”
A white sparkling wine made from authorized white grapes (largely Chardonnay). It can be delicate and lace-like with its finesse or rich and powerful depending on terroir and various winemaking variables
What is “Rebèche”?
Refeche is Deuxième taille, the last piéce used in sparkling wine production. It is comprised of juice closest to the skin. Following 1992 the use of Deuxième taille in Champagne was banned.
And the very last piéce, which by the way is not used in any sparkling wine production but rather is distilled as spirits or is made into vinegar,
Describe “Premier Cru” Champagne
Made with grapes from the 42 Premier Cru villages and may also include from the 17 Grand Cru villages
Who is credited with creating a blend by mixing different proportion of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier clusters at the press?
Dom Perignon
Which areas (2) limestone marl are found?
Which grape variety prefers the soil type?
- Montagne de Reims and the Cote de Bar
- Pinot Noir
What is “Belemnite chalk”?
Belemnite chalk refers to the fossilized remains of ancient arrow or dart-like relatives or today’s squid
True or False
There is no significant mineral or physical differences between two types of chalk - Belemnite and Micraster Chalk
True
What were two wine names Champagne was known for as early as 9th century?
- Vins de la Riviere
- Vins de la Montagne
They were mostly red wines.
What Echelle de Cru ratings Premier Crus in Champagne have?
90-99%
42 Premier Villages
What is Micraster chalk?
Micraster chalk is composed of fossilized sea-urchins, a member of the starfish family.
Define “Prestige Cuvees”
Champagne house’s highest quality bottlings made from special parcels, old vines, Grand Cru sites or with prolonged less contact, oak treatment or extensive cellar aging.
Veuve Clicquot’s “La Grande Dame” and Champagne Louis Roedere’s “Crystal” are the examples.
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
Define Vintage Champagne and its aging requirement.
Vintage Champagne tells the story of the grape during one growing season, it is a snapshot in time and is only crafted in good vintages.
Ir carries the vintage year on both cork and label.
Vintage champagne must only be crafted from the fruit grown during the stated vintage with the EXCEPTION of LIQUEUR DE DOSAGE.
At least 12 months on its lees and a minimum of 3 years in the cellar from Tirage to release.
What is the aging requirement of Vintage Chamapgne?
At least 12 months on its less and a minmum of 3 years in the cellar from tirage to release.
Describe “Jupone” and “Cheville”
- Jupone is mushroom shaped cork once released from Champagne bottle
- Cheville is the older cork when released, it will be “peg-shaped”
What is the aging requirement of Non Vintage Champagne?
A minimum of 12 months on its lees and an additional three months in the cellar before release.
What are two traditional grapes in Champagne areas from the 9th to 16th century?
- Gouiais (Blanc and Noir)
- Fromenteau (believed to be Pinot Noir/Gris)
What represents the largest AOC in France by value as of 2019.
Champagne
Approximately 300 million bottles per year produced.
What are three AOCs in Champagne region?
- Rosé des Riceys (for still red wine, made exclusively from Pinot Noir)
- Coteaux Champeonis (red, white and rose STILL wines only)
- Champagne (only sparkling)
What typical characteristics (up to 3) do grapes grown on chalk in Champagne?
High in acid
Lean wines
Reserved aromatics
What is CIVC?
Comite Interprofessionell du Vin de Champagne
Interprofessional orgarnization can block or authorize the release of a producers’s reservers
True or False
Virgulien marl also known as Kimmeridgean marl are also found in Chablis, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reully as well as Cote des Bar.
True
Name an example of Mono-Crus bottling since 1921.
Cuvee “S” Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs by Salon
100% Chardonnay
What is “Sur Lattes”?
Translates as “on the lattes”.
Lattes are the thin strips of wood used to separate one row of champagne bottles from another in a stack. The legal but questionable practice of selling wine SUR LATTES refers to the sale of finished sparkling wines to another party who will put their own lable on it.
How many villages are rated 100% - Grand Cru in Champaign by Echelle de Crus?
17 Villages
What does “Cuvee” mean as relate to Champagne production?
Cuvee means “Free run First Press”
The first pressing of juice to come from the Champagne press. It is used in the best of the best Champagnes. This amounts to the first ten pieces (1 piece = 45 gallons) so the first 450 gallons) of juice pressed from each Marc (the amount of grapes it takes to fill the press)
Define Grand Cru Champagne
Made from grapes soruced from exclusively from the 17 Grand Cru villages
What three advancements in the 17th century greatly faciliated vignerons to master the process of physical control for sparkling wines?
- Advent of stronger glass bottles
- Uniform bottle neck openings
- Mainstream use of cork to maintain an air tight seal
What type of soil is found in Cote des Blancs, Monteguex, Vitry-le-Francois areas?
Chalk
Type of porous limestone, a sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate)
What category makes up the majority of champagne exports by volume?
Non Vintage Brut (78.5% in 2019)
What is Single-Vineyard Champagne?
Champagne comers from grapes in a mono-parcelle (single parcel).
Embrace vintage variations and signature flavors of a specific terroi.
An example os a mono-parcelle is Philipponnat’s Clos des Goisses.
Which Champagne area Kimmeridgian marl is found?
Cote de Bar
Define “Late Disgorged” Champagne.
Champagne spent many years on the lees before disgorgement and are quite youthful when sent to market despite their extended time in cellar.
What soil type is found in Valle de la Marne?
Sand and Clay
What is “Crayeres”?
They are ancient underground quarries, now used as wine cellars.
What is “Single Cru” Champagne?
The fruit from one village or cru.
An example is Salon’s Cuvee “S” Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, crafted entirely from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
True or False
A producer with several Grand Cru vineyards can blend the fruit from those vineyards and label it Grand Cru
True
Grand Cru does not signify a single vineyard.
What describes Champagne climate?
Continental with maritime influene
What are “mono-parcelle” and “mono-cru”?
- Single vineyard
- Single Village
What grape variety is primarilly grown in Cote de Sezanne and Vitryat?
Chardonnay
What grape variety has 80% of planting in Cote des Bar?
Pinot Noir
True or False
Meunier is frost and freeze resistant and acts as an insurance in Champagne.
True
Name AOC in Champagne that produces Rose wines only and its only primary grape variety
- Rose des Riceys AOC
- Pinot Noir
What is the AOC in Champagne that produces still wines only and are its primary white grape and two primary red grapes?
- Coteaux Champenois AOC
- White: Chardonnay
- Red: Pinot Noir, Meunier
What grape variety favours Vallee de la Marne and the reasons?
- Meunier
- Prone to frost and is more dominated by clay and sand rather than chalk
- Pinot Meunier works best, as it buds late and ripens early
What grape variety dominates Aube (Cote des Bars region), closer to Chablis?
- Pinot Noir less chalk in soil
Which sub region the followngs are located:
- Massif de Saint Thierry
- Ardre and Vesle Valleys
- Grande Montagne de Reims
- Monts de Berru
Montagne de Reims
Name the predominant grape variety in the following areas in the Mongagne and Val de Reims:
- Massif de Saint-Thierry (northern most)
- Vesle and Ardre Valleys (Val de Reims)
- Grande Montagne de Reims
- Monts de Berru (northeast)
- Massif de Saint-Thierry (northern most) - Along the Vesle River of sand, clay and marl: Meurnier
- Vesle and Ardre Valleys (Val de Reims) - sand, clay and marl: Meunier
- Grande Montagne de Reims - limestone rich marls : Pinot Noir
- Monts de Berru (northeast) - soil and chalk: Chardonnay
In the folloiwng Vallee de la Marne areas, identify the predominant grape variety:
- Grande Vallee de la Marne
- Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauceh (left bank), Rive Droite (right bank) and Ouest (west)
- Conde (limestone uplift between Chateau Thierry and Dormans)
- Coteaux Sud d’Espernay
- Grande Vallee de la Marne - sand, clay and marls - Pinot Noir
- Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauceh (left bank), Rive Droite (right bank) and Ouest (west) - sand, marl and clay - Meunier
- Conde (limestone uplift between Chateau Thierry and Dormans) - Meunier
- Coteaux Sud d’Espernay - evenly between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Idenitfy the following areas in Cotes de Blancs with predominant grape variety:
- Cotes de Blancs
- Val de Petit Morin
- Cote de Sezannne / Vitryat (Vitry-le-Freancois) / Montgueeux
- Cotes de Blancs -Chardonnay
- Val de Petit Morin - Chardonnay / Meunier
- Cote de Sezannne / Vitryat (Vitry-le-Freancois) / Montgueux (Aube) -Chardonnay
Which grape variety is predominant to the following areas in Cote des Bars:
- Bar-sur-Aubois
- Barsequanais
Pinot Noir
- Val de Petit Morin
- Coteaux Sud d’Espernay
Identify grape varieties that the above two terroirs feature.
Chardonnay and Meunier
List the wine styles of three AOCs in Les Riceys wine growing area:
- Champagne AOC - Sparkling wine
- Côteaux Champenois - Red wine (Pinot Noir, Meunier), White (Chardonnay)
- Rose de Riceys - Rose (Pinot Noir)
What is the most northerly part of Champagne?
Massif de Saint-Thierry
Massif de Saint-Thierry
Most Northern
Sand, clay & marl
Meunier dominant
Monts de Berru
NE of Reims
Chalk Soils
Chardonnay 90%
Val de Reims
W of Reims
Sand, clay and marl
Meunier dominant
Grande Vallée de la Marne
S / W of Montagne de Reims
Marne River
Most Prestigious
Sand, clay and marl with some chalk
Pinot Noir
2 Grand Crus
Vallée de la Marne
Further west on Marne river
Sand, clay and marl
Meunier
Condé
Between Château-Thierry & Dormans
Cluster of villages
Limestone uplift
Vines on lower slops
Meunier dominant
Vallée de la Marne - Côteaux Sud d’Epernay
Between Epernay and Côte des Blanc
Mixed soils
Sand, marls, clays (from Marne) meet
Chalk from (Côte des Blancs)
Meunier / Chardonnay 50%/50%
Some Pinot Noir
Côte des Blancs
Chalk Subsoils
Famous
97% Chardonnay
#s of Premier Crus &
Grand Crus
Côte de Sézanne
South
Regarded as continuous with Côte de Blancs
Chalk soils
Chardonnay mainly planted
Petit Morin
Outlying Côte des Blancs
Chalk and Sand, marl and clay
Meunier & Chardonnay dominate
Vitryat
Named by town Vitry-le-François
Part of Côte des Blanc outlying
East Facing
Chalk soils
Chardonnay
Montegueux
Part of Côte des Blanc outlying
Neat Troyes town
Chalk soils
Chardonnay
Côte des Bar
Southern Most Region
Kimmeridgean Marls - like Chablis
Pinor Noir 85%
Les Riceys
The Southern Most in Côte des Bar
AOC - Rosé des Riceys
Pinot Noir - rosés
Grande Montagne de Reims
South of Reims
Horseshoe shaped
Limestone-rich marls with pockets of Chalk (uplift)
Pinot Noir is Main Grance
Premier and Grand Crus here
What type of chalk is found in the upper to mid vineyard slopes, and so is ideal for sun exposure and water drainage?
Belemite
What is the name of the upland sub-region to the north of Épernay?
Montagne de Reims
City at the heart of Champagne?
Troyes
Nickname
“le Bouchon de Champagne”
Old town looks like a cork
1st Champagne house?
Ruinart 1729
When and why did Champagne become popular?
King Louis XV Decree 1728
What is the outlier Champagne producers and why?
Gosset
Founded 1584 in Aÿ
Made red wines
Started Champagne well after it became popular
Claim to be older Champagne producer
Who was baptised in Reims on Christmas Day 496, by Saint Remigius, the Bishop of Reims?
Clovis
Which Champagne house can claim to be the oldest?
Ruinart
What is the rootstock of choice for champagne growers?
41B
Works well on porous, chalky soils
Keeps out iron-deficiency Chlorosis
What are the 4 training methods for Champagne?
Chablis
Guyot
Cordon
Vallée de la Marne
Describe Vallée de la Marne Training
Best for Meunier
Freezing Temperatures
Describe Guyot Training
Common
Either single or double with cane used from previous year
Describe Cordon Training
Consists of a single, spur-pruned cordon. It is one of the two training methods – together with Chablis – allowed for Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.
This is the main training method for Pinot Noir in Champagne.
Describe Chablis Training
Each arm of the vine is grown one year apart - the oldest arm being replaced each year with a new cane.
This – and cordon – are the only methods allowed for Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards.
It is estimated that 90% of Chardonnay is trained this way.
Only methods allowed for Premiere and Grand Cru training?
Chablis
Cordon
What are impacts of climate change on. Champange region?
- Ripens more completely –> Chaptalization less required, Dosage lower now
- Harvest shifted 10-14 days earlier –> increases frost risk
- Organic / Biodynamic –> warmth has helped increase Champagne’s very small bio-production
What is Méthode Ancestrale?
“Rural Method”
Old process
Single fermentation paused over winter
Cant use in Champagne but Pet Nat
Where is Méthode Ancestrale used aside from Champagne?
Gaillac
Beaujolais
Bugey
Limoux
Problem with Méthode Ancestrale
Single Fermentation for sparkling relies on winter weather
Unstable & Unpredictable
No method to remove yeast
What is the term for blending the various base wines – vins clairs – to create the cuvée?
Assemblage
What names can be given for the mixture added to each bottle towards the end of the process that defines the champagne style?
liqueur d’expédition
liqueur de dosage
Which champagne grape gives the least amount of acidity to a blend?
Pinot Noir
Rank top 3 grapes based on production from most planted grape 1st in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
Meunier
Chardonnay
Name the 3 AOCs of Champagne
Champagne. - Largest - only sparkling - white rose
Coteaux Champenois - white, red & rosé - 2X Ricey production
Rosés des Ricey - tiny production - rosé only
In which sub-region of Champagne is Rosé des Riceys produced?
Côte des Bar
What is the system for deciding whether a village is a Premier Cru, Grand Cru, or neither, called?
Échelle des Crus
Why is blending so important in Champagne?
- Mitigate natural risks like weather, frost, humidity
- Helps create high value
- Quality Control - eliminate vintage variation
A Blanc de Blancs champagne can only be made from Chardonnay grapes.
True or False?
False
If your bottle of Champagne is made solely from grapes grown in the Côte des Blancs, what style of champagne are you most likely to be drinking?
Blanc de Blancs
A Blanc de Noirs champagne can only be made from Pinot Noir grapes.
True or False?
False Meunier and Pinot Noir
With regards to the Échelle des Crus, what ranking does a Cru need to achieve in order to be used to make champagne – or be ranked as Premier Cru or Grand Cru?
Grand Cru - 100%
Premiere Cru - 90-99%
Champagne - 80-90%
Which statement best describes Champagne’s climate?
Continental with maritime influences
Can grapes be harvest by machine?
Only by hand
Which French King championed champagne and is said to have drunk it with every meal?
Louis XIV
Which Champagne sub-region has the same soils as those in Chablis – Kimmeridgean Marls?
Côte des Bar
How many Grand Cru Villages are there in Champagne?
17
In what type of vessel is most champagne fermented?
Stainless steel tanks
The Champagne region is relatively small because the vineyards are planted on chalky slopes, rather than the arable flatland which covers most of the region.
True or False?
True
What does Chardonnay add?
High alcohol and acidity
What does Meunier add
Least amount of alcohol and moderate acidity
What does Pinot Noir add
Moderate alcohol and lowest amount of acidity
What was the name for Pinot Gris in Champagne from the 9th to the 16th centuries?
Fromenteau
Most rosé champagne is made by bleeding off some of the juice from fermenting red grapes – a saignée.
True or False?
False
What does “Prise de Mousse” refer to?
2nd Fermentation
If a champagne producer only vinifies grapes from their own vineyards, which producer code should they show on their label ?
RM: Récoltant-Manipulant
What traumatic, historic event reduced the size of the Champagne region to a fifth of its previous size?
Phylloxera
Before the Champagne Method was perfected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the wines of Champagne were produced using a less sophisticated process. This is still used in other regions – what is it called?
Ancestral Method
