Champagne * Flashcards
Where is champagne on a map of France
The region lies a short 1.5-hour drive east of Paris.
North of Burgundy
West of Lorraine
Most northerly wine producing regions of France
What are the three main cities of the champagne region
Reims, Epernay and Troyes
Which are the 4 subregions of champagne
(clockwise from North)
The Montagne and Val de Reims
Côte des Blancs and Surroundings
Côte des Bar (far south east)
Vallée de la Marne
List three 17c advancements that led to the development of sparkling wine
a stronger glass bottle,
a uniform bottle neck opening and
an airtight cork seal
Identify the home of the Counts of Champagne, the past capital of the Champagne region
Troyes, home of the Counts of Champagne was once the capital of the Champagne region.
To south east of Reims (towards Cotes du Bar)
Name the 17th century wooden instrument used to eliminate carbon dioxide from sparkling wine
mosser
(like a wooden whisk)
What are the terms for French sparkling wines produced outside of Champagne
1 crémant ( using the traditional method),
2 pétillant (light natural fizziness using method ancestral- bottling with some residual sugar so that fermentation continues in bottle) or
3 mousseux (sparkling - 2nd fermentation in a pressure tank=charmant method?)
What is the difference between the terms Méthode Champenoise and Méthode Traditionnelle
Champagne also claims ownership of the term “methode champenoise” and other regions have to use “methode Traditionnelle”
Describe Champagne’s climate
The climate is continental with marked maritime influences.
Cold and harsh
Barely enough sunshine to ripen grapes
Summers warm, winters cold
Rainfall ample - moist air
Frost, hail, fog, rain, storms, humidy all perils
What are the factors that influence champagnes climate
Topography -hillsides provide shelter, suntraps
Maritime influence (from Northern Seas) and rivers and canals moderate temps
List the climate-related vine threats in Champagne and the factors that mitigate them
frost=60-80 days a year! ….vineyard position + fire, fans or sprinklers,
hail=vineyard position + netting,
fog= as frost,
rain and humidity = organic farming, clones resistant to rot
low sunshine= poor ripening
Define “chalk”
Chalk is a type of porous limestone, a sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate. It can be, and was, quarried for building materials.
Because of its porosity, a chalk subsoil stores water. It effectively drains the topsoil of moisture like a subterranean sponge. Chalk can hold between 300-400 liters per cubic meter.
Grapes grown on chalk in Champagne are typically quite high in acid, producing lean wines with reserved aromatics.
Explain the difference between Micraster and Belemnite chalk
Belemnite chalk refers to the fossilized remains of ancient arrow- or dart-like relatives of today’s squid, while Micraster chalk is composed of fossilized sea-urchins, a member of the starfish family. Belemnite is preferred.
no significant mineral or physical differences between the two types of chalk
The Belemnite chalk ended up 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 Micraster chalk is located where the slope begins to flatten
Both found in Paris Basin
Identify Champagne’s soil types
Chalk - Mircaster and Belenmite
Limestone rich marls (inc Kimmeridgean marl)
Composites of sand and clay
Which sub-regions contain the following soils
Chalk
Limestone marl
Kimmeridgean marl
Sand and clay composites
Chalk and Clay
Chalk=Grand Montagne de Reims, Cotes des Blancs, (plus Vitryat, Montguex)
Limestone Marl=Montagne de Reims, Cote des Bar
Kimmedridgean marl= Cote des Bar
Sand and Clay=Vallée de la Marne, Val de Reims and Côteaux Sud d’Epernay
Chalk and Clay=Cote de Sezanne
Which are the three primary grapes used in Champagne
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Pinot Meunier
What does chardonnay add to champagne
Chardonnay contributes notes of apple and citrus as well as high alcohol and high acidity.
What does Pinot Noir add to champagne
contributes the least amount of acidity, moderate alcohol and notes of strawberry, cherry, and other red fruits to a blend. It grows well on limestone-rich marls.
What does Pinot Meunier add to champagne
Meunier contributes bright red fruit, earthiness, and a note of rye bread to a blend. It also delivers a moderate amount of acidity and the least amount of alcohol. In this way, it softens a blend and makes it more approachable. This grape flourishes in a variety of soils but is commonly planted on marl, sands, and clays.
Which is the dominant grape grown in each of the Champagne sub-regions
1 The Montagne and Val de Reims =>
Massif de Saint Thierry=meunier
Val de Reims=meunier
Grande Maontagne de Reims=Pinot Noir
Mont de Berru=chardonnay on chalk,
2 Vallée de la Marne =>
Grand Vallee de la Marne=Pinot Noir
Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauche, Rive Droit, Oeust=Meunier
Conde=Meunier
Coteaux sud d’Epernay=Meunier and Chardonnay
3 Côte des Blancs and Surroundings =>
Cote de Blancs=Chardonnay
Val de Petit Morin=Chadonnay and Meunier
Cote de Sezanne, Vitryat, Montgueux=Chardonnay
4 Côte des Bar=>
Bar-sur-Aubois=Pinot Noir
Barsequanais=Pinot Noir
What are the 4 terroirs of the Montagne and Val de Reims
Massif de Saint Thierry
Val de Reims
Grande Montagne de Reims
Mont de Berru
What are the 6 terroirs of the Valle de Marne
Grand Vallee de la Marne
Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauche,
Rive Droit,
Oeust
Conde
Coteaux sud d’Epernay
What are the 5 terroirs of the Cotes de Blanc
Cote de Blancs
Val de Petit Morin
Cote de Sezanne,
Vitryat,
Montgueux
What are the 2 terroirs of the Cotes de Bar
Bar-sur-Aubois
Barsequanais
Why is Pinot Meunier now referred to as Meunier
Different DNA to other Pinots
Chimeric mutation
Pinot genotype for its internal cells
Other genotype for its outer layer
What are the sought-after attributes driving clonal selection in Champagne
High-acid berries
Resistance to grey rot and botrytis.
Pinot Noir clones that have bigger berries to produce more juice Meunier clones that have a later bud break.
Later ripening for climate change
Why are so few champagnes labelled as “organic”
Difficulties of marginal climate.
As the overwhelming majority of champagne is made from purchased grapes blended from different vineyards, villages and sub- regions, being able to label a champagne ‘organic or ‘biodynamic is truly a monumental feat.
List the ways in which global warming is impacting the winemaking process in Champagne
Average temps have increased
Flowering and harvest 10-14 days earlier
Higher risk of frost at budbreak
Ripening easier for reds
Greater interest in organic
Less chaptalization/dosage
What are the three AOCs of Champagne
Rose des Riceys
Coteux Champenois
Champagne
Describe Rose des Riceys
Makes rose wine from Pinot Noir
Describe Coteaux de Champenois
makes still white wines from chardonnay,roses from pinot gris and reds from Pinots Noir and Meunier
Village of Bouzy
Describe Champagne AOC
Makes sparkling white and rose wines from chardonnay, pinot gris, Pinots Noir and Meunier and blends of each.
why is champagne typically a blended product
Producers blended different grapes from different sub-regions in order to achieve and maintain consistency within their cuvée each year.
By incorporating grapes from diverse growing areas, producers minimized the risk of crop loss due to frost or other adverse weather conditions.
Summarize the Echelle des Crus
It ranks the 300+ wine-producing villages and the vineyards that surround them in a hierarchy.
Villages and their vineyards were ranked on a scale of 80-100%. The best villages have a 100% rating of Grand Cru
Define the three rankings of the Ecchelle des Crus
Grand Cru= 100% ranking=17 villages
Premier Cru=90-99%=42 villages
Other=80-89%
Describe the difference between Grand Cru and Premier Cru
Scale of prices established where villages granted status and higher grape prices
Grand Cru= top 17 communes
Premier Cru= next 42
What are Blanc de Blanc champagnes
Champagne made exclusively from white grapes (Chardonnay)
What is Blanc de Noir champagne
Made exclusively from black grapes
How is Rose champagne made
Either adding a small proportion of red wine to the blend; or
Letting the juice remain in contact with the red grape skins for a short time during fermentation
What are prestige cuvées of champagne
Deluxe versions of best house style
What are late disgorged champagnes
Champagne has an extended period of aging (extra age) on the lees prior to disgorgement. Delaying the disgorgement just prior to the release of the bottling of the Champagne retains the wines freshness and vitality.
What are single vineyard champagnes called
Mono-parcelle
Site specific champagne with grapes only from that site
What are single cru champagnes called
Mono-cru
fruit one village or cru. An examnple of a mono-cru is Salon’s Cuvée “S” Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs” crafted solely from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oge.
What is a special club champagne
Special Club are peer-reviewed cuvées from members of the prestige Club Trésors de Champagne.
-must be made entirely on a member’s Own premises,
-must use their own grapes and
-must only make I n outstanding vintages.
-Wines must undergo two years aging to earn the right to be labelled as “Spécial Club’ and be
-sold in the club’s signature bottle.
What is the solera/perpetual method for champagnes
Similar to Sherry solera
Newer vintages added to blend
What is NM on a champagne label
N.M.: Négociant-Manipulant.
Term describing a champagne producer who incorporates grapes purchased from others in the Vinification process. He may also be using his own fruit. All the big champagne houses are NMs.
What is RM on a champagne label
Récoltant-Manipulant.
Term describing a champagne producer vinifying only his or her own estate-grown grapes. An RM does not purchase grapes from others.
What is the primary point of difference between the champagne method and the rural/ancestral method
Dosage
Unlike the traditional method used to produce Champagne, where a dosage of sugar and yeast is added to the wine before bottling, the ancestral method relies solely on the residual sugar in the wine to feed the yeasts and create the bubbles.
What are the steps in the champagne process
Vine cultivation and grape harvests. …
Pressing and settling. …
Fermentation.
Two fermentation phases ‘ alcoholic involving yeast and malolactic involving bacteria ‘ serve to generate the flavors and style of each champagne variety.
Blending. …
Second fermentation. …
Maturation, ageing and riddling. …
Disgorgement and dosage.
Who was Dom Perignon
17c cleric who owned vineyards near Eperney
Improved quality, pruning etc
Blends
Made “white” wine from red grapes esp Pinot Noir
Who was Madame Cliquot
Nicole Ponsardin
Developer of pupitres to assist in remuage
Who was Jean Baptiste Francois
Calculated correct amount of sugar in dosage for 2nd fermentation
What links Krug, Bollinger and Roederer
Came to champagne from the Rhine at end of 19c
When were champagne riots
1911
Define mosser
wooden whisks to release the trapped gas from the wine in the 1600
Define sur lattes
Sur lattes literally 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 wine to another party who will put their own label on it.
Define crayeres
Ancient, underground quarries, from chalk, are now used as wine cellars. Cool temperatures (10°C) and ample humidity, they are perfect for wine storage.
Define tirage
Part of the sparkling winemaking process during which sugar and yeast are added to the blended base wines in order to provoke a second fermentation, thereby creating carbon dioxide gas.
It is sometimes used to refer to the entire period during which the sparkling wine matures on the lees of this second fermentation.
Define prise de mousse
Capturing the froth
This is the stage when the wine starts to bubble as a result of the carbon dioxide given off in the process. To kick-start second fermentation, the winemaker prepares a liqueur de tirage — still Champagne (vins clairs) mixed with a small quantity of sugar (see below) and liquid cultures of active wine yeast strains (ferments de tirage)
Define liquer de tirage
To kick-start second fermentation, the winemaker prepares a liqueur de tirage — still Champagne (vins clairs) mixed with a small quantity of sugar (see below) and liquid cultures of active wine yeast strains (ferments de tirage).
Define remuage
French for the riddling process.
Dislodging the deposit left in a bottle after a second fermentation has taken place inside it and shaking it into the neck of the inverted bottle. It can be achieved either by hand or, more speedily, by machine (see gyropalette).
Define pupitre
French name for a hand riddling rack
Define gyropalette
special metal crate holding many dozen inverted bottles of traditional method sparkling wine in a remote-controlled, movable frame. This is the mechanized form of riddling
Define degorgement
Remove the deposit now in the neck of an inverted bottle. The conventional way of achieving this is to freeze the bottle neck and deposit by plunging the necks of the inverted bottles into a tray of freezing solution. The bottles are then upended, the crown cap flipped off, and the 2 cm deposit flies out as a solid pellet of ice.
Define liqueur de dosage or liqueur d’expedition
The final addition to a sparkling wine which may top up a bottle in the case of traditional method wines, and also determines the sweetness, or residual sugar, of the finished wine. In French this addition is called the liqueur d’expédition and, in traditional method wines, usually comprises a mixture of wine and sugar syrup.
Define juponne
Young mushroom shaped cork
Define cheville
If it has the lower part (foot) in the width, it is called “juponne” (jupon = petticoat) and the bottle was probably corked less than a year before. If the foot is narrow, it is a “Cheville” (cone), which means that the corking was done a long time ago.
Which was the first champagne house
Ruinart
