Champagne Flashcards
What is the main soil and grape of the Aube/Cote des Bar
Clay
Pinot Noir
What are the 5 main areas of Champagne?
Montagne de Reims
Cotes Des Blancs
Vallee de la Marne
Cote de Sezanne
Aube/Cote de Bar
Whats the main grape of Cote de Sezanne?
Chardonnay
What is the key soil type of Champagne?
More specific, which 2 types of that soil are featured, and where are those found?
Chalk
Belemnite Chalk, found on the hillsides
Micraster Chalk, found in the valley floors
What grape is featured in the Valle de la Marne?
What about that grape makes it suitable for the area?
Pinot Meunier
Meunier likes the heavier clay soils here, and the lower lying Marne is significantly more frost prone, which is perfect because Meunier buds 2 weeks later than Chardonnay or Pinot.
What grape dominates plantings on the Montagne de Reims?
Pinot Noir
Name the Grand Cru of Montagne de Reims in relative order from North to South (9)
Sillery
Puisieulx
Beaumont sur Vesle
Verzenay
Mailly Champagne
Verzy
Louvois
Bouzy
Ambonnay
Name the Grand Cru of Cotes des Blancs from North to South (6)
Chouilly
Oiry
Cremant
Avize
Oger
Le Mesnil sur Oger
Name the Grand Cru of Vallee de la Marne (2)
Ay
Tours sur Marne - understand this grand cru sits on the Marne, but the vineyards of Bouzy roll right into it. So…its “Vallee de la Marne” but stylistically its more akin to Montagne de Reims grand crus (its planted to 72% pinot noir).
Historically, what was the Echelle de Crus, and what was it used for?
A ranking system splitting up vineyards of Champagne into Grand Cru, Premier Cru, and Deuxieme Crus.
The ranking determined what price growers could get for their fruit from producers.
What governing body regulates Champagne? Since what year?
What are its responsibilities?
CIVC - Comite Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne 1941
Setting viticulture and vinification standards
Protecting the brand name/marketing
Managing relationships between growers and producers
What is the minimum time spent on the lees for NV Champagne, and how long must it age in total?
What percent of production does the NV style account for?
12 months lees, 15 months total
75%
What grapes are authorized for Champagne production?
What hybrid grape was approved in 2021 on a trial basis and why?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane, Petit Meslier
Voltis, its resistant to powdery/downy mildew, thus reducing the need to spray—> sustainability initiative
How long must a vintage champagne spend ageing on the lees, and in total?
12 months lees, 36 months total
What percent of a harvest may be sold as a vintage champagne?
If vintage dated, what percent of the wine must be from that year?
80%
100%
What is unique about the production of Rose Champagne?
While saignee is permitted, its the only AOC in France where blending base wines is permitted for rose production.
What pruning methods are allowed in Champagne?
Guyot (Double and Single)
Cordon de Royat
Chablis
Valle de la Marne (Meunier only)
In what year was AOC Champagne established?
1936
What is a Marc?
What type of press fits exactly 1 marc?
4000kg of grapes
Coquard press
What are the three portions of juice extracted from pressing in Champagne production?
1st Vin de Cuvee 2050L
2nd Vin de Taille 500L
3rd Rebeche 1-10% of the total
What is Debourbage?
the settling of the juice after pressing, to rack and remove solids before the 1st fermentation.
What are Vin Clairs?
The base wines for Champagne, typically ~11% ABV and screeching high acid.
What is assemblage in Champagne production?
Vin Clairs are tasted, and blended, with any incoming reserve wines, before the 2nd fermentation.
What is Liqueur de Tirage?
The mixture of sugar, wine, and yeast that will kickstart the 2nd fermentation.
What is Prise de Mousse?
And about how long will this take?
The name for the 2nd fermentation.
About 8 weeks.
How much will the ABV rise during the 2nd fermentation?
1-1.5%
What is Sur Latte?
Pointage?
Sur Pointe?
Sur Latte - bottles are stored on their side while they sit on the lees.
Pointage - If needed, during riddling, bottles are shaken to dislodge yeast stuck to the side of the bottle.
Sur Point - after riddling, bottles are kept top pointing down with the yeast cells in the neck ready for disgorgement.
What is remuage?
A remuer?
Riddling
If done by hand, the person doing it.
Who invented the Pupitre?
Who invented the Gyropalette?
Barbe Nicole Ponsardin (Madame Cliquot)
Claude Cazals
How long does riddling by hand take?
And by gyropalette?
8 weeks by hand, 1 week by gyropalette
What is the modern method of disgorgement called?
Degorgement a la Glace
What is Liqueur d’Expedition?
The dosage
How big is a piccolo?
A Methuselah?
187mL
6L
How big is a Demi?
A Solomon?
375mL
18L
How big is a Jeroboam?
A Balthazar?
3L
12L
How big is a Salmanazar?
A Nebuchadnezzar?
9L
15L
What is transvasage and why is it used?
Transfer Method
When needed, Champagne can be disgorged into a large pressurized tank in order to be rebottled in specialty sized bottles for sale.
Permitted for Piccolo, and Methusaleh or larger. 20% of NV wine may be transferred into Demi
Give the g/L range for these dosage.
Doux
Extra Dry
Brut Nature
Doux 50+
Extra Dry 12-17
Brut Nature 0-3
Give the g/L for these dosage.
Extra Brut
Brut
Sec
Demi Sec
EB 0-6
B 0-12
S 17-32
DS 32-50
What was Dom Perignon’s first release? Of what vintage?
1936
1921 vintage
What did Champagne producers use to color their wines back in the day in an effort to compete with Burgundy?
Elderberry
What did Andre Francois discover?
The precise amount of sugar required for 2nd fermentation to occur without accumulating so much co2 pressure so that the bottle exploded.
What was the first single vineyard Champagne, and in what year?
Clos des Goisses, Phillipponat, 1935
What is a bidule?
a plastic cap that gathers sediment during remuage.
Who makes Cuvee Louise?
Pommery
Who makes Comtes de Champagne?
Taittinger
Who makes La Grande Dame?
Veuve Cliquot
What is Ruinart’s Tete de Cuvee?
Dom Ruinart