Champagne Flashcards
what % of wine must come from the same year in vintage champagne?
100%
How is rose Champagne made?
rose d’assemblage (blending)
Rose de saignee (masceration)
what ages more quickly, BdB or BdN?
BdN
what is an example of a Late release or recently disgorged style wine?
RD- Bollinger
P2- Dom Perignon
Which champagne AOC makes rose from Pinot Noir
Rose des Riceys
What wine does AOC Coteaux Champagnois produce
red, white, or rose, but mostly pale Pinot Noirs
Who made the first sparkling from red grapes?
Dom Pierre Perignon
when were riddling and controlled secondary ferment introduced?
19thC
who invented the process of riddling using pupitres?
Veuve Cliquot
How did English developments of glass produced in coal fired ovens influence champagne?
they could produce wines with a higher pressure which these new bottles could withstand
how were sparkling wines in Champagne originally produced?
ferment would stop in the cold winter, but restart in warm summer, resulting in a slightly sparkling wine
When were the Champagne vineyard boundaries set?
1927
what was the echelle des crus
an obsolete system to determine market prices according to grape quality.
what is blocage
the practice of reserving young wines for future blends. an insurance policy against bad vintages
what are the 5 subregions of champagne?
Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne, Cote Des Blancs)
Cote de Sezanne, Cote des Bar
how many ml of rain a year in champagne
700mm, evenly spread
how has climate change affected champagne
avg. alc. incr. by 0.7%
harvest moved backs by 18 days
what is the most common soil of champagne
chalky with limestone subsoil
what are the advantages of champagnes soil
it is pourous, allowing for water even in dry periods
what is the average altitude and Lattitude of champagne?
50th parallel
90-300m above sealevel
what grand Cru villages are in Montagne de Reims
Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy
What is the character of Montagne de Reims
- best sites are north facing but frost prone
- wines are high in acid, austere when young
- known for black grapes
Main grape of Valle de la Marne
Meunier
What grand Cru is in Vallee de la Marne?
Ay
The styles of Vallee de la Marne
fruity wines from Meunier, early drinking wines from chardonnay
Grand crus of Cote de Blancs
Cramant, Avize, Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Style of Cote de Blancs
intense, long lasting wines that are austere in youth
regional characteristics of Cote de Blancs
Pure chalk
95% chardonnay
Regional character of Cote de Sezanne
clay/silt soils
mostly chardonnay
south east plantings for fruitier wines
regional character of Cote de bar
mainly Pinot Noir
Kimmeridgian marls and limestone with good drainage
mostly bought to add fruit to blends
Describe the advantages of Meunier
- later budding so less frost prone
- benefits on heavier soils
- ripens earlier, allowing harvest to start
Describe the disadvantages of Meunier
- prone to botrytis
- not intended for long-aged wines
what is the average planting density of champagne?
8000 vines per ha
are sparkling grapes grown at high or low yields?
high because it is not necessary for tannins to be ripe or flavours/colour to be concentrated.
what are the four approved trellising systems in champagne?
Taille Chablis- chardonnay
Cordon Du Royat- PN and Meunier
Guyot- lesser vineyards
Vallee de la Marne- like Guyot, less common
How many fruiting buds per m2?
18
How long does harvest last in champagne
3 weeks
When does harvest start in champagne
When the Comite champagne determines
What are champagnes AOC regulations for harvest
Whole bunches picked by hand, no more than 15,000kg/ha
How much is a marc
4000kg of grapes
What is the max yield of must in champagne
79hl/ha though can incr. To 98hl/ha if the Comite Champagne agrees and the surplus is put into reserve wine
How much reserve wine is classically used for large brands
10-15%
How do reserve wines stored in oak vs stainless steel differ?
Oak allows oxidative notes and complexity. Steel provides freshness and control.
Will the notes of autolysis be more pronounced in cooler or warmer regions?
Warmer, due to the low intensity of primary fruit
Minimum lees ageing for NV champagne
12
Minimum total ageing for NV champagne
15months
Ageing requirements for vintage wine
12months on lees
Released 36 months after tirage
Closure regulations for champagne
Cork displaying the name champagne and vintage date where appropriate
Influence of liqueur d’expédition
- sweetness
- colour correct rose
- flavour and aroma (eg. Youthful vs aged wine added)
How many villages were rated Grand cru in the eschelle des crus system?
17
How many premier cru villages in champagne
42
How many champagne houses approximately
369
What is NM
Négociant manipulant- a champagne house that buys grapes to make sell and market wine
What is RM
Récoltant manipulant- growers who make market and sell champagne from their own site and holdings
What is CM
Coopérative de manipulation- champagne coop making wine from its members grapes
What are the strengths of champagne houses
Large sales, strong export market. It is presently 73% of sales and 88% of exports
What are the benefits of RMs?
They sell most of their wine in the domestic market
What are the benefits of CMs?
Sales are small but evenly split between the home and export market with some exceptions
How does champagne navigate supply and demand?
Limits on production/yields and wines that go into base wines.
Limiting area of production (possible future expansion)
What factors limit/increase the supply of champagne
Comite champagne determines annual yields and reserve wine storage based off:
- current stocks
- global demand
- progress of the season
Which markets are the most high paying for champagne
Japan and the USA
Is the availability of cheap champagne going up or down in France?
Down. Bottles under €12 are dropping whilst those over €20 are growing
Who is the biggest champagne market by volume
UK
Why is cheap champagne generally becoming less common?
The boom of mid priced sparkling wines like Prosecco. The focus is on higher quality, precise farming, and a higher price
Are volume and price increasing or decreasing in champagne right now?
Volume has decreased by 10% since 2018, but the average price has raised by 25%
