Champagne Flashcards
There is a subregion around the city of reims in the north. Which is it
Montagne de Reims
There is a subreion that travels along the Marne river to the west from Epernay which is it
Vallee de la Marne
There is a subregion travelling south from Epernay which is it
Cote De Blancs
The southern Most sub region in Champagne is what
Cote De Bar
Wha Grape is the Cote Des bar famous for
Pinot Noir
What grape is the Montagne de Reims famous for
Meunier West of Reims
Pinot East of Reims
What grape is the valee de la Marne famous for
Meunier West of Dormans Pinot NNoir east of Dormans
What grape is the cote de blancs famous for
Chardonnay
What grape is the Cote de Bar famous for
Pinot Noir
What are three advancements that led to the development of champagne
Stronger Glass
Discovery of Yeast
Mainstream use of cork
Uniform bottle necks
What was once the capital of thhe champagne region
Troyes
What is a mosser?
A wooden whisk that was used to elimintate the bubbles of champagne in the 1600s
What is Cremant?
A wine made using the champagne method outside of champagne
What is mousseaux
A sparkling wine not of champagne method outside of champagne
Whats the difference between methode Champenoise and Methode Traditionelle on a label
Methode Traditionelle is used for wines made using this method outsde of Champagne
What latitude is Champagne
49-4.5 degrees north
Describe Champagnes climate
Continental with marked Maritime influences.
What are meso climates and how do they aid champagnne
Meso climates are unique pockets that deviate from the larger climate due to geography of a region. In champagne it is the macro climate is actually too cold for grape growing but due to the undulating hills, rivers and valleys there are sun traps etc
How many hours of sunshine does Champagne get a year
1680 - 2100 in a hot year
What are the main climactic threats to the vine in Champagnee
Frost, hail, fog, humidity
Why does champagne experiencee frost and disease pressure
Due to the contintental and maritime climate
How many days of frost can champagne experience
60-80 days a year
What is chalk?
A kind of porous limestone, sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate.
Is Chalk water retentive
Yes due to its porosity it can hold up to 300-400 litres of water per cubic metre
What is the difference between Micraster Chalk and Belemnite Chalk
Belemnite Chalk is made up of ancestors of todays squid (arrow shaped) Micraster Chalk is made up of fossilised sea urchins.
How do we categorise different kinds of chalk
by the fossils found inside
is Belemnite or Micraster Chalk better?
Technically speaking they are identical but due to earth upheavals belemnite is positioned upper to mid slope which is preferred.
What regions havee chalk soil
Reims, Epernay, Ay, Cote de Blancs
What regions have Limestone Rich Marl
Montagne de Reims and Cote de Bar (Kimmeridgean Marl)
What regions have Sand and Clay
Valee de la marne, Val de Reims,
What is the soil type of Cote de Sezanne
Mix of Chalk and clay
What does chardonnay contribute to a blend
High Alcohol, High acidity note of apple and citrus
What does Pinot contribute to a blend
Least amount of acidity moderate alcohol, red fruit notes
What does Meunier contribute to a blend
Moderate amount of acidity and low alcohol.
Why are so few champagnes labelled organic or bio
Climate is hard but mainly the neggocciant model.
What are the sought after attributes driving clonal selection
High acid berries that are resistent to grey rot and bortrytis.
What is the sought after chaacters of Pinot Clones
Bigger berries producing more juice
What is the sought after chaacters of Meunier Clones
Later bud break to avoid frost
How has climate change imacted winemaking decision
Less chaptalisation, less dosage, less MLF
Why is champagne usually blended
Due to the wide swings of vintage variation
List the requirements of NV
12 months on Lees
3 months in cellar
List the requirements of Vintagee
12 months on lees
3 years in the cellar from Tirage to release
What is tirage
The initial bottling of base wines to instigate seconddary ferment
What are the 3 AOCs of Champagne
Rose des Riceys
Coteaux Champenoise
Champagne
Describe Rose des Ricey
Red (dark Rose) from Pinot producd in the three villages of Les Riceys in the Aube, About 60000 bot a year
Describe Coteaux Champenois
Roughly the same borders as Champagne but for still wines, White Rose and Red 120000 a year
what is remuage
Riddling
What is the difference between a Jupone and a Cheville
A Jupone is a cork that is wider at the base so corked quite recently a Cheville is one that is condensed so corked a long time ago.
Who were the individuals responsible for the champagne method
Dom Perignon (Blending)
Veuve Clicquot (Ridddling)
Can Premier Cru wines be made with Grand Cru grapes
yes
Why are special club bottliings so special
They are produced by membbers of the club (club tresors de champagne) and must undergo two blind tastings to rreceive the classification
Describe Echelle des Crus
The classification system of Champagne. 80-89% means Village
90-99% is Premier cru 100% is grand cru. The village is ranked not the vineyards.
How many grand cru villages are there
17
WHat percentage do you need for Premier cru
90-99
What percentage do you need for Grand Cru
100%
What percentage do you need for Village
80-89%
Does the Echelle des cru have any bearing on fruit prices
Not as of 2003
Is Pinot Gris permitted in Champagne?
yes
