Champagne Flashcards
What is the significance of 1728?
The king issued a decree allowing for the transport and trade of champagne in bottle (allowing for effervescence to be preserved).
What is a mosser?
A wooden whisk used to dissipate trapped gas from sparkling wine in the 1600s
What is the significance of 1887?
The Champenois obtained a declaration from the Court of Appeal in Angers that the word champagne could only be used in conjunction with wines produced in the Champagne region
When was the Champagne zone of production delineated?
1908
When was the Aube region included as part of the official Champagne region?
1927
What three terms can producers use on labels for sparkling wine outside Champagne?
- Cremant
- Petillant
- Mousseux
What is the geographical significance of Champagneās location?
Northerly of all French wine regions (between 48 and 49.5 degrees parallel north)
Range of annual sunshine hours in Champagne?
1680 hours / year (rising to 2,100+ in hot years like 2003)
Climate of Champagne?
Continental with marked maritime influences
No. of days of frost per year?
60-80 days per year
What are the three main soils in Champagne?
- Chalk
- Limestone-rich marls
- Sand-clay composites
Geologically, where does the Champagne region lie?
Within the Paris Basin, a large downward depression of sedimentary rock strata
Which three Champagne sub-regions have sandy-clay composite soils?
- Vallee de la Marne
- Val de Reims
- Coteaux Sud dā Epernay
Three key attributes of chalk soil?
- Cool temperature
- Stores water due to porosity
- Ample humidity
What are the two sub-categories of chalk soil in champagne, and which is preferred?
Belemnite (fossilised arrow-squids) and Micraster (fossilised sea urchins).
Belemnite is preferred, as it tends to be located at upper to mid-slope levels while Micraster is located where the slope begins to flatten.
What is the key difference between limestone-rich marl and chalk?
Limestone-rich marl lacks chalkās water retention capacity, so it does not draw as much moisture from the topsoil
What ancient marine creature forms the main component of Kimmeridgean marl?
Exogyra virgula (small comma-shaped oyster)
What grape thrives in limestone-rich marl?
Pinot Noir - earthy and aromatic expression
What is the most northerly terroir in Champagne? Describe its soil and vine plantings.
Massif de Saint-Thierry
Sand-clay composites.
Planted to 85% red grapes with the majority being Meunier
Describe the topography and soils of the Grande Montagne de Reims
Horseshoe-shaped uplift.
Limestone-rich marls with pockets of chalk.
Describe the soil and vine plantings in Monts de Berru.
Chalk soils.
Over 90% of plantings are Chardonnay
Describe, moving east to west, the six main terroirs within the Vallee de la Marne
- Grande Vallee de la Marne
- Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauche
- Coteaux Sud dā Epernay (on the border with CdB)
- Rive Droite
- Ouest
- Conde (between Chateau-Thierry and Dormans)
Which two terroirs are found on the border between the Vallee de la Marne and Cotes des Blancs and thus are planted to a mix of Meunier and Chardonnay?
Coteaux Sud dā Epernay (on the Marne side) and Val du Petit Morin (on the Cotes des Blancs side)
Wh
When was the first intentionally-crafted sparkling wine made in Champagne?
Between 1695 and 1698.
When was the first Champagne house established?
1729 (Ruinart)
What are the two key terroirs in the Cotes de Bars?
- Bar-sur-Aubois
- Barsequanais (near Les Riceys)
What percentage of vines in the Cotes de Bars are Pinot Noir?
85%
When was the Echelle des Crus established?
1911
Describe how the Grand Crus villages were identified in the Echelle des Crus
The villages were ranked on a 80-100% scale. The best villages, with a 100% rating, were rated Grand Cru.
How many Grand Crus are there in Champagne? What is their geographical distribution?
17.
6 in the CdB, 9 in the MdR and 2 in the VdlM.
Why do some lists claim that the Montagne de Reims has 10 Grand Crus?
CIVC allows Tours-sur-Marne producers to declare themselves as part of the Montagne de Reims, even though Tours-sur-Marne is administratively counted among the Grands Crus of the Vallee de la Marne.
What is the significance of 2003 in terms of wine pricing?
Since 2003, the CIVC no longr uses the Echelle des Crus to set the price of grapes. Prices are now settled by individual contract.
Which were the principal varieties of Champagne from the 9th to the 16th centuries?
- Gouais Blanc
- Gouais Noir (vins de la montagne)
- Fromenteau (vins de la riviere)
What is the most widely-planted grape in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
What four training methods are approved for the vines of Champagne?
- Chablis
- Cordon
- Guyot
- Vallee de la Marne
Which vine training method must be used for GC and PC vineyards?
Chablis
What is the majority rootstock of choice in champagne, and why?
Rootstock 41B. Affinity to chalky soils.
What are the 2 main attributes of clones used in champagne?
- High acid
- Resistant to gray rot and botrytis
PN clones for bigger berries; PM clones for later bud break
Two ways that climate change has affected Champagne over the past 30 years?
- Average temperatrue has increased approximately 1.2 deg C
- Flowering and harvest are now 10-14 days earlier (creating frost risk)
Aging requirements for vintage champagne?
- 12 months on lees
- 3 years in cellar from tirage to release
Aging requirements for NV champagne?
- 12 months on lees
- 3 months in cellar before release
How many Premier Cru villages in Champagne?
42 Premier Cru villages
What are the three AoCs in Champagne?
- Rose des Riceys
- Coteaux Champenois
- Champagne
What does the term recoltant-cooperateur refer to?
A grape-grower affiliated with a winemaking co-operative cellar (which vinifies them, so that the RC can sell the finished wine under his private label)
What is the difference between the term Societe de Recoltants and the term Cooperative de Manipulation?
Societe de Recoltants refers to a group of grape growers that jointly vinifies and sells under one or more communal brands.
