Champagne

Question 1

Champagne AOP Regulations

Answer 1

Département: Aube, Aisne, Marne, Haute-Marne, Seine-et-Marne
Communes of Production: 357 villages
Styles:
Vin Mousseux Blanc
Vin Mousseux Rosé (either saignée or blending prior to tirage is authorized)
Encépagement: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane, Petit Meslier
Base Wine Statistics:
Minimum Potential Alcohol: 9%
Maximum Residual Sugar: 10 g/l
Tirage:
Secondary fermentation (prise de mousse) is accomplished in glass bottles
Tirage may not occur until at least January 1 of the year following the harvest
Volume of wine may not increase by more than 1.12% per 1% increase in alcohol during secondary fermentation
Wines may not be disgorged until at least 12 months after the date of tirage
Finished wines are marketed in the same bottle in which tirage occurred, except for bottle sizes with a volume smaller than 375 ml or larger than 3 liters. For NV bottlings, up to 20% of 375 ml bottles may also be transferred into new bottles.
Liqueur d’Expédition:
The addition of liqueur d’expédition may not lead to an increase in volume of wine (expressed in percentage) higher than the sum of the percentage increase in alcoholic strength (multiplied by a coefficient of 1.266) and the grams per liter increase in sugar content (multiplied by a coefficient of 0.0666). See the following formula:
Volume of Wine (%) = (1.266 × Alcohol Percent Increase) + (0.0666 × Sugar Increase)
Vintage Dated Wines:
Max. 80% of a year’s harvest may be sold as vintage Champagne
Vintage-dated wines must contain 100% of a stated vintage (with the exception of wine and products contained in the liqueur de tirage or the liqueur d’expédition)
Élevage:
NV wines: Min. 15 months from date of tirage
Vintage Wines: Min. 36 months from date of tirage
Minimum Must Weight: 143 g/l
Minimum Planting Density: max. 2.5 square meters per vine
Permitted Training Methods: Chablis, Cordon de Royat, Vallée de la Marne (allowed for Meunier only), Guyot (simple or double)
Maximum Yields (Rendement de Base): 10,400 kg/ha
Maximum Press Yield: 102 liters/160 kg (Additional pressed juice is rebêche, or the “end of pressing”, and must account for 0-10% of the total. This may only be used for distillation.)
AOC Established: 1936 (earlier protections date to 1919) (last updated 2010)

Question 2

Champagne Sweetness Levels

Answer 2

Designation Pre-2010 Current
Brut Nature* 0-3 grams per liter 0-3 grams per liter
Extra Brut 0-6 grams per liter 0-6 grams per liter
Brut 0-15 grams per liter 0-12 grams per liter
Extra Dry 12-20 grams per liter 12-17 grams per liter
Sec 17-35 grams per liter 17-32 grams per liter
Demi-Sec 33-50 grams per liter 32-50 grams per liter
Doux 50+ grams per liter 50+ grams per liter

*Brut Nature wines may not contain any added dosage. Equivalent terms include Non-Dosé, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Dosage Zéro, Sans Sucre, Pas Dosé.

Question 3

Champagne Grand Cru Villages

Answer 3

Montagne de Reims:

Sillery  
Puisieulx            
Beaumont-sur-Vesle    
Verzenay         
Mailly Champagne            
Verzy*            
Louvois           
Bouzy              
Ambonnay    

Vallée de la Marne:

Aÿ
Tours-sur-Marne (red grapes 100%, white grapes 90%)

Côte des Blancs:

Chouilly* (white grapes 100%, red grapes 95%) 
Oiry*               
Cramant           
Avize                
Oger*              
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger*

• added after 1985.

Question 4

Champagne Premier Cru Villages

Answer 4

Montagne de Reims Premier Cru Villages (26 total):

Avenay-Val-d'Or
Bezannes
Billy-le-Grand
Chamery
Chigny-les-Roses
Cormontreuil
Coulommes-la-Montagne
Écueil
Jouy-lès-Reims
Ludes
Les Mesneux
Montbré
Pargny-lès-Reims
Rilly-la-Montagne
Sacy
Sermiers
Taissy
Tauxières-Mutry
Trépail
Trois-Puits
Vaudemange
Villers-Allerand
Villers-aux-Nœuds
Ville-Dommange
Villers-Marmery
Vrigny

Vallée de la Marne Premier Cru Villages (7 total):

Bisseuil
Champillon
Cumières
Dizy
Hautvillers
Mareuil-sur-Ay
Mutigny

Côte de Blancs Premier Cru Villages (9 total):

Bergères-lès-Vertus
Cuis
Étréchy
Grauves
Pierry
Val-des-Marais (Coligny)
Vertus
Villeneuve-Renneville-Chevigny
Voipreux

Question 5

Champagne Prestige Cuvées

Answer 5

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Question 6

Champagne Special Club

Answer 6

Paul Bara (Bouzy)
Roland Champion (Chouilly)
Charlier et Fils (Montigny-sous-Châtillon)
Gaston Chiquet (Dizy)
Duménil (Chigny-les-Roses)
Forget-Chemin (Ludes)
Fresnet-Juillet (Verzy)
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils (Cuis)
J.M. Goulard (Prouilly)
Henri Goutorbe (Aÿ)
Grongnet (Etoges)
Marc Hébrart (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ)
Hervieux-Dumez (Sacy)
Vincent Joudart (Fèrebrianges)
Juillet-Lallement (Verzy)
Larmandier Père et Fils (Cuis)
J. Lassalle (Chigny-les-Roses)
Launois Père et Fils (Mesnil-sur-Oger)
Joseph Loriot-Pagel (Festigny)
A. Margaine (Villers Marmery)
Rémy Massin et Fils (Ville-sur-Arce)
José Michel et Fils (Moussy)
Moussé Fils (Cuisles)
Mouzon-Leroux et Fils (Verzy)
Nominé-Renard (Villevenard)
Pertois-Moriset (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger)
Salmon (Chaumuzy)
Sanchez-Le Guédard (Cumières)
Vazart-Coquart et Fils (Chouilly)