Champagne Flashcards
Campania
Champagne name derived from campania originally used to describe the rolling hills north of Rome
Phylloxera
- intensified competition from other sparkling wines as well as from other French winemakers and intensified fraudulent practices
Fraud + Phylloxera
near civil war in 1911. led to:
- attempts to define region which excluded Aube and sparked riots
- Suppression of attempts to delimit region which led to April 1911 riots in the Marne
- Commision de Calons set up in 1935
- CIVC 6 years later
French Market for Champagne
accounts for 2/3 sales. Brands less dominant. Growers and Co-ops account for 1/2 of sales domestically.
Export Market for Champange
Brands account for 90%
competition from co-ops
added pressure to conglomerate. Moet acquired Mercier, Ruinart, Krug, Veuve, … 1
1990 Grape Market Freed
led to increasingly concentrated trade with 7 biggest houses accounting for 70% of the total
Crus
17 Grands 42 Premiers (44 according to WSET)
Grapes
99% + Pinot Noir, Champagne, Meunier
also some Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane, and Petite Meslier
Yields
from 3,670 kg/ha (24 hl/ha) in the 40s to 9.910 kg/ha (66 hl/ha) in the 80s. CIVC sets max yield each year. since 1992 160 kg grapes required to produce 102 l of juice meaning max permitted yield is 65 hl/ha
Vertical Basket Press
also known as a Coquard press. holds 4,000 kg or a marc which is also a standard unit of measurement in the region. Hydraulic and pneumatic horizontal presses also allowed
Pressing
Traditionally 2,666 l extracted from every marc. First 2,050 l were cuvee, next 410 l were premieres tailles, final 206 l were deuxiemes tailles. Now reduced to 2,550 l per marc (or 102 l per 160 kg) and deuxiemes tailles abolished. Taille is remaining 5hl
Taille Chablis
fan shaped bush vine
Rachet. 2 bud spur. Will not bear fruit in current season but will grow shoots to use the following season
Lancement. fruitful shoot bearing 5 buds from last years Rachet
then one to four older branches composed of two parts: lower part called charpent (was a lancement) made by wood more than a year old, and a higher fruitful part called prolongement with 5 buds. the following year the prolongement will be more than one year old and will become part of the charpent.
When the charpent becomes too long it is cut altogether
Taille Chablis pros/cons
Pros:
retains good amount of old wood but at same time cordons are relatively young. This provides carb reserves and frost resistance while minimizing disease risk.
Good for Chard because 1st two buds are frequently unfruitful.
Cons:
requires skill, more time consuming than guyot
41B
81% of Champagne plantings
berlandieri x vinifera
poor phylloxera and poor nematode resistance. promotes early ripening and highly lime tolerant
SO4
in champgne used on moderately limestone soils
berlandieri x riparia
3309C
in champagne used on soils with very little limestone
rupestris x riparia
Champagne Vine Spacing
Inter-row 1.5m
Intra-row 0.9 - 1.5m
total spacing never more than 2.5m
8,000m/ha
of fruiting buds
regardless of pruning method, no more than 18 fruiting buds per square meter of vineyard
NM
Negociant-Manipulant
Champagne House
RM
Recoltant-Manipulant
Grower/Producer
SR
Societe de Recoltants
two or more growers who share the same winery
CM
Cooperative-Manipulant
RC
Recoltant-Cooperative
A grower that sells wine made from his grapes that are made by the cooperative