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Champagne Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is Champagne on the French wine Map?

A

Champagne represents the most northerly of all the French wine regions

  • It lies between the 49° and 49.5° parallel north.
  • The region is 1.5 hours away from Paris by car.
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2
Q

What is the climate of Champage?

A

Champagne’s northerly position means that the climate is both cold and harsh.

  • Champagne barely receives 1,650 hours of sunshine
    • Bordeaux gets 2,069
    • Bourgogne gets 1,910
  • Climate is dual:
    • Strong continental and
    • Atlantic (maritime) influences
  • There is proportionate year-round rainfall.
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3
Q

How do the different seasons affect Champagne and its growing season?

A

Champagne experiences 4 seasons:

  • Spring - frosts are common and severe. This can seriously reduce yielfds. Vignerons use sprinkler systems.
  • Summers - under a continental climate can be warm but maritime influences means that there is abundant cloud cover.
  • Autumns - bring early frosts
  • Winters - can herald brutal freezes for at least three to four days a year.
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4
Q

What were the traditional grapevines used during the 9th and 16th centuries?

A

3 grapevines were traditionally used

  • Gouais Noir (black berried)
  • Gouais Blanc (white berried)
  • Fromenteau (grey-pink berried) … commonly known as pinot gris
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5
Q

What are the 3 primary grapevines used in Champagne today?

A

The 3 primary grapevines used today are :

  • Pinot Noir (38% of total vineyard acreage) - contributes least amount of acidity and moderate alcohol
  • Pinot Meunier (34% of total vineyard acreage) - contributes moderate acidity and the least amount of alcohol
  • Chardonnay (28% of total vineyard acreage) - contributes most acidity and most alcohol.

** Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, and Petit Meslier and still authorized.

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6
Q

What are the 4 principal sub regions of the Champagne region?

A

The 4 principal sub-regions of the Champagne region are :

  • The Montagne & Val de Reims
  • Vallée de la Marne
  • Côte des Blancs and surroundings
  • Côte des Bar

**These are further divided into 17 terroirs.

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7
Q

What are the 4 terroirs of the Montagne and Val de Reims?

A

The 4 terroirs of the The Montagne & Val de Reims are :

  • Massif de Saint-Thierry : Pinot Meunier
    • ​Located along the right bank of the Vesle River. Northernmost section of the Champagne. NW of Reims. Vineyards face SE on Sand, Clay, and Marl.
  • Vesle and Ardre Valleys (Val de Reims) : Pinot Meunier
    • ​South of Massif and West of Reims. Vines flank the Ardre on both sides. Soils of Sand, Clay, and Marl. Vineyards face NE and SE.
  • Monts de Berru : Chardonnay
    • ​4 miles East of Reims. Circle mount Berru. Soil is Chalk
  • Grande Montagne de Reims : Pinot Noir
    • ​Uplift shaped like horseshoe. South of Reims and North of Epernay. Vineyards face South, East, NW, and North. Soils are limestone, rich marles while others are chalk.
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8
Q

What are the 6 terroirs of the Vallée de la Marne?

A

The 6 terroirs of the Vallée de la Marne are:

  1. Grand Vallé de la Marne : Pinot Noir
    • Chalk sub-soils but rest of valley is sands, clays, and marls. Vineyards face south.
  2. Coteaux Sud d’Epernay : Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier
    • Soils are chalk, sand, clay, and marl
  3. Vallée de la Marne Rive Gauche : Pinot Meunier
    • ​Vineyards face north and soilds are sands, marls, and clays
  4. Vallée de la Marne Rive Droite : Pinot Meunier
    • ​Bisected by Chatillon River, soils are sands, marls, clays, vineyards face south.
  5. Condé : Pinot Meunier
    • ​Encirlce large limestone uplift.
  6. Vallée de la Marne Ouest : Pinot Meunier
    • ​Soils are sands, marls, and clay, Vineyards face south and southeast.
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9
Q

What are the 5 terroirs of the Côte des Blancs?

A

The 5 terrois of the Côtes des Blancs are :

  • Côte des Blancs : Chardonnay​​
    • ​8km in length, sub-soil is chalk and vineyards face east.
  • ​​Val du Petit Morin : Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
    • soils are a mix of chalk and sand/marl/clay. Vineyards face south. Petit Morin is a 53 mile river
  • Sézannais : Chardonnay
    • Hilly zone, mostly chalk with some pockets of clay. Vineyards face southeast
  • Vitryat (Vitry-le-Francais) : Chardonnay
    • Heart of Dry Champagne, vineyards planted on east-facing chalk slopes
  • Montgeux : Chardonnay
    • ​South-facing chalk outcrop
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10
Q

What are the 2 terrois of the Côte des Bar?

A

The 2 terroirs of the Côte des Bar are:

  • Bar sur Aubois : Pinot Noir
    • Soil is Kimmeridgean marl
  • Barséquanais : Pinot Noir
    • Comprised of 5 river valley. Soil is Kimmeridgean marl
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11
Q

What are the predominant soils in the Champagne region?

A

The soils of Champagne reflect a sedimentary series of soils created when the Paris basin was an inland sea. Much of the region rests atop two primary types of chalk in Champagne :

  • Belemnite - refers to ancient arrow or dart-like relative of today’s squid.
  • Micraster - composed of fossilized sea-urchins, a member of the starfish family.
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12
Q

Which chalk is preferred Belemnite or Micraster?

A

Belemnite Chalk is preferred.

  • It is preferred because earth upheavals positioned the Belemnite at the upper and mid-slope levels which happens to be ideal for optimal sun exposure and moisture retention.
  • Angle of slope maximizes sun’s rays and ensure maximum water retention.
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13
Q

How are the soils in the Côte des Bar different?

A

Côte des Bar soils are composed of Virgulien Marl, also known as Kimmeridgean marl.

  • Côte des Bar is part of the Kimmeridgean Ring.
  • It surfaces in the wine regions of Côte des Bar, Tonnerre-Epineuil, Chablis, Auxerre, Yonne Valley, Pouilly-sur-Loire, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, and Reuilly.
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14
Q

What is Chalk and how does it influence Champagne wines?

A

Chalk is a type of porous limestone. It can be and was quarried for building materials.

  • Grapes grown on chalk are typically quite high in acid producing lean wines with reserved aromatics.
  • Chalk is a sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate. It stores water and drains topsoil of moisture.
    • This area was known as Dry Champagne.
  • The caves from chalk quarries create a cool and humid environment year round good for wine storage.
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15
Q

How do sand and clay soils effect champagne wines?

A

The vineyards in the Vallée de la Marne and Val de Reims are a mix of marl, clay, and sands.

  • Clay produces mineral rich wines. Need ageing to express.
    • Côte de Sézanne are mix of Chalk and Clay.
  • Sandy soilds produce wines with overt fruit.
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16
Q

How do Limestone rich Marls effect the Champagne wines?

A

Limestone rich Marls are only found int eh Côte des Bar.

  • Limestone-rich Marls do not retain water.
  • This is “wet Champage”
  • This is preferred for Pinot Noir just like Bourgogne.
    • Delivers deeply aromatic earth expression of pinot noir.
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17
Q

How many AOCs are there in Champagne and what are they?

A

The 3 AOCs in Champagne are :

  • AOC Rose des Riceys - 100% Rose
    • Pinot Noir Rose produced in three villages of Les Riceys in the Aube.
  • AOC Coteaux Champenois - 100% still
    • Lies within the zone of production for AOC Champagne. Still wine from Arbane, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Gris and Noir. Most is non-vintage and white.
  • AOC Champagne - 100% Sparkling
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18
Q

What is the Echelle Des Crus?

A

Echelle des Crus was created in an effort to recognize different terroirs within the large sparkling Champagne AOC. Est. 1911

  • Scale 80-100%
  • Best villages 100% = Grand Cru
    • 17 Grand Cru
    • Grand Cru labeling if all fruit comes from Grand Cru
  • Villages 90-99% = Premier Cru.
  • Villages 255 80-89%.
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19
Q

How did the Echelle des Crus impact pricing?

A

In the past the CIVC announced the price per kilo for fruit from 100% rated vineyards and lesser rated vineyards would get proportional amounts based on rating.

  • Since 2003 Echelle is no longer used.
  • Open market dictates price.
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20
Q

How does the “rural method” or “ancestral method” differ from the methode champenoise?

A

The ancestral method is essentially an alcoholic fermentation that underwent a winter pause. Problems with this were that :

  • 1st Vignerons could not control the onset of winter cold - hence the amount of sugar left was unknown and could go dry.
  • 2<strong>nd</strong> if semi-fermeted juice was put in a bottle by spring time there was no chance to remove the yeast creating cloudy and gritty wine.
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21
Q

What is the first step (vineyard) in making Champagne?

A

Grapes for champage are intentionally picked with less sugar than grapes destined for still wine production

  • Remember alcohol is toxic to yeast
  • Since Champagne requires to fermentations picking at optimal ripeness means that a second fermentation may not be possible because of high alcohol.
  • Champagne also needs higher acid levels.
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22
Q

After grapes are picked how does pressing differ from traditional wine making methods?

A

Once picked the grapes are pressed quickly in the field in a wide and flat press.

  • This shallow press allows for very little skin contact so that the juice leaves clear.
  • A cuvée is the blend of Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Pinot meunier but note these are all pressed and fermented separately.
23
Q

What steps come after pressing to obtain the juice?

A

After pressing, the juice is chilled and allowed to rest to let particulate matter settle out before the the grape varieties are fermented separately.

  • Different vineyard lots are also fermented separately. This can lead to 100 different fermentations.
  • Most fermentations are in stainless steel tanks. (Krug in Oak)
24
Q

What is blending and why is it important to Champagne?

A

Blending is mixing the base wines from the first fermentation to maintain a consistency in flavor profile from year to year.

  • Helps to eliminate seasonal variation as you can add in several past vintages.
  • Rosé champagne is a product of blending in a small amount of Pinot Noir (red wine) to the white cuvée.
    • Some vignerons opt to create a rosé (de saignée)
25
Q

What is the Prise de Mousse

A

The Prise de Mousse translates to “seizing of the foam.

  • Refers to the second alcoholic fermentation which creates between 4.9 and 6 atmospheres of pressure (75-90 pounds of pressure)
26
Q

What is Tirage?

A

Tirage is the French term for bottling.

  • Yeast and sugar are mixed into the blended wine or cuvée and then the product is bottled.
  • This marks the difference between Traditionalle and Ancestrale.
  • Liqueuer de Tirage - guarantees a sparkling product and a predictable amount of sparkle. The Liqueur de Tirade “seizes of the foam”
27
Q

Once a bottle has been given a Liqueur de Tirage what is the next step in the process?

A

After the Liqueur de Tirage, the bottle is sealed with a crown cap or cork and staple and placed on its side in the wine cellar (or crayère)

  • The thin strips of wood are called Lattes
    • ​this method is referred to as sur lattes.​
28
Q

How long does the second fermentation last and what happens during this time?

A

The second fermentation takes an average of 30 days. Yeasts must be able to survive conditions of

  • Low Sugar
  • Low Temperatures
  • High Pressure
  • High Alcohol Levels
29
Q

How does Champagne become sparkling?

A

CO2 created by the yeast dissolves into the wine, creating the bubbles. After the fermentation the yeast die and decompose.

30
Q

How does dead yeast effect Champagne?

A

Deast yeast decompose and release proteins that contribute to a texturous mouth feel and the “champagne bouquet”. This is described as :

  • Toasted Nuts,
  • Toasted Grain,
  • Brioche,
  • Biscuits,
  • Freshly Baked Breat.
31
Q

What is wine called when it is resting on dead yeast cells?

A

It is called resting “sur lie” and picks up the added complexity.

  • The longer the wine spends agein “sur lie” the more completely the carbon dioxide dissolves into the wine forming an ever smaller and more delicate bubble.
32
Q

By law how long does Champage have to age before sale?

A

By law, Champagne must spend a minimum of 12 months on its lees, as compoared to 9 months for most crémant.

  • NV Champagne must spend at least 15 months in the cellar from tirage to release.
  • Vintage Champagne must spend a total of three years in the cellar and during that time most producers keep it on its lees for much longer than the prescribed minimum.
33
Q

How did the advent of cork and bottles alter Champagne wines?

A

In the 17th century most champagne was still wine. The champagne process required

  • Strong glass - glass bottles were quite fragile with many imperfections.
    • Early champagne bottles exploded often. England started using coal for their glass fires instead of wood. Coal burned hotter and delivered steadier heat which lead to stronger glass.
  • A tight seal - cork was “re-discovered” during the 1600s.
    • Before cork bottles were sealed with wooden plugs wrapped in oil-soaked hemp.
34
Q

What is Remuage and what is the process for it?

A

Remuage is the rapid and brusque turning of champagne bottles by 1/8th rotations. This has a number of benefits :

  • Champage moves from horizontal to vertical.
  • Collects the less into the neck of the bottle.
  • Dead yeast can be removed by disgorging delivering a clear sparkling product.
  • Takes 3 months by hand.
  • “A” frames for remuage are called “pupitres”
    • Invented by Veuve Clicquot
  • Today it is done by gyropalettes (50,000 at once in one week)
35
Q

Once a Champagne has been riddled, how is the yeast removed?

A

Once the yeast is collected into the crown cap, the champagne bottle is chilled to 45°F to reduce pressure and the neck is set into an icy brine solution that freezes the year and wine into a plug. Once Frozen :

  • The bottles are turned upright to remove the crown cap.
  • The pressure ejects the ice plug containing the yeast in a process known as disgorgement.
36
Q

What are the two types of disgorgement and how do they differ?

A

Traditionally, champagne was disgorged by hand. This method was :

  • “À la volée” - the champagne isn’t chilled and the sediment is removed in a quick movement in which the crown cap is removed while bottled is turned upright.
    • Today used at small estates and at big houses for their icon cuvées and/or for magnums.
37
Q

Do large format bottles undergo the secondary fermentation in the same bottle?

A

No, Larger format bottles do not have the secondary fermentation in the large bottles. They undergo “Transversage”

  • 750ml bottles are used to fill the bigger bottles after each has been disgorged.
38
Q

What is the Liqueur de Dosage / Lidqueur d’Expédition?

A

Since wine is lost during disgorgement, it needs to be replaced. If replaced with wine only it become “Brut Nature”.

  • Liqueur de Dosage refers to a mixture of wine with some sugar.
  • Small amount of sugar helps to moderate the champagne’s searingly high acid levels.
  • Helps to balance and act as a catalyst for subtle flavors in the wine.
39
Q

How is the large cork inserted into the Champagne bottle?

A

The cork is compressed to half its width and inserted halfway. After this :

  • A wire cage is dropped on and twisted closed.
  • Bottle is vigorously shaken to integrate the liqueur de dosage.
  • Bottle is returned to cellar in order for the liqueur de dosage to marry with the champagne.
  • Bottles are washed and dried, foil capsules, labelled, released for sale.
40
Q

How does a cork change over time?

A

The pressure inside the champagne bottle modifies the cork over time. The honeycomb nature of the cork cells remain sound but 2 shapes take place over time :

  • If a cork has a “skirt-shaped” or “mushroom-shaped” it is called Juponé.
  • As the cork integrity diminishes and effervescence escapes a “peg-shaped” cork is called Chevillé
41
Q

What are the different sugar level styles for Champagne?

A

There are 7 different styles :

  1. Brut Nature - no dosage added 0-0.3% sugar
  2. Extra Brut - 0.0.6% sugar
  3. Brut - 0.1.2% sugar (Formerly 0-1.5%)
  4. Extra-Sec (Extra Dry) - 1.2-1.7% sugar (Formerly 1.2-2.0%)
  5. Sec (Dry) - between 1.7-3.2% sugar (Formerly 1.7-3.5%)
  6. Demi-Sec - Between 3.2-5.0% sugar
  7. Doux - over 5% sugar

** Madame Pommery initiated the trend for less sweet versions after the Russian Market collapsed.

42
Q

What is vintage Champagne and what are its regulations?

A

Vintage Champagne will carry the vintage year on the cork and on the label.

  • By Law must containt 85% of the vintage mentioned on the label. By practice usually 100%
  • The Balance, usually consists of reserve wine
43
Q

What is NV Champagne and what are its requirements?

A

NV champagne comes from multiple vintages. It reflects a house-style. This is the bulk of most houses.

  • Most houses also have a prestige bottling referred to as “Tête de Cuvée”.
    • Moët is Dom Pérignon
    • Vuve is La Grande Dame
    • Roederer is Cristal
    • Gosset is Celebris
44
Q

What is a Blanc de Blanc Champagne?

A

Blanc de Blanc is a white sparlking wine made from authorized white grapes (largely chardonnay)

  • Delicate, lace-like finesse or
  • Rich and powerful depending on the terroir and other variables.
45
Q

What is a Blanc de Noir Champagne?

A

Blanc de Noirs Champagnes are white sparkling wines made from black grapes - Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

  • Carries a bit of tannin
  • More over and expressive aromas.
  • Powerful and Fruity.
    • Rosé champagne is rose but has noticeable tannic grip from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
46
Q

What is an NM?

A

Négociant-Manipulant is a producer that :

  • incorporates grapes purchased from others in the vinification process.
  • May use their own fruit.
  • All big champagne houses are NMs
47
Q

What is an RM?

A

Récoltant-Manipulant is a producer who :

  • Vinifies only his or her own estate-grown grapes.
  • RMs do not purchase from others
48
Q

What is an RC?

A

Récoltant-Cooperateur is a producer that :

  • is a grape grower affliated with a wine-making co-operative cellar.
  • RC brings grapes to co-op who vinifies them.
  • RC then retrieves and sells under private label.
49
Q

What is an SR?

A

Societé de Récoltants is a producer that :

  • are a group of grape growers who jointly vinify and sell one commercial or several communal brands.
50
Q

What is a CM?

A

Coopérative de Manipulation is a producer that :

  • is a co-operative cellar which vinifies the grapes of its member growers.
51
Q

What is an MA?

A

Marque Auxiliaire, Marque d’Acheteur, or Marque Autorisée is a producer that :

  • is a private label registered by any individual, group, or society (restaurant, wine store, supermarket, etc.)
  • The source for the private label could be any of the types of producers listed above.
52
Q

What is an ND?

A

Négociant-Distributeur is a producer that :

  • is actually a wine buyer who purchases finished wines and gives them his or her own private label.
53
Q

What makes Champagne unique compared to other sparkling wines?

A

Champagne is unique because of the rarity of

  • Chalk Soils
  • Kimmeridgean
  • Vineyards are at the fringe of viability.
  • Cold temperatures give racy acidity - well-chiseled
54
Q

When is the ideal time to drink Champagne?

A

Champagne should ideally be drunk within 2-3 years after release. This has more to deal with the lifetime of the cork.

  • R.D. - “Recently Disgorged”

French Wine Scholar (8 decks)

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