Champagne Flashcards
What is assemblage?
Blending
What does mousseaux mean?
Fully sparkling
What is the oldest champagne house still in operation?
Gosset (1584)
What is the oldest sparkling Champagne house?
Ruinart (1729)
What is dégorgement?
Disgorgement
Who produced the first brut Champagne?
Pommery (1874)
Does Champagne need to include Appellation Contrôlée on its label?
No
What is the CIVC?
Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne
Mediates between large houses and small growers
Originally set up to combat Nazi influence
Now operates 16 bureaus in key export markets to protect Champagne
What is the maximum amount of hectares a Champagne producer is allowed to use?
15 (Contrôle des Structures)
When was the appellation of Champagne expanded?
2009
Why do Champagne houses blend vintages?
Extremely variable weather in Champagne
At what latitude is Champagne?
48th
What is bouvreux?
A second crop
Often found in Champagne
Caused by too much rain and leads to unripened fruit
What is the primary soil type of Champagne?
Chalk and limestone
What is the dominant soil type in the Aube?
Clay
What are rarely used grapes in Champagne that are only authorized in certain areas?
Pinot Blanc Vrai
Arbane
Pinot Gris
Petit Meslier
How often are yields set in Champagne?
Annually
What is a marc of grapes?
2550 liters of must per 4000 kg of grapes
How many districts are in Champagne?
5
What are the districts of Champagne?
Montagne de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Côte des Blancs
Côte de Sezanne
Côte des Bars (the Aube)
What is the dominant grape in Montagne de Reims?
Pinot Noir
What is the dominant grape in the Aube?
Pinot Noir
What is the dominant grape in the Côte de Sezanne?
Chardonnay
What is the dominant grape in the Côte des Blancs?
Chardonnay
How is cru status awarded in Champagne?
To entire villages
How many grands crus villages exist in Champagne?
17
How many premiers crus villages exist in Champagne?
42
What is blocage?
Portion of a vintage set aside for future use. Regulated by the CIVC
What is deblocage?
Release of wine stocks held from previous vintages. Regulated by the CIVC
What is the Échelle de Crus?
Percentile system by which the crus of Champagne are rated/Stopped being used in 1990
What is NM?
Négociant Manipulant
What is a Négociant Manipulant?
A house that purchases grapes and/or base wine from growers and other small houses. Most international houses are in this category
What is RM?
Récoltant Manipulant
What is a Récoltant Manipulant?
A grower-producer who makes Champagne from estate-grown fruit. 95% of the grapes must originate in the producer’s own vineyards
What is CM?
Coopérative Manipulant
What is a coopértive manipulant?
A growers’ co-operative that produces the wine under a single brand
What is RC?
Récoltant Coopérateur
What is a Récoltant Coopérateur?
A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label
What is SR?
Société de Récoltants
What is a Société de Récoltants?
A firm, not a co-operative, set up by a union of often related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands
What is ND?
Négociant Distributeur
What is a Négociant Distributeur?
A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make
What is MA?
Marque d’Acheteur
What is a Marque d’Acheteur?
A buyer’s own brand, often a large supermarket chain or restaurant, that purchases Champagne and sells it under its own label
What is vin du cuvée?
The first 2050 liters from 4000kg pressed in Champagne
What is vin de taille?
The next 500 liters pressed from 4000 kg of grapes in Champagne
What is rebêche?
The final extraction from Champagne. Must comprised 1-10% of total/Used for distillate
What is débourbage?
Settling of juice in Champagne after pressing
Done at a cool temperature for 8-15 hours
What are bourbes?
Solids found in must
What is vin clair?
The high acid base wine of Champagne that results from primary fermentation