Champagne

Question 1

Rivers to the North and South of Montagne de Reims?

Answer 1

North: Vesle
South: Marne

Question 2

The two main rivers in the Aube department?

Answer 2

Aube, Seine

Question 3

What were the original Grand Crus of the Cote de Blancs?

Answer 3

Avize, Cramant

Question 4

Fromenteau is a synonym for which grape grown in Champagne?

Answer 4

Pinot gris

Question 5

How many bottles does a pupitre hold? How about Spain’s gyropalette?

Answer 5

60; 504

Question 6

Name 2 producers who make a Champagne using all 7 grapes.

Answer 6

• Laherte Frères - Les 7
• Aubry - “Le Nombre d’Or”
• Benoit Lahaye - “Jardin de la Grosse Pierre”
• Agrapart “Complantee”

Question 7

What are the declared vintages of Salon in the 1990s?

Answer 7

90, 95, 96, 97, 99

Question 8

What are the declared vintages of Salon in the 2000s and what is the current vintage?

Answer 8

02, 04, 06-08, 12

*2012 current vintage

Question 9

First and current vintages of Krug Clos du Mesnil and Clos d’Ambonnay?

Answer 9

• Clos du Mesnil (1st v. 1979 - rel in 1986)
• Clos d’Ambonnay (1st v. 1995; rel in 2007)
• Mesnil (current 2006; rel 2020)
• Ambonnay (current 2002; rel 2018)

Question 10

Dosage range in g/l for Demi-Sec Champagne?

Answer 10

32-50 g/l

Question 11

Three countries in the world that do not acknowledge the term “Champagne” as an appellation of controlled origin?

Answer 11

Argentina, Russia, USA*

Question 12

What is MCR?

Answer 12

Mout Concentre et Rectifie - Concentrated and rectified grape must, used for dosage

Question 13

What are the two chalk types in Champagne? Where do they occur? Which soil is older?

Answer 13

• Belemnite (slopes) & Micraster (valley) Chalk

- Micraster is older

Question 14

What is the most planted variety in the Vallee de la Marne? Why?

Answer 14

Meunier – it is resistant to frost as it buds and flowers late

Question 15

Name 2 non-vintage prestige cuvees

Answer 15

• Laurent Perrier’s “Grand Siècle”
• Alfred Gratien’s “Cuvée Paradis”
• Krug’s “Grande Cuvée”
• Jacques Selosse “Substance”
• Gosset “Celebris”

Question 16

How much of a year’s harvest may be sold as vintage Champagne?

Answer 16

Max of 80%

Question 17

What are the 2 types of disgorgement? Which one uses the force of internal pressure to expel the semi-frozen sediment?

Answer 17

• A la Glace

- A la Volee is the older technique where without freezing the sediment, excess wine is invariably lost along with it

Question 18

What is jetting?

Answer 18

A 3rd technique of disgorgement. New procedure to regulate the oxidation that occurs through the shock of disgorgement
⁃ in order to minimize the amount of air in the bottle, a tiny droplet of water or wine is added just before the cork is inserted
⁃ causes the CO2 on the surface of the wine to foam up and expel the air
⁃ cork is then put into the bottle, compresses the CO2 without any air