Champagne Flashcards
What is the name of the organisation that represents Champagne?
The Comité Champagne
What are the 9 styles of champagne?
NV Vintage Rosé Blanc de Blanc Blanc de Noir Grand Cru Premier Cru Prestige Cuvée Recently disgorged
What are the two methods of producing Rosé
Rosé d’assemblage (Blending)
Rosé de saignée (Bled off)
Describe recently disgorged and an example.
Extended lees aging and disgorged just before market. These wines age rapidly but appear more youthful on release.
Bollinger RD or Dom Pérignon P2
What are the two appellations for still wine production within Champagne?
AOC Rosé des Riceys - Cote de Bar - Rosé only
Aoc Coteaux Champenois - Red, White or Rosé
What type of wine did Champagne traditionally produce pre 1715? Where were they popular?
Still pink wine made from Pinot Noir.
They would be slightly fizzy due to fermentation stopping in cold winters and restarting in spring.
Popular in England
What did Dom Perignon do to contribute towards the development of Champagne?
Producing white wine from black grapes
Inventing the Coquard press (basket)
By blending to make superior wines
Re-introduced cork stopper and pioneered English glass
What did Madame (Veuve) Cliquot introduce?
Controlled second fermentation
Riddling/Pupitres
What year were the AOC boundaries set
1927
What is the échelle de cru and when was it introduced?
The échelle de cru is a rating system used to determine the price of grapes, established in 1919
What is the blocage system?
The blocage system is the idea of reserve wines being kept to ask as insurance on future issues destroying yields. It became a way of reducing vintage variation.
What is the climate in Champagne?
Cool continental with some oceanic influence
What is the average annual rainfall?
700ml
What is the average annual temperature?
11 degrees
Describe how climate change has affected Champagne (3 points)
Brought harvest dates forward of an average of 18 days
Raised potential alcohol by 0.7%
Riper grapes and less poor vintages
Name the 5 sub-regions of Champagne
Montagne de Reims Côte de Blanc Côte de Sézanne Vallé de la Marne Côte des Bar
What soil type is Champagne famous for having in the best sites and where does this soil originate
Chalk
An old sea bed
What are the advantages to chalk?
It is very porous and stores water very well while also having adequate drainage.
What variety is thought to benefit from Chalk the most in Champagne?
Chardonnay
What range of altitudes do vineyards sit?
90-300m
What 4 types of soil are found over champagne?
Chalky soils with limestone subsoil
Chalk
Clay, marl & Sandy (Marne)
Kimmeridgian (Bar)
Name 2 Grand cru villages from Montagne de Reims
Bouzy, Verzenay, Muilly, Ambonnay
What variety champions Montagne de Reims?
Pinot Noir
What variety champions Vallé de la Marne?
Meunier
What are the soils of Vallé de la Marne?
Clay, Marl & sandy soils
Name a grand cru village from Vallé de la Marne
Aÿ
What variety champions Cote de Blancs
Chardonnay
What percentage of plantings are Chardonnay in Cote de Blancs?
95%
The purest form of chalk in champagne can be found where?
Cote de Blancs
Name 2 Grand cru villages of cote de blancs
Cramant, Oger, Le mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize
Name a large cooperative from Cote de Blancs
Le Mesnil
What is the soil of the Cote de Sézanne?
Mostly clay/silt soils with some chalk
What variety champions the Cote de Sézanne
Chardonnay
What variety champions the Cote de Bar
Pinot Noir
What are the soils of the Cote de Bar
Kimmeridgian calcareous marls
Describe the topography of the cote de Bar
Steep slopes with stoney limestone elements
Why is the Cote de bar important?
Important source of riper Pinot Noir for NV blends
How far away is the Cotes de bar from the other subregions?
100km
What are the 7 permitted varieties?
Chardonnay Pinot Noir Meunier Arbanne Pinot Blanc Petit Meslier Fromenteau
Describe the main elements of Meunier
Mutation of Pinot Noir Early budding but later than Chard/Pinot Noir Ripens earlier than Pinot Noir Contributes fruitiness to the blend Particularly sensitive to botrytis
What premium house champions meunier?
Krug
Chard, Pinot Noir and Meunier make up what percentage of all plantings?
99%
What year was methods of training regulated?
1938
Name the 4 approved systems of training
Taille Chablis
Cordon du Royat
Guyot
Vallé de la Marne
Describe Taille Chablis
Best for chadonnay 3-4 cordons, max 5 Spurs at end of cordon, up to 5 buds Protects against frost (high proportion permanent wood) Max 0.6m above ground
Describe Cordon du Royat
Pinot Noir & Meunier
Single cordon that is spur pruned and the shoots are vertically positioned.
Max number of fruiting buds per vine per square per square metre?
18 buds
What are the main weather hazards?
Occasional severe winter frost Spring frost Violent summer storms Cold and rainy in June - Poor fruit set Hot and humid after rain leading to botrytis
What are the main Pests and Diseases?
Downy, Powdery Mildew
Dagger Nematodes
What type of viticulture is promoted in champagne at a regional level?
Sustainable viticulture
What did the Comité introduce in 2010 to help towards sustainability?
Lighter bottle for NV
60g lighter with estimated CO2 reduction of 8000 tons.
How do the Comité decide on yields and harvest date?
Samples from 450 plots from vérasion and measure- Rate of colour change average weight sugar concentration and acidity incident of botrytis
How could a grower pick before the specified harvest date? Why would they?
Application to the INAO
If botrytis threatens the crop
What is the upper limit of yields controlled by the EU
15500 kg/ha
What type of harvesting is allowed in champagne?
Hand harvesting only
How long does the harvest typically take?
3 weeks
Where does the labour for the harvest come for?
Travelling workforce
What type of pressing is required in champagne?
Whole bunch pressing
What are the advantages of whole bunch pressing?
High juice quality
Low solids and phenolics
Stems act as channels for fluid reducing needed pressure
Type of press typically used?
Basket
What is the max yield in Champagne
79hL/ha - can be raised to 98hL/ha
What weight of grapes are loaded into a press?
4000kg - marc
What are the two fractions of the press called?
Cuvée
Taille
What is the permitted volume of Cuvée from press?
2050L
What is the permitted volume of Taille from press?
500L
Describe the Cuvée post press
Rich in acids and produces wines with great finesse and longevity
Describe the Taille post press
Lower in acids but higher in colour pigments and phenolics, important in NV blends
What are the minimum and maximum levels of potential alcohol for chaptilisation?
11%
13% EU Law
What type of fermentation vessels are used
Stainless steel mostly
Some opt for large oak foudres
Is malo encouraged or discouraged
Cooler vintages - encouraged
Warmer vintages - producers choice
What is the french term for master blender?
Chef de cave
In what vessels can reserve wines be stored?
Stainless steel
Matured in oak
Magnums - Bollinger
Name a producer who makes rosé from short maceration
Laurent Perrier
A large brand would typically use what percentage of reserve wines in their NV?
10-15%
A premium producer would typically use what percentage of reserve wine in their NV
30-40%
What is the minimum ageing requirement for NV?
15 months maturation - 12 months on lees
What is the minimum ageing requirement for Vintage?
3 years after tirage - 12 months on lees (in practice much longer)
What type of wine can be added in the liquer d’expedition?
Youthful base wine - freshness
Aged reserve wines - depth of complexity
What is the most common closure and what must be stated on the closure?
Cork
“Champagne” and vintage if applicable
What were the pricing levels for échelle de crus?
17 villages - Grand cru - 100%
42 villages - Premier Cru 90-99%
257 remaining villages - 80-89%
Who now sets the prices of grapes?
The large houses (Moet in particular)
Why is there a focus on blended wines rather than single vineyards?
The villages are rated and not the individual vineyards. This can lead to noted differences of land within a village.
Describe the structure of the champagne industry?
16000 growers who own 90% of land
340 houses
Vast majority of growers sell to houses or coops
What does RM stand for?
Récolant manipulant - Growers who make and market their own wine
What does NM stand for?
Négociant manipulant - Houses that buy grapes and market wine under their own label
What does CM stand for?
Coopérative de manipulant - Coops that market wine from members grapes.
What is champagnes biggest market?
Domestic market, 50% of all champagne sales
LVMH owns what houses?
Moet, Dom, Veuve, Ruinart, Krug
What were the total sales in 2018?
302 million bottles
The top 5 large groupings account for what percentage of all sales?
2/3’s
How does the Comité influence supply?
Yields for base wines
Yields for reserve wines
Who are the main exports?
UK, USA, Japan
Which export market is the most valuble?
USA and Japan as they have the highest bottle price
Which export market is the largest by volume?
The UK, has the lowest bottle price.
What is the general position of champagne in the last decade concerning volume
Champagne is moving away from the volume market due to the rising popularity of prosecco and other fizz. Volume has dropped by 10% but risen by a price of 1/4 from 2008-18
What is the average price of grapes in Champagne?
6.10 euros/kg (higher for PC or GC)
Why is rosé generally more expensive?
Still red wine is needed so smaller yields are needed to achieve ripeness.
Typically why would vintage and prestige cost more for the consumer?
Higher quality grapes (cost) Longer maturation (financial delay)
What percentage cost of a bottle can be contributed to marketing?
20%
What are the trends in champagne moving forward?
Extra Brut and Brut Nature increasingly popular
Sweet champagnes to be drunk over ice or in cocktails
Rosé champagne is increasingly popular rising from 3% to 10% of all shipments from 00’s
Increased interest in single vineyard (Krug Clos de Mesnil)
Name 3 Grower champagnes and where they are found
Champagne Jaquesson - Montagne de Reims
Champagne Drappier - Cotes de Bar
Domaine Jaqques Selosse - Cote de Blanc
