Champagne Deep Dive Flashcards
Why is Champagne considered the northernmost major wine region in France?
It lies around 49°N latitude, making it one of the coldest French wine regions suitable for commercial vineyards, focused on sparkling production.
Name the five main subregions of Champagne.
Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Aube (Côte des Bar).
Which three grape varieties dominate Champagne production?
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier (with Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris permitted in smaller amounts).
Describe the stylistic contributions of each major variety in Champagne.
Chardonnay: Elegance, citrus, minerality. Pinot Noir: Structure, body, red-fruit notes. Meunier: Fruity roundness, softer acidity.
List the primary Champagne styles.
Non-Vintage (NV), Vintage (millésimé), Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé (by blending or saignée), Prestige Cuvée (e.g., Dom Pérignon, Cristal), Grower Champagne (RM).
How long must Vintage Champagne age on lees?
At least 3 years total, although many producers age even longer for complexity.
Define Blanc de Blancs vs. Blanc de Noirs.
Blanc de Blancs = 100% Chardonnay. Blanc de Noirs = 100% black grapes (Pinot Noir and/or Meunier).
What is Rosé Champagne, and how is it produced?
Rosé can be made by blending white base wine with a small portion of red still wine (common in Champagne) or by saignée (short maceration of black grapes).
Name two common methods of Rosé production in Champagne.
1) Blending white and red base wines. 2) Saignée method (brief skin contact for color).
Give examples of Prestige Cuvées from major houses.
Moët & Chandon: Dom Pérignon, Louis Roederer: Cristal, Veuve Clicquot: La Grande Dame, Krug: Krug Grande Cuvée & Clos du Mesnil, etc.
What is Grower Champagne (RM)?
A Champagne produced and bottled by the same estate that grows the grapes, labeled “RM” (Récoltant-Manipulant).
Explain why the latitude of Champagne influences its style.
The cool, marginal climate leads to high acidity and lower sugar in grapes, ideal for sparkling wine production.
How do Reims and Épernay factor into Champagne’s trade?
They are major commercial and historical centers for Champagne houses, cellars, and exports, serving as key hubs for the region.
What is the forest of Reims’s role in Champagne’s climate?
It offers protection from extreme weather and wind, helping moderate vineyard conditions on the Montagne de Reims.
Describe Champagne’s chalk soils and their benefits.
Chalk retains moisture while also providing good drainage. Its porous nature allows vine roots to dig deep, ensuring sufficient water yet preventing waterlogging.
Name each subregion’s typical soil characteristics.
Montagne de Reims: Belemnite chalk, some clay for bold Pinot Noir. Vallée de la Marne: Marl, sand, clay-limestone for fruity Meunier. Côte des Blancs: Pure chalk for mineral Chardonnay. Côte de Sézanne: More clay, rounder Chardonnay. Aube: Kimmeridgian marl for riper Pinot Noir.
Which subregion is known for top-quality Chardonnay in Champagne?
The Côte des Blancs, featuring villages like Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for mineral, high-acid Blanc de Blancs.
How does the Aube (Côte des Bar) differ from the other subregions?
Its Kimmeridgian marl soils (similar to Chablis) and warmer climate favor riper Pinot Noir with softer acidity.
Briefly outline Champagne’s historical milestones.
496 CE: Baptism of Clovis in Reims; 17th c.: Dom Pérignon fosters sparkling production; 19th c.: Veuve Clicquot & Moët develop methods and marketing; 1927: Champagne AOC regulations established.
What is the Méthode Champenoise (traditional method)?
Primary fermentation (dry base wine), blending, secondary fermentation in bottle (tirage), lees aging, riddling, disgorgement, dosage (final sweetness).
How long must Non-Vintage Champagne age before release?
At least 15 months total, including a minimum of 12 months on lees.
What is disgorgement in Champagne production?
Removal of the lees sediment from the neck of the bottle after riddling. The bottle is topped up with dosage (liquer d’expédition).
Define dosage and its impact on sweetness.
Dosage is the sugar solution added after disgorgement; it determines final sweetness level from Brut Nature (no sugar) up to Demi-Sec or Doux (very sweet).
Which producers are known for oak fermentation in Champagne?
Krug (extensive oak aging) and Selosse (oxidative style in barrels) are key examples.
How are sweetness levels labeled in Champagne?
Brut Nature (0g sugar), Extra Brut (0–6g/L), Brut (≤12g/L), Extra Dry (12–17g/L), Sec (17–32g/L), Demi-Sec (32–50g/L), Doux (50+ g/L).
Explain the difference between NM and RM on a Champagne label.
NM (Négociant-Manipulant) indicates a large house buying grapes/wine. RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) indicates a grower producing Champagne from their own vineyards.
Name at least four Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims.
Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, and Verzenay are all Grand Cru villages known for Pinot Noir.
Which Grand Cru village in the Vallée de la Marne is historically important?
Aÿ is renowned for powerful, high-quality Pinot Noir and has historical significance in Champagne.
List three top Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay.
Avize, Cramant, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger produce some of the region’s finest Blanc de Blancs.
Does the Aube (Côte des Bar) have any Grand Cru vineyards?
No, the Aube has no Grand Cru villages. It’s more distant from Reims/Epernay, with different soils and climate, focusing on Pinot Noir.
Give examples of major Prestige Cuvées from famous houses.
Dom Pérignon (Moët), Cristal (Roederer), La Grande Dame (Veuve Clicquot), Krug Grande Cuvée, Comtes de Champagne (Taittinger), La Grande Année (Bollinger).
Name at least two renowned Grower Champagne producers.
Jacques Selosse (noted for biodynamic and oxidative style), Egly-Ouriet (barrel-aged Pinot Noir), Pierre Péters (Blanc de Blancs), Chartogne-Taillet, etc.
Which house produces “Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill” as a Prestige Cuvée?
Pol Roger produces “Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill,” a tribute to the British Prime Minister’s love of Champagne.
Which Prestige Cuvée is 100% Chardonnay from a single Grand Cru vineyard under Krug?
Krug Clos du Mesnil is their single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs Prestige Champagne.
Which winery’s top cuvée is “Substance,” known for oxidative, solera-like aging?
Jacques Selosse in Avize produces “Substance,” a radical, perpetual reserve style Blanc de Blancs.
Explain the difference between “La Grande Année” and “Vieilles Vignes Françaises” by Bollinger.
La Grande Année is Bollinger’s vintage Champagne. Vieilles Vignes Françaises is an ultra-rare cuvée from ungrafted Pinot Noir vines, often extremely limited.
What does “Rosé des Riceys” refer to?
A still rosé wine produced in Les Riceys (Aube), separate from sparkling Champagne, recognized as Rosé des Riceys AOP.
Which cuvée made by Taittinger is a Blanc de Blancs Prestige Cuvée?
Comtes de Champagne is Taittinger’s all-Chardonnay Prestige Cuvée.
What style is “Rare” from Piper-Heidsieck?
A high-end, limited-release vintage Champagne with extended lees aging, focusing on luxury packaging and a rich palate.
Why is Salon considered unique among Champagnes?
Salon produces exclusively Blanc de Blancs from the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, only in exceptional vintages (around 37 vintage releases in 100+ years).
