Champagne & French Sparkling Flashcards
In what years was Dom Perignon the cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers?
- 1668 until his death in 1715.
Which is the oldest champagne house in France?
- Gosset - 1584 as a still wine producer.
- Ruinart - 1729 oldest sparkling Champagne house.
What is the soil profile of Champagne?
Belemnite Chalk - Porous, derived from the fossilized remains of millions of extinct cephalopods, has a high limestone content.
Micraster Chalk - named for an extinct sea urchin
Kimmeridgian clay - Côte de Bars.
List the main regions of Champagne.
- Montagne de Reims - Pinot Noir
- Valleé de la Marne - Pinot Meunier
- Côte de Blancs - Chardonnay
- Côte de Sezzane - Chardonnay
- Côte de Bars aka Aube - Pinot Noir.
Who mastered the process of remuage?
- Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the Veuve (“widow”) Clicquot
Who produced the first brut Champagne?
Pommery put the first brut Champagne, Pommery “Nature,” on the market in 1874.
What is bouvreux?
Second crop that develop from rain during flowering and rarely ripens and left on vine.
Major Champagne houses are located within which towns?
- Reims
- Epernay
- Ay
Who controls the AOP regulations of Champagne?
Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) - 1941
What are the grapes permitted for Champagne?
- Chardonnay - 31%
- Pinot Noir - 38%
- Pinot Meunier - 31%
- Arbane
- Petit Meslier
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
What pruning methods are used in Champagne?
- Guyot
- Double Guyot
- Chablis
- Cordon de Royat
- Vallée de la Marne - Pinot Noir
What is the role of the major grape varieties in the Champagne blend?
- Chardonnay provides elegance and longevity.
- Pinot Noir supports the wine’s structure, richness and body.
- Meunier lends a youthful fruitiness and approachability.
What is l’Echelle-des-crus Champagne?
A grading system for Champagne villages based on:
- Soil
- Microclimate
- Altitude
- Aspect
- Grape Variety
What terms can graded villages use?
100% - Grand Cru Classé
90-99% - Premier Cru Classé
80-89% - Cru Classé
Which premier cru villages were rated 99% in the l’echelle des crus?
- Mareuil-sur-Ay
- Tauxieres
Name the Grand Cru Classé villages of Montagne de Reims.
- Ambonnay
- Beaumont-sur-Vesle
- Bouzy
- Louvois
- Mailly Champagne
- Puisieulx
- Sillery
- Verzenay
- Verzy
Name the Grand Cru Classé villages of Valle de la Marne.
- Ay
- Tours-sur-Marne
Name the Grand Cru Classé villages of Cotes des Blanc.
- Avize
- Chouilly
- Cramant
- Oger
- Oiry
- Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
What does “CM” stand for?
Co-operative de Manipulant
- Co-operative made Champagne
What does “NM” stand for?
Negociant Manipulant
- Champagne sold as wine made by the house.
What does “RM” stand for?
Recoltant Manipulant
- Growers Champagne.
What does “RC” stand for?
Recoltant Cooperateur
- Champagne sold by grower made using his grapes but produced by a co-operative.
What does “MA” stand for?
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 does “SR” stand for?
Societe de Recoltant
- Champagne sold by a company created by Growers.
What does “NR” stand for?
Negociant Distributuer
- Bought, re-branded and distributed Champagne.
What bottle sizes of Champagne can be made using la Methodé Champenoise?
- half bottles - 375ml
- bottles - 750ml
- magnums - 1.5l
- jeroboams - 3l
What is the quantity of must permitted to be extracted Champagne grapes?
2550L from 4000 kg of grapes.
Why is the maximum capacity for yeilds measured to 4000 kgs?
4,000 kg — a marc of grapes, the amount held in a traditional Coquard basket press.
What is vin de cuvée?
Initial 2050L of the press.
What is vin de taille or premier taille?
Final 500L of the press.
What is rebêche?
The “end of pressing”, must account for 0-10% of the total, may only be used for distillation.
What is the term for base wines in Champagne?
Vins clairs - approximate alcohol content of 11%.
What is the term for Secondary fermentation in Champagne?
Prise de mousse.
What is pointage?
Briefly shaking of bottle to prevent dead yeast from sticking at the bottle glass before degorgement.
Which Champagne houses barrel ferment their base wines?
- Krug
- Bollinger
- Alfred Gratien
- Vilmart
What are the wines used for Vintage Champagne?
- Almost 100% blend of wines of the same year.