Champagne - General Flashcards
‘Departments’ of
Champagne
Aisne
Aube
Haut-Marne
Marne
Seine-et-Marne
But the 5 subregions are:
- M d Reims (N v S)
- Valle de Marne (PM)
- Cote de Blancs
- Cote de Sezanne (Chard)
- Aube
Sub-regions of Champagne
Montagne de Reims
Valle de la Marne
Cote de Blancs
Cote de Sezanne
Aube
What are the approved training methods of
Champagne AOP?
Chablis
Cordon du Royat
- *Guyot**
- (single -or- double)*
- *Vallée de la Marne**
- approved for Pinot Meunier only!!!*
What is the Max Yield & min ABV of
Champagne AOP?
~10,400 kg/ha~ *
~9% min ABV~ **
* Max Yield is actually set each vintage by the CIVC, so it can be variable.
** min potential ABV of base wine.
==========
143 g/l min Must Weight
10 g/l Max RS for base wine
Name all the Cremant AOPs
Cremant AOPs are less strict on press yeilds than Champagne:
100L per 150kg -or- 2666L per 4000kg
- *Loire
- *Alsace
- *Bourgogne
- Bordeaux
- Die
- Jura
- Limoux
- Savoie (approved in 2014)
* These are the only “Cremant” appelations of France with a minimum pressure of 4 bars.
- The rest have 3.5 bars minimum pressure
Other French Sparkling wines that use Traditional Method:
- Bugey
- Thinking of non-cremant sparkling:
- Blanquette de Limoux
- Vouvray
- Montlouis sur Loire
- Saumur
- Vin de Savoie
- Seyssel (Savoie)
Rose des Riceys AOP
(Rs!)
Still Rosé Only!!
100% Pinot Noir
~10,400 kg/ha~
~10% min ABV~
*released 7/15
This is a Cru Village in the Aube
Champagne AOPs that make still wine?
Coteaux Champenois
Rosé des Riceys
What is the min Must Weight of
Champagne AOP?
143 g/l min Must Weight
==========
10 g/l Max RS of Base Wine
10,400 kg Max Yeild
(can be ammended every year by CIVC)
9% min ABV
What are the allowable grapes of
Champagne AOP?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Gris
- *Pinot Vrai**
- (Pinot Blanc)*
Arbane
Petite Meslier
Note:
- Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are the only red grapes
Champagne Dryness
Levels
(old, pre 2010) ~ (new)
Brut Nature
(0-3 g/l) ~ (?????)
Extra Brut
(0-6 g/l)
Brut
(0-15 g/l) ~ (0-12 g/l)
Extra Dry
(12-20 g/l) ~ (12-17 g/l)
Sec
(17-35 g/l) ~ (17-32 g/l)
Demi-Sec
(33-50 g/l) ~ (32-50 g/l)
Doux
(50+ g/l)
Brut Nature
old ~ new
0-3 g/l RS ~ ????????
Extra Brut
0-6 g/l RS
this level did not change
Brut
old ~ new
0-15 g/l RS ~ 0-12 g/l RS
Extra Dry
old ~ new
12-20 g/l RS ~ 12-17 g/l RS
aka: Extra Sec
Sec
old ~ new
17-35 g/l RS ~ 17-32 g/l RS
aka: Dry
Demi-Sec
old ~ new
33-50 g/l RS ~ 32-50 g/l RS
Doux
50+ g/l RS
this level did not change
Best Varietal of
Valle de la Marne
Pinot Meunier
Buds late and ripens early. This is highly prized in a region where frost is a problem like it is here.
Best Varietal of
Cotes de Sezanne
Chardonnay
Best Villages of
Cotes de Sezanne
Bet on Grand Villains
=====
Bethon
Villenauxe-la-Grande
Best Varietal of
Aube
Pinot Noir
Best Villages of
Aube
Les Riceys
{closer to Chablis, geographically}
Montagne de Reims divisions
Divided between the south facing, and north facing slopes.
South facing slopes are on the south of the the hilly “Foret de la Montagne de Reims” and include Louvois, Bouzy, and Ambonnay.
North facing slopes are north of the Forest.
The plain beneath (to the north of) the northern slope is too cold for viticulture.
Occassion pockets of warmth.
NM
Negociant-Manipulant
Buys grapes or Vins Claire from growers, cooperatives, or other “Houses” (NMs)
RM
- *Recoltant-Manipulant**
- (Grower-Producer)*
In theory they grow 100% of their own grapes. However, they are permitted to purchase a max of 5% of their total production from other RMs.
Must own 95% own vines
CM
- *Cooperative-Manipulant**
- (A Co-Op)*
A cooperative of growers that makes & sells Champagne under one or more brands that it owns.
RC
Recoltant-Cooperateur
A grower that delivers grapes to a cooperative and, in part or full payment, receives back ready made Champagne that they sell under their own name.
Vinified at Co-op, then sells under their own label
SR
Societe de Recoltants
A publically registered firm set up by two or more growers who share premises/resources to make and market Champagne under more than one brand.
Usually does make several brands.
Soils of Champagne
Mainly pourous Belemnite Chalk up to 300m thick
Thin topsoil that includes:
Sand, Lignite, Marl, Loam, Clay, Chalk Rubble
High limestone content which increases acidity.
Soil is from cephalaods eons ago.
Subsoil is Micraster
Pupitres
“A” framed racks used for remuage/riddling
*pioneered by Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin
What is a Marc
of grapes?
4000 kg of grapes.
This is the amount the traditional Coquard basket grape presses would hold.
The pressing limit is strictly monitored in Champagne.
It is set at 102L per 160kg -or- 2550 L per 4000 kg of grapes.
What is
‘Les Bleus de Ville’?
A blight on the history of Champagne.
They are the remnants of blue plastic bags that are still noticeable in Champagne’s soils.
These blue bags were used to transport inorganic composted materials from Paris to fertilize the soils.
Bidule
A plastic piece inserted underneath the cap crown in Champagne during the Prise de Mousse.
This is designed to capture the the sediment during remuage.
Gyropalatte
Machine used for remuage in the modern day.
Holds 504 bottles. Created in Spain for Cava.
Takes 8 days to complete the process
Some prestige cuvees still use hand riddling.
Muselet
The wire cage at the top of Champagne bottles.
6.5 twists.
Rules for
Special Club Champagne
Established 1971 - aka “Club Tresors”
- RM producers Only!
- Viticulture, Vinification, and Bottling must take place on the estate.
- Members must uphold the Club Charter
- Special Club bottling must be the “Prestige Cuvee”
- “Club” will declare a vintage. Producers decide whether they wish to bottle a vintage from that year.
- Producers cannot bottle a Special Club from a non “Club” chosen vintage.
- All Special Club base wines and finished wines are subject to a tasting panel.
- All must have identical bottles and labels.
Important Members:
- Hebrart, Gimmonet, Bara, Lasalle, Gaston Chiquet
