Champagne Making Flashcards
Sparkling Styles - levels
Brut Nature 0-3 g/L
Extra Brut 0-6 g/L
Brut / Bruto / Herb 0-12 g/L
Extra-Sec / Extra-Dry 12-17 g/L
Sec / Dry / Trocken 17-32 g/L
Demi-Sec / Med Dry 32-50 g/L
Coux / Sweet 50+
Sparkling Styles - Type
Non-Vintage - wine from more than 1 vintage, stadard offering, displays house style
Vintage - In Champ, only the best years. Other areas may allow some % from other years
Rose - made by blending or by maceration. Color can be adjusted in liqueur d’exp
Blanc de Blancs - from white grapes only
Blanc de Noirs - from red grapes only
Prestige Cuvee - best wine from a producer, small but important especially in luxury tier of Champ
Sparkling Harvest Requirements
Harvest low in sugar, base wines 10-11% abv
Second ferment adds 1.2-1.3% ABV
Harvest high in acid
Harvest with flavor ripeness to avoid green and herbaceous character
Warm regions ripen too rapidly, with sugar climbing and acid falling fast
Handling Grapes and Juice
Premium: typically hand picked to retain whole berries
Value: typically machine harvested for volume – need to pick fast
Press ASAP on arrival, gently, minimize skin contact
Especially with BLACK GRAPES
Whole bunch pressing helps avoid crushing
Many EU regions regulate max pressing pressures and yield
Traditional Method - 6 Steps
First Fermentation - making the base wine
Blending
Second Ferment - Liqueur de Tirage
Riddling
Disgorgement and Corking - Liquerur d’ Expedition
Bottle Aging
Traditional Method - First Ferment
Often fermented in temperature controlled SS tanks, some use vats or barrels
Completely dry, neutral, high acid
May undergo MLF or maturation in oak
‘Reserve’ is base stored for future years to blend
Traditional Method - Blending
Used to produce house style consistently
Improve the balance of the wine
CHA brings citrus fruit, finesse, longevity
PIN brings aromas, red fruit, body
Enhance complexity
Reserve wines bring dried fruit
Oak brings in texture and spice
Many small lots add to blending options
Liqueuer de Tirage
Wine
Sugar
Yeast
Nutrients
Clarifying agent
Traditional Method - Second Alc Ferment
Blend is made and includes LIQUEUR DE TIRAGE
Wine, sugar, yeast, nutrients, clarifying agent
Blend is bottled, closed w crown cap
Stacked horizontally in cool, constant temp cellar
Slow ferment takes place
Alc increases by 1.2-1/3%
CO2 is generated (creates sparkle) 5-6 atm
Yeast Autolysis
Second ferment completes and yeast die, making sediment
Yeast breaks down, releasing compounds
Bread, biscuit, and toasty notes
Yeast breakdown can take up to 4-5 years, but up to 10 years – time is important
Lees contact helps maintain freshness
Riddling
Move the bottle from horizontal to vertical
Yeast sediment moves down to an insert in the crown cap
By hand traditionally – PUPITRE – up to 8 weeks
Modern – gyropalette – simulates hand riddling mechanically in a few days
Disgorgement and Corking
Neck of bottle submerged in cold brine, wine freezes, bottle upright, crown cap is removed, sediment (and capsule) is ejected
Wine is topped with Liqueur d’Expedition and corked
Mix of wine and sugar (Dosage)
Wine will also be added to top the bottle properly, note this is a chance to re-balance, add complexity
Cork added and wire seal
Liqueur d’Expedition
Mixture of wine and sugar after disgorgement
Dosage is the sugar added at the final corking
Determines final sweetness level
Balances acidity and helps flavors develop
Can be a second blending opportunity to balance
Some wines without dosage
Brut Nature or Zero dosage
Bottle Aging
Often, after disgorgement, a few months bottle age integrates
Most premium wines can benefit from further aging
Most sparklings aren’t vintage dated
Some producers now include disgorgement date
Transfer Method
Wine is made, blended, and second ferment occurs in bottle
Bottle is disgorged to tank under pressure
Wine is filtered, LIQUEUR D’EXPEDITION is added into the blend
Rebottling occurs in a fresh bottle
Gives good quality sparkling at a cheaper price
Easy to ensure consistent quality
Often states ‘Bottle Fermented’
