Champagne: Part 2 Flashcards
What were the principal grape varieties of Champagne from the 9th to the 16th centuries?
- Gouais Blanc
- Gouais Noir (vins de la montagne)
- Fromenteau (vins de la riviere)
Up until the early 20th century, it was common practice to plant a mix of which grape varietites in Champagne?
White:
* Pinot Blanc
* Arbanne/Arbane
* Petit Meslier
* Chardonnay
Red:
* Chasselas rouge
* Gamay
* Morillon (Pinot Noir)
* Enfume Noir
* Pinot Meunier
Which grape varieties are planted in Champagne today?
Primary grapes:
* Pinot Noir (38% area under vine)
* Pinot Meunier (32%)
* Chardonnay (30%)
Secondary (historic) grapes:
* Pinot Gris
* Pinot Blanc
* Arbane
* Petit Meslier
Which producers currently craft champagnes from historic grapes?
- Tarlant
- Drappier
What types of grapes are ideal for the champagne method of sparkling wine?
Varieties with a modest aromatic profile. This method imparts notes of toast, brioche and pastry, which requires a neutral base wine that beautifully expresses those autolytic characteristics.
What types of grapes are ideal for the tank method of producing sparkling wine?
Grapes with bright fruit and flowery notes. This process capitalizes on those bold aromatics.
Name the primary grapes used in champagne production.
White:
* Chardonnay
Rose/Gris:
* Pinot Gris
Red:
* Pinot Noir
* Pinot Meunier
What characteristics does Chardonnay contribute to champagne?
- notes of apple & citrus
- high alcohol
- high acidity
What type of soil is Chardonnay typically grown in?
Chalk
What grape varieties are used in Blanc de Blancs style champagnes?
Principal:
* Chardonnay
Secondary:
* Pinot Blanc
* Arbane
* Petit Meslier
Which current grape variety in Champagne is believed to be the historic Fromenteau?
Pinot Gris
What is the authorized use of Pinot Gris in Champagne?
- used on its own
- used in champagne blends
Which grape is the most widely planted variety in the Champagne region?
Pinot Noir
What characteristics does Pinot Noir contribute to champagne wines?
- the least amount of acidity
- moderate alcohol
- notes of strawberry, cherry and other red fruits
What type of soil does Pinot Noir grow well on?
Limestone-rich marls
What characteristics does Pinot Meunier contribute to champagne wines?
- bright red fruit, earthiness and a note of rye bread
- moderate acidity
- the least amount of alcohol
It softens a blend, making it more approachable.
What types of soils does Pinot Noir flourish in?
It flourishes in a variety of soils but is commonly planted on:
* marl
* sands
* clays
What are the 4 approved training methods in Champagne?
- Chablis
- cordon
- Guyot
- Vallee de la Marne
Which vinetraining methods must be used for Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards?
- Chablis
- cordon
Which vinetraining method is used for Pinot Meunier vines in Champagne?
Vallee de la Marne (exclusively)
What is the concern regarding rootstocks in Champagne?
Care must be taken to use rootstocks that have adapted to the chalky soils.
Rootstock 41B has an affinity to chalky soils and is the rootstock of choice for a large majority of vines.
What specific attributes are important in the clones used in Champagne?
- delivers high-acid berries
- resistant to gray rot & botrytis
- Pinot Noir clones with larger berries to produce more juice
- Pinot Meunier clones with a later bud break
How has climate change affected the Champagne region and its wines?
- average temperatures increased approx. 2°F/1.2°C
- flowering/harvest shifted forward 10-14 days
- sites susceptible to frost have a higher risk, due to the increasingly early bud break of recent vintages
- red grapes ripen more completely
- enabled the Champenois to make headway in the organic/biodynamic arena
- Chaptalization is less comprehensive/routine, grapes are achieving physiological ripeness
What are the characteristics of the red Coteaux Champenois which has benefitted from climate change?
These are now suppler, stand-alone bottlings with deep cherry fruit and silken tannins that show tremendous elegance and perfume.
Name some of the most vocal advocates of biodynamic practices?
- Champagne Louis Roederer
- Fleury (grower-producer)
- Larmandier-Bernier (grower-producer)
Why is it a monumental feat to be able to label a champagne ‘organic’ or ‘biodynamic’?
There are more than 300 champagne houses and well over 15,000 growers. The overwhelming majority of champagne is made from purchased grapes blended from different vineyards, villages and sub-regions.
How has climate change affected the winemaking process in Champagne?
- chaptalization is less routine
- natural alcohol levels have risen, acid levels have dropped, causing many houses to rethink malolactic conversion
- drop in acid levels has resulted in a drop in the average dosage level (less sugar is needed to balance the lower levers of acidity)
What style of champagnes were popular during the 19th century?
Doux champagnes
The Russian market clamoured for them
Who is credited for initiating the trend for drier versions of champagne?
Madame Pommery
What is Vintage champagne?
It is champagne crafted from grapes grown in a single vintage year and is only crafted in good vintages. It tells the story of the grape during one growing season; it is a snapshot in time.
* more expensive than non-vintage champagne, due to lower production numbers (not necessarily better)
* carries the vintage year on both cork and label
* must only be crafted from fruit grown during the stated vintage with the exception of the liqueur de dosage
What are the requirements of Vintage champagne?
- min. 12 months on less
- min. 3 years in the cellar from tirage to release
What is non-vintage champagne?
“Multi-vintage” champagne more accurately describes the product in the the glass as it is a blend of several vintages.
It tells a never-ending story of the grape through multiple vintages; it reflects the ongoing vision of the house style.
What are the aging requirements of non-vintage champagne?
- min. 12 months on lees
- an additional 3 months in the cellar before release
What percentage of champagne exports by volume are non-vintage Brut?
78.5% (2019)
This clearly shows the strength and importance of this category.
What grapes are permitted for the production of Grand Cru champagne?
Grapes are exclusively sourced from the 17 Grand Cru villages.
What grapes are permitted for the production of Premier Cru champagne?
- grapes sourced from the 42 Premier Cru villages
- may include fruit from the 17 Grand Cru villages
What is Blanc de Blancs champagne?
White sparkling wine made from authoried white grapes (largely Chardonnay).
What are the characteristics of Blanc de Blancs champagnes?
It can be delicate and lace-like with its finesse or rich and powerful depending on terroir and various winemaking variables.
What is Blanc de Noirs champagne?
A white sparkling wine made from black grapes (Pinot Noir and/or Meunier).
What are the characteristics of Blanc de Noirs champagne?
It often carries a bit of tannin and a more overt and expressive aroma.
On the palate, it is likely to be powerful and fruity.
How is rose champagne made?
Most are made by adding 8-20% top-quality red wine (Pinot Noir) to the base wine.
Although, some houses make a rose de saignee.
What are the characteristics of rose champagne?
Structured with a noticable tannic grip.
What are Prestige Cuvees?
A champagne house’s highest quality bottlings.
How are Prestige Cuvees produced?
- from special parcels
- old vines
- Grand Cru sites
- prolonged lees contact
- oak treatment
- extensive cellar aging
Name two examples of Prestige Cuvees.
- Veuve Clicquot’s “la Grande Dame”
- Champagne Louis Roederer’s “Cristal”
What are Late-Disgorged champagnes?
These have spent many years on the lees before disgorgement and are quite youthful when sent to market despite their extended time in cellar.
What are Single-Vineyard champagnes?
These are produced from grapes in a mono-parcelle (single parcel) vineyard.
How is Single-Vineyard champagne different from traditional blended champagnes?
These champagnes embrace vintage variations and signature flavours of a specific terroir.
Name an example of a mono-parcelle champagne.
Philipponnat’s Clos des Goisses
What is a Single-Cru champagne?
“Mono-crus” focus on the fruit from one village or cru.
Name an example of a Single-Cru champagne.
Salon’s Cuvee “S” Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs; crafted solely from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
What is a Special Club champagne?
These are peer-reviered, prestige cuvees from members of the Club Tresors de Champagne.
They must be made entirely on a member’s own premises, with their own grapes and only in outstanding vintages.
The wines must undergo two blind tastings to earn the right to be labeled as “Special Club” and be sold in the club’s signature bottle.
What is Solera (perpetual reserve) champagne?
These are made from a single stainless steel tank or oak foudre that is kept perpetually.
Producers add to this vessel based on specific harvest parameters, like the best vintages or high-acid vintages.
A portion may be put into a bottle to undergo prise de mousse, while the rest is kept to assimilate new wine when added, thus forming a perpetual reserve.
How many AOCs are there in Champagne?
3
Name the AOCs of Champagne.
- Rose des Riceys AOC (1947)
- Coteaux Champenois AOC (1974)
- Champagne AOC (1936)
What style of wine is produced in Rose des Riceys AOC?
Rose
Name the grape varietie(s) used in Rose des Riceys AOC.
Red:
* [P] Pinot Noir
Where are Rose des Riceys AOC wines produced?
Only in the 3 villages of Les Riceys in the Aube.
How much wine does Rose des Riceys AOC produce annually?
Approx. 60,000 bottles per year.
What styles of wine are produced in Coteaux Champenois AOC?
Still wines only:
* Dry white
* Rose
* Red
Most production is non-vintage and white; a small quantity of red & rose are produced.
Name the grapes used to produce wines in Coteaux Champenois AOC.
White:
* [P] Chardonnay
* [S] Arbane, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier
Rose/Gris:
* [S] Pinot Gris
Red:
* [P] Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
How much wine is produced in Coteaux Champenois AOC annually?
Approx. 120,000 bottles per year.
What styles of wine are produced under Champagne AOC?
- Sparkling White
- Sparkling Rose
Name the grape varieties used in Champagne AOC.
White:
* [P] Chardonnay
* [S] Arbane, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier
Rose/Gris:
* [S] Pinot Gris
Red:
* [P] Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
What are the blending rules in Champagne AOC?
There are no set blending formulas, with the exception that:
* Blanc de Blancs must be made from white grapes
* Blanc de Noirs must be made from red grapes
Each champagne house is given the freedom to created their own proprietary blends and finish them within a range of prescribed sweetness levels and/or styles.
What are some things that have strict regulations within the Champagne AOC?
- yields
- juice extraction
The E.U. forbids mixing red wine with white to make rose, with the exception of what product?
Rose champagne.
What does NM mean on a champagne label?
NM = Negociant-Manipulant
Term describing a champagne producer that incorporates grapes purchased from others in the vinification process. He may also be using his own fruit.
All the big champagne houses are NMs.
What does RM mean on a champagne label?
RM = Recoltant-Manipulant
Term describing a champagne producer vinifying only his/her own estate-grown grapes.
An RM does not purchase grapes from others.
What does RC mean on a champagne label?
RC = Recoltant-Cooperateur
Term referring to a grape grower affiliated with a winemaking co-operative cellar. An RC brings their own grapes to the co-operative which vinifies them. The RC then retrieves the finished wine and sells it under their own private label.
What does SR mean on a champagne label?
SR = Societe de Recoltants
Term referring to a group of grape growers who jointly vinify and sell one communal or several communal brands.
What does CM mean on a champagne label?
CM = Cooperative de Manipulation
Term referring to a co-operative cellar which vinifies the grapes of its member growers.
What does MA mean on a champagne label?
MA = Marque Auxiliaire, Marque d’Acheteur or Marque Autorisee
Term referring to a private label for wine registered by any individual, group or society (restaurant, wine store, supermarket, etc.) with the purpose of selling to their customers or members; the source for that private label could be any of the types of producers listed above.
What does ND mean on a champagne label?
ND = Negociant-Distributeur
Term referring to a wine buyer who purchases finished wines, gives them their own private label and sells them through numerous channels.
