Champagne & Sparkling Wine Flashcards
How much of a stated vintage must vintage dated wines in Champagne contain?
100%
T de C: Clos Cazals
Claude Cazals, RM. Monoparcel, 3.5 ha Mesnil-sur-Oger, GC, Cote des Blancs. 100% Chardonnay
How does acid content differ in the vin de cuvee vs. the vin de taille?
Acid content is lower in the vin de taille.
Name two producers based in Cramant.
Diebolt-Vallois, Bonnaire, Libert Fils, Suenen
What grand cru vineyard is closest to Reims?
Sillery
What is extraction limited to in Champagne?
102 L from 160 kg or 2550 L from 4000kg (the size of the tanks used for pressing)
Name three things that the CIVC regulates?
- size of harvest
- press yield
- blocage & deblocage
- protected designations of Champagne
T. de C.: Charles de Gaulle
Drappier, NM
80% PN/20% Chard
Urville
T. de C.: Dom Ruinart
Ruinart, NM, Reims
Blanc des Blancs and Rosé (85% Chard/15% PN)
What is retrousse in terms of Champagne?
Retrousse is scooping the edges of the press cake back to the middle after each pressing with a traditional basket press.
How long must Vintage Champagne spend in the cellar from tirage to release?
36 months.
Define the following in Champagne:: CM RC SR ND MA
CM – Cooperative Manipulant
RC – Recoltant Cooperateur (a grower whose grapes are vinified at a cooperative)
SR – Societe de Recoltants (a firm set up by a union, of related growers who share resources and collectively market several brands)
ND – Negociant Distributeur (middleman, does not make wine)
MA – Marque d’Acheteur (a buyer’s own brand, often a supermarket chain)
Name three producers based in Vertus.
Pascal Doquet, Doyard, Larmandier-Bernier, Veuve-Forny, Duval-Leroy
Where is A. Margaine based?
Villers-Marmery, Montagne de Reims
What is transvasage and when is it allowed?
“Transfer method” – allowed for bottle sizes larger than a Jeraboam and smaller than a half bottle. Remuage is unnecessary, the wine is disgorged into a pressurized tank & filtered.
Where would the terms “sur latte” and “sur pointe” be applied?
The Methode Champenoise – during secondary fermentation bottles rest on their sides (sur latte), and when riddling is finished, they rest on their heads (sur pointe)
What major houses are known for blocking MLF in their Champagne?
Lanson, Gosset, and Salon
Name three initiatives the CIVC has taken to improve sustainability.
- reducing pesticide use by 50%
- avoiding insecticides with sexual confusion
- water recycling
- crown cap & bidule recycling
- lighter bottles to reduce carbon emissions
What is the maximum residual sugar for Champagne AOP base wine?
10 g/L
Which two prominent Ay houses age their champagne under cork? What is the alternative? Why do so few big houses age their champagne under cork?
Bollinger and Ayala; most houses, especially big houses, use crown caps. You risk cork taint by aging Champagne under cork, which has to be checked for upon disgorgement. But Bollinger feels it provides more complexity and actually LESS risk of unnatural oxidation.
What does the CIVC stand for?
Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne
What is méthode rurale?
Méthode Ancestrale
What departments does the Champagne AOP cover?
Aube, Aisne, Marne, Haute-Marne, and Seine-et-Marne
T. de C.: Noble Cuvee
Lanson, NM, Reims
60-70% Chard/30-40% PN
What is the term for the Roman chalk tunnels below the streets of Epernay and Reims?
Crayers.
Name three Champagnes that are made with a solera system of perpetual aging?
Selosse Substance, Bereche Reflet d’Antan, Lahertes Les 7, Pierre Peters Reserve Oubliee
Put the three major grape of Champagne in order from first to bud to last.
Chardonnay is the first to bed, then Pinot Noir, then Pinot Meunier.
Name the Grand Crus of the Montagne de Reims, from north to south?
Sillery, Puisieulx, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Verzenay, Mailly, Verzy, Louvois, Bouzy, Ambonnay
What phases is the extracted juice for Champagne production divided into?
1) Vin de Cuvée (the first 2050 L)
2) Vin de Taille (the last 500 L) – richer in pigment and tannin. Usually sold off/used in minor part
3) Rebêche – third extraction is required by law, used to make distillate, not Champagne. Must comprise 1-10% of the total.
In what year was SPARKLING wine first made in Champagne?
The first record of sparkling wine being made in Champagne is in 1718.
Is chaptalization allowed in Champagne?
Yes, it is quite common.
T de C: Les Echansons
Mailly Grand Cru, CM. Mailly-Champagne, GC, Montagne de Reims. Brut, 75% PN/25% Chard.
T. de C.: La Grand Année
Bollinger, NM
Aÿ, Grand Cru, Vallée de la Marne
Name two producers based in Oger.
Jose Dhondt, Jean Milan
What is Veuve Clicquot’s “Comet Vintage”?
1811
What is the only AOP that does not need to put “Appellation Controlee (Protegee)” on the bottle?
Champagne
Which are the better premier crus of the Montagne de Reims, and where do they lie? Name a producer based in each.
Ludes, Chigny-les-Roses, and Rilly-la-Montagne are considered three of the better 1er crus of Montagne de Reims – they are basically a western extension of the grand cru slope that includes Mailly, Verzy, and Verzenay. Bereche and Ployez-Jacquemart are based in Ludes; Cattier and J. Lassalle are based in Chigny-les-Roses; and Vilmart & Cie is based in Rilly-la-Montagne.
T de C: Clos du Moulin
Cattier, NM. Monoparcel, 2.2 ha, Ludes, 1er cru (94%), Montagne de Reims. 50% PN/50% Chard.
What is another term for the wire cage on a bottle of Champagne?
Muselet
What is autopressurage in Champagne?
The first 100 liters or so of juice that comes off a press. Normally discarded.
What is Winzersekt?
In Germany, a sparkling wine usually made by a grower, from one of the 13 anbaugebiete, above 3.5 of pressure
What are the 5 most recent vintages of Salon?
2006, 2004, 2002, 1999, 1997
Where is the highest point in the Montagne de Reims located?
900ft above sea level between Verzenay & Verzy, it is a national park.
The Butte de Saran marks the border between which two Grand Cru sites?
Chouilly and Cramant
What two regions in Champagne do not have any Grand Crus?
Cote de Sezanne and Cotes des Bars (the Aube)
What are three requirements for Special Club wine?
- must be a RM producer
- vinification and bottling must occur on the estate
- special club must be top cuvee
- tasting panel must approve base wines and finished wine
- identical label and bottle shape
Who makes La Folies de la Marquetterie? Where is it from?
Taittinger; single vineyard in Pierry (1er cru on the border of Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne)
Where do the “Rive Droite” and the “Rive Gauche” fall in respect to the Marne river? What aspects do each have? Name one wine made from each.
Rive Droite — right bank — north bank of river, with vineyards facing south. Moussé Fils Special Club & Special Club Rosé.
Rive Gauche — left bank — south bank of the river, with vineyards facing north. Bérêche Rive Gauche.
T. de C.: Dom Perignon/Dom Perignon Oenotheque
Moet & Chandon, NM, Epernay
Brut & Brut Rosé
Chard & PN
T. de C.: Comtes de Champagne
Tattinger, NM
Reims
Blanc des Blancs & Rosé (70% PN/30% Chard)
Name five wines made entirely from Avize fruit.
- Agrapart L’Avizoise
- Agrapart Venus
- Selosse vintage
- Selosse Substance
- Selosse Chantereines lieu-dit
- Larmandier-Bernier Chemins d’Avize
T. de C.: Cuvee des Enchanteleurs
Henriot, NM, Reims
Chard & PN
Name the 5 districts of Champagne and what grapes each is particularly known for.
Cote des Blancs -- Chardonnay Montagne de Reims -- Pinot Noir Vallée de la Marne -- Pinot Meunier Cote de Sézanne -- Chardonnay Cote des Bars (The Aube) -- Pinot Noir
Give three commonalities in AOP requirements between the Cremant appellations of France?
- 9 months of lees prior to disgorgement and 12 months total elevage
- Manual harvesting in mandatory
- Traditional method secondary fermentation
- Min. 3.5-4 atmospheres (varies depends on AOP)
T. de C.: Belle Époque/Fleur de Champagne
Perrier-Jouët, NM, Epernay
Brut (50% Chard/45% PN/5% PM), Brut Rosé, Blanc des Blancs
What is liqueur de tirage?
The mixture of still wine, yeast, sugar, and fining agents added to a Champagne base wine to ignite secondary fermentation
When was Champagne first demarcated? What region was famously left out and when was this adjusted?
1911; The Aube; 1924
When was the gyropalette invented?
1968
What is the southernmost village in Champagne?
Les Riceys, Côte des Bar
Name three Champagne houses founded in the 18th century.
Moet, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Delamotte, Heidsieck, Bollinger, Jacquesson, Ruinart
What are the best vintage of the 1980’s in Champagne?
1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989
Name three wines entirely made from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger fruit?
Pierre Peters Les Chetillons, Salon, Selosse “Les Carelles”
What are the two spur-pruned methods of vine training allowed in Champagne? Which is most commonly used for Pinot Noir and which for Chardonnay?
Chablis & Cordon de Royat; Chablis is used for most Chardonnay vines and Cordon de Royat for Pinot Noir.
What is “boues de ville”?
The practice of fertilising Champagne vineyards with trash from Paris. The practice declined by the mid-80s and was abolished in 1999.
T. de C.: Elisabeth Salmon Rosé
Billecart-Salmon, NM
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, 1er Cru, Vallée de la Marne
What is MCR?
MCR stands for moût concentré rectifié, or concentrated and rectified grape must. The majority of MCR comes from the Languedoc. It is used in Champagne as alternative to liqueur d’expedition.
Arguments FOR: Neutrality, less oxidation
Arguments AGAINST: Terroir, Syrupy
What is another term for dosage?
Liqueur d’Expedition
Why is there a majority Pinot Meunier planted in the Vallee de la Marne?
Pinot Meunier is more frost resistant – it buds late and ripens early – and the Vallee de la Marne – especially as one moves west – is much more prone to frost. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay also have a hard time ripening in clay, which is why the Pinot Noir that is grown in the Vallee de la Marne is mostly in the limestone rich soils east of Epernay.
Name three 1er crus of the Cote de Blancs.
There are nine total: Bergeres-les-Vertus, Cuis, Etrechy, Grauves, Pierry (often considered part of the Vallee de la Marne), Val de Marais (Coligny), Vertus, Villeneuve, Voipreux
What is the maximum percentage of a year’s harvest that may be sold as vintage Champagne?
80%
What is the most planted grape in Champagne? Second? Third?
Pinot Noir (39%), Pinot Meunier (32%), Chardonnay (29%)
What was the first tete de cuvee? In what year?
1921; Moet et Chadon’s Dom Perignon
Name three biodynamic producers in Champagne.
Larmandier Bernier, David Leclepart, Vouette and Sorbee, Roederer (the largest bio-d landowner in Champagne).
Name two producers based in Verzenay.
Michel Arnould, Godme Pere et Fils, Jean Lallement, Pehu Simmonet
How many liters/bottles are in a Solomon?
18L/24 bottles
T de C: L’Intemporelle
Mailly Grand Cru, CM. Mailly Champagne, GC, Montagne de Reims. Brut (60% PN/40% Chard) & Brut rose.
Where is Chartogne-Taillet based?
Merfy, Massif du Saint-Thierry, Montagne de Reims
T de C: Grand Sendree
Drappier, NM. Urville, the Aube, Monoparcel. 55% PN/45% Chard.
T. de C.: Brut de Nominée
Jacquart, NM, Reims
NV (vintages declared from 85-90)
Chard & PN
T de C: Clos d’Ambonnay
Krug, NM. Ambonnay, GC, Montagne de Reims. Monoparcel. 100% Pinot Noir, FV: 1995
What is remuage?
Riddling.
T. de C.: “La Grande Dame”
Veuve Clicquot, NM
Reims
Brut: 60-65% PN/30-35% Chard
Brut Rose
Where is Kimmeridgean Marl found in the Champagne region? What is another name of Kimmeridgean Marl?
This is found in Cote des Bar (The Aube). AKA Virgulien Marl.
Name the grand crus of the Cote des Blancs, from north to south?
Chouilly, Oiry, Cramant, Avize, Oger, Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Give for these producers their location and the main grape they grow Egly-Ouriet Pierre Moncuit Drappier Jerome Prevost
Egly-Ouriet - Ambonnay, Pinot Noir
Pierre Moncuit - Le Mesnil, Chardonnay
Drappier - Urville, Aube, Pinot Noir
Jerome Prevost - Gueux, Montagne de Reims, Pinot Meunier
What changed in sweetness levels for Champagne pre-2010 and post-2010?
Brut went from 0-15 g/L to 0-12 g/L. Extra dry went from 12-20 g/L to 12-17 g/L. Sec went from 17-35 g/L to 17-32 g/L. Demi-sec went from 33-50 g/L to 32-5o g/L. Extra brut and doux stayed the same.
Where is Cristal Rosé sourced from?
Aÿ
Single Cru: Chemin des Châlons
Jacques Selosse, Cramant, NV, Blanc des Blancs
T. de C.: Cuvee Prestige
Bonnaire, RM
Cramant, GC, Cote des Blancs
100% Chardonnay
What region is defined by the Ardre and the Vesle rivers?
Montagne de Reims
What two years have seen an October (late) harvest in Champagne since 1988?
1991 and 2013
T. de C.: Cuvee William Deutz
Deutz, NM
Aÿ, GC, Vallée de la Marne
Blanc/Rosé: PN/Chard/PM
What styles of wine are made in Coteaux Champenois?
Dry red, white, and rose
Define Méthode Ancestrale
Defined by a single fermentation – starts in tank, and then is transferred to bottle mid fermentation. No liqueur de tirage. Dosage is not allowed.
T. de C.: Grand Siècle
Laurent Perrier, NM
Typically NV
Tours-sur-Marne (GC for red grapes), Vallée de la Marne
Approx. 50% Chard/50% PN
How many liters/bottles are in a Nebuchadnezzar?
15L/20 bottles
What side of the slopes are the better vineyards planted btwn Mailly and Villers-Allerand? Btwn Verzenay and Verzy?
Northern slopes and north-eastern slopes respectively
What is the min. potential alcohol for Rose de Riceys and Coteaux Champenois?
10%/9%
T. de C.: Blanc des Millénaires
Charles Heidsieck, NM, Reims
100% Chardonnay