Champagne Styles Flashcards
Explain the Blanc de Noirs style
White wine produced solely from black grapes. Rich, intense, and contains weight
Explain the Prestige Cuvee style
(tete de Cuvee) finest and most expensive style
often vintage dated and aged for a number of years
May be Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs or Rose in style
Explain the single Vineyard style
*Type of Prestige Cuvee
May be produced by a lg house of a sml grower-producer
May/may not be advertised as Prestige Cuvee
Not required to carry vintage
Philipponnat’s “Clos de Giosses” remains a benchmark bottling
Explain the Rose style
*Type of Prestige Cuvee
Vintage, NV, and prestige cuvee may be produced in pink versions
Traditional saignee method is less common than blending
Champagne is only AOP in France that allows blending
Usually most expensive and rare product a house offers
Explain Special Club Prestige Cuvee style
Concept originated in 1971
Estate-bottles, vintage dated wines representing the pinnacle of each individual growers style and production
Bottles and labels share similar design
Name the styles of Champagne
NV Vintage Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Noirs Prestige Cuvee-Single Vineyard Champagne, Special CLub Prestige Cuvee, and Rose Champagne
NV style must remain in the cellar for a min. of how many months?
15 (inc. the period of lees aging)
Vintage style require a min. of how long being in the cellar?
36 months
Explain the NV style of Champagne
generally brut in style
represents a house’s signature style
makes up at least ¾ of the market
Explain the vintage style
100% of blend must come from stated vintage
Yet a max. 80% of a years harvest may be sold as Vintage Champagne
Explain the Blancs de Blancs style
100% Chardonnay is required, but is not always sourced from the Cote de Blancs
May be vintage dated of NV
Some of Champagnes most age worthy bottlings
What is an important attribute for sparkling wines?
high acidity
