Champagne Terms

Question 1

deblocage

Answer 1

the release of older vintages of base wine for use in assemblage.

Question 2

blocage

Answer 2

Reserve wine stock for future vintages

Question 3

méthode Champenoise

Answer 3

The old name for the traditional method of making champagne, banned by the European Union in 1985 as a concession to protecting the Champagne appellation.

Question 4

débourbage

Answer 4

A settling of the juice after pressing to remove solid particles such as skins and pips before fermentation.

Question 5

rebêche

Answer 5

the final pressing of the grapes, following the cuvée (the first 2,050 liters) and the taille (the next 500 liters). By law, the rébeche cannot be used in champagne production, and is generally sent to be distilled.

Question 6

bourbes

Answer 6

remining solids from the base wine

Question 7

vins clairs

Answer 7

High acid base wine after first fermentation (~11%alc), some go through malo,

Question 8

liqueur de tirage,

Answer 8

A syrupy mixture of wine, sugar and yeast that is added to sparkling wines to cause a secondary fermentation that induces carbonation.

Question 9

assemblage

Answer 9

The blend, both in terms of the blend of different grape varieties or the blend of different base wines for a particular champagne.

Question 10

prise de mousse

Answer 10

second fermentation, heart of champagne method

Question 11

“sur latte”

Answer 11

Name given to bottles stacked in the cellar to age. The name refers to the wooden slats inserted between rows of bottles to stabilise the pile. During this ageing period Champagne can be bought by one champagne maker from another with the buyer finishing off the production process and selling the champagne under his own brand name, even though he did not start the process. Champagne bought in this way is called Vin sur latte.

Question 12

remuage AKA Riddling

Answer 12

the process of turning or shaking the bottles to let the yeast lees move to the neck of the bottle for removal

Question 13

dégorgement

Answer 13

The process of removing the yeast sediments after fermentation and aging in bottle. The sediment must be collected in the neck of the bottle through riddling, whether manually or through the use of a gyropalette. Typically, the bottle of the neck is then frozen to collect the sediment into a solid mass, and then this mass is ejected when the capsule is removed. Some growers, however, still disgorge bottles without using the freezing technique.

Question 14

pointage

Answer 14

producers used to preform this which each bottle would be briskly shaken in order to prevent the sediment from sticking to the sides of the bottle

Question 15

bidule

Answer 15

plastic capsule that will serve to capture the sediment during remuage

Question 16

pupitre

Answer 16

a frames that bottles are stored on

Question 17

Transvasage

Answer 17

The decanting of wine from one bottle into another, used to make champagne in very small bottles (187ml) or very large ones (greater

Question 18

liqueur d’expédition?

Answer 18

Dosage, liquid mixture of sugar syrup and wine.

determines the wine’s final sweetness

Question 19

what is vin de cuvée & vin de taille?

Answer 19

vin de cuvée is the first part of the press
vin de taille the last part of press, richer in pigment and tannin, lesser component sometimes sold off or used for structure (around )

Question 20

Dosage

Answer 20

Sugar added to champagne after disgorgement, either through aliqueur d’expédition,which is a solution of cane or beet sugar and wine, or MCR, concentrated and rectified grape must. Thedosageis usually a crucial component of champagne, as it balances the naturally high acidity of the wine and plays an important role in the aging process. The level of dosage determines the category of champagne (i.e. Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec, etc.), and the majority of champagnes today are dosed as brut, between 0-15 grams of sugar per liter, with an average dosage in Champagne estimated at around 10-12 grams.

Question 21

Millésime—

Answer 21

A vintage year or a vintage wine. A champagne must be declared as a vintage wine at harvest in order to be able to say Millésime on the label. Note that the word Millésime simply means that the wine comes from a single vintage, and strictly speaking, has nothing to do with its level of quality.

Question 22

Monocru

Answer 22

A champagne made from grapes grown entirely in a single village.

Question 23

Tirage

Answer 23

The act of bottling. In Champagne, it’s often customary to refer to non-vintage wines by the year of bottling rather than the year of harvest. For example, “tirage 2005” means that the wine was bottled in 2005, and the base vintage is most likely 2004.