Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados Flashcards

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1
Q

98% of Cognac is made from what grape?

A

ugni blanc

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2
Q

Rouge Duret and Rambault are types of what?

A

apples used in Calvados production

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3
Q

What is the premier region of Calvados production?

A

Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC

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4
Q

What is the 2nd distillation in cognac called?

A

Bonne Chauffe

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5
Q

What is the climate in Cognac?

A

maritime

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6
Q

What river influences the Cognac region?

A

Charentes river

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7
Q

What are cellars called in the Cognac region?

A

Chais

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8
Q

What is the soil type in both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne?

A

chalk

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9
Q

What are the 6 regions of Cognac in descending quality?

A
  • Grande Champagne
  • Petite Champagne
  • Borderies
  • Fins Bois
  • Bons Bois
  • Bois Ordinaire
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10
Q

What does the label term ‘Fine Champagne’ mean in Cognac

A

Blend of min 50% Grande Champagne and the remainder made up of Petite Champagne

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11
Q

Why did ugni blanc become the dominant grape in Cognac?

A

the other popular grape, folle blanche became compact and prone to rot when grafted onto american rootstock, which was necessary after phylloxera struck

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12
Q

What are the “Big 4” Cognac brands?

A
  • Hennessy
  • Martell
  • Remy Martin
  • Courvoisier
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13
Q

Who produces XO Cordon Bleu?

A

Martell

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14
Q

What firm is the largest landholder in Borderies?

A

Camus

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15
Q

What gin brand used their still in the off-season to produce Citadelle gin?

A

Pierre Ferand

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16
Q

What style of cognac does Delamain focus on?

A

XO Cognac matured in oak cask from Grande Champagne

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17
Q

Who owns Courvoisier?

A

Beam Suntory

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18
Q

Ugni blanc is known in Italy as what grape?

A

trebbiano toscano

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19
Q

What is the optimum vine age in Cognac?

A

20-30 years
- older vines produce fewer grapes, leading to an increase in potential alcohol (not suited to cognac)

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20
Q

What is the most common training method in cognac?

A

double guyot (good for mechanization)

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21
Q

Why is SO2 not used in cognac fermentation?

A
  • so2 encourages yeast to produce acetaldehydes, which are not pleasant in a distillate
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22
Q

Define premiere chauffe

A
  • the first distillation in cognac
  • turns the base wine into brouillis
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23
Q

Define bonne chauffe

A
  • the second distillation in cognac
  • turns the brouillis into young, unaged cognac
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24
Q

Chaudiere d’eau-de-vie is an alternate name for what?

A

alembic Charentais still

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25
Q

What is the difference between a bouilleur de cru and a bouilleur de profession?

A

BdC - grower distiller
BdP - purchases wine to distill

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26
Q

Why are Cognac still made from copper?

A
  • excellent heat conductor
  • not easily damaged by fire or acidic substances
  • fixes fatty acids, resulting in a hazy solid that can be filtered out
  • reacts with undesirable sulfur compounds so they don’t end up in final product
27
Q

What is the abv range for brouillis?

A

26-32%

28
Q

What are the cuts of distillation in Cognac?

A

tetes - first portion coming out of distillation, full of impurities, set aside
coeur - heart of the distillation, most desirable
secondes - second cut in distillation, contains valuable alcohol, usually re-distilled
queues - tails, final liquid to come from distillation, little alcohol and not desirable flavors, usually discarded

29
Q

Describe Troncais oak

A
  • sessile (stalk-less) acorns
  • very fine grained (1mm)
  • tannins not as easily extracted
  • wood, coconut, clove aroams
30
Q

Describe Limousin oak

A
  • pedunculate (stalked) acorns
  • wider grain (4mm)
  • allows more air flow and more tannin extraction
  • less suitable for cheaper cognacs (absorb too much tannin too quickly)
31
Q

What is the most common barrel size in Cognac?

A

350 L

32
Q

What is a bonbonne?

A

25 liter glass jars used in Cognac
- used for very old or precious cognac
- stops the aging process

33
Q

Define boise

A

mixture of boiled oak chips into a syrup that creates the impression of longer aging

34
Q

What are the permitted grapes in Cognac production?

A
  • colombard
  • folle blanche
  • montils
  • semillon
  • igni blanc
  • max 10% folignan (folle blanche X ugni blanc)
35
Q

What are the age indications used in Cognac labeling?

A

2 years
VS , *** , Sélection, De Luxe, Millésime

3 years
Supérieur, Cuvée Supérieure, Qualité Supérieure

4 years
VSOP, Réserve, Vieux, Rare, Royal

5 years
Vieille Réserve, Réserve Rare, Réserve Royale

6 years
Napoléon, Très Vieille Réserve, Très Vieux, Héritage, Très Rare , Excellence , Suprême

10 years
XO, Hors d’âge, Ancestral

14 years
XXO

36
Q

If a geographic subzone is stated on a cognac label, what percentage of grapes must come from that subzone?

A

100%

37
Q

What is the soil type of Fins Bois?

A

red limestone/clay

38
Q

What is the soil type of Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires?

A

sand

39
Q

At the end of distillation, the abv of cognac must not be higher than what?

A

73.7%

40
Q

What is Esprit de Cognac AOC?

A
  • product of a 3rd distillation in cognac
  • 80-85% abv
  • used only in sparkling wine production (dosage)
  • rarely seen
41
Q

What are the 3 subzones of Armagnac?

A
  • Haut Armagnac
  • Bas Armagnac
  • Armangnac Tenareze
42
Q

What is the min abv in Armagnac?

A

40%

43
Q

What types of still are allowed in armagnac production?

A
  • pot still
  • continuous still
44
Q

What are the age indications in Armagnac?

A

VS - 1 to 3 years
VSOP, Napoleon - min 4 years
XO - min 10 years
Hors d’Age - min 10 years
XO Premium - min 20 years

45
Q

What are the primary grapes used in Armagnac production?

A
  • ugni blanc
  • colombard
  • folle blanche
  • paco blanc
46
Q

What percentage of armagnac is distilled only once (continuous still)?

A

95%

47
Q

What is Blanche Armagnac?

A

armagnanc bottled after 3 months in an inert container

48
Q

Are vintage bottlings more common in Cognac or Armagnac?

A

Armagnac
- preference of producers to highlight variation as opposed to maintain house style

49
Q

How long must vintage Armagnac age in cask before release?

A

10 years

50
Q

What percentage of calvados apples in an orchard must be local varieties?

A

20%

51
Q

What percentage of Calvados orchards must be bitter varieties?

A

min 70%
(max 15% acidic varieties)

52
Q

What types of still are allowed in Calvados distillation?

A
  • copper continuous
  • copper pot
53
Q

What are the age indications for Calvados AOP?

A

min 2 years - Fine, Trois Etoiles, Trois Pommes, VS
min 3 years - Vieux, Reserve
min 4 years - VO, VSOP, Vielle Reserve
min 6 years - Hors d’Age, XO, Tres Vielles Reserve, Tres Vieux, Extra, Napoleon

54
Q

What dies Produit Fermier indicate on a Calvados label?

A

estate grown and fermented fruit

55
Q

What is haut tige vs basse tige?

A

haut tige - apple trees with branches at least 1.6 meters above the ground
basse tige - branches lower than 1.6 m above the ground

56
Q

What is the min abv in Calvados AOP?

A

40%

57
Q

What is the encepagement for Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

A
  • orchards must contain min 15% pear trees (25% from 2016)
  • cider for Domfrontais must be min 30% perry
58
Q

What type of still is required in Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

A

continuous reflux column still

59
Q

What are the aging requirements for Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

A

min 3 years of age in oak cask from date of distillation

60
Q

What is the max percentage of perry allowed in Calvados Pays d’Auge AOP?

A

max 30%

61
Q

What type of still is allowed in Calvados Pays d’Auge?

A

double distillation in copper pot still

62
Q

What are the 3 AOPs of Calvados?

A
  • Calvados AOP
  • Calvados Domfrontais AOP
  • Calvados Pays d’Auge AOP
63
Q

What are the only two hybrid grapes allowed in a French AOP and what are the corresponding AOPs?

A

baco blanc - Armagnac
voltis - Champagne

64
Q

St Emilion is an alias for what grape?

A

ugni blanc