D4 Sparkling Flashcards
What can you tell about de growing environment for grapes ment for high quality sparkling wine.
Cool climates are key. The grapes are then just ripe in flavour, but retain the high acidity. Sugar accumulates slowly giving a potential alcohol for the base wine of 9-11% abv. So, greater latitudes or sites that have cooling influences (coast, altitude).
What kind of sparkling wines come from warmer areas?
The grapes have riper fruit flavours and lower acidity compared to grapes grown in cooler sites. This can be desirable for short-aged wines as the fruit wille provide the only or dominant flavours. Less expensive sparkling wines can be grown in areas where land is cheaper.
What are the characteristics of Chardonnay in a sparkling wine?
This variety is well suited for the production of autolytic styles. Subtle apple and citrus aromas complement the biscuit or pastry aromas. It is early ripening and retains high levels of acidity and low level of alcohol whilst avoiding under-ripe flavours.
It is also early budding en thus vulnerable to spring frost. Also prone to coulure and millerandage, susceptible to powdery mildew, grapevine yellows and botrytis bunch rot.
What are the characteristics of Pinot Noir in a sparkling wine?
This variety is early budding and early ripening en therefore suited for a cool climate. It is prone to spring frosts and coulure. Quality drops when yield is too high. It is disease prone (downy and powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot, fan leaf and leaf roll).
It lends body to the blend.
In general what are factors within the grape variety that can influence the style of wine?
- Intensity of aromas (aromatic or neutral)
- Ability to retain acidity while ripening
- How the base wine responds to autolysis while applicable (chardonnay becomes creamy, Xarel-lo becomes toasty and smoky)
What can you tell about vineyard management in general for sparkling wine?
Grapes are often grown at higher yields because then high acid levels, low potential alcohol and delicate flavours can be achieved. In cool relatively rainy climates this can provide assurance that almost always a reasonable crop can be harvested. Trellising and training is dependent on the region, climate, varieties and the nutritional status of the soil. Priority is clean healthy fruit. Off flavours can be enhanced by the effervescence and laccase (enzyme released by botrytis infected grapes) can cause oxidation.
What can you tell about harvesting in general for sparkling wine?
Harvesting occurs earlier to achieve the high acid, low alcohol profile desired for sparkling wine. Early picking reduces the risk of fungal disease. Both hand harvesting and machine harvesting are used, depending on location and local wine laws.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hand versus machine harvesting?
Hand harvesting permits sorting at picking and post-harvest selection to exclude disease-infected grapes, collecting in small crates minimise splitting as well as the subsequent oxidation and extraction of phenolics. But it is slow, labour-intensive and expensive.
Machine harvesting can rupture the skin, resulting in oxidation and extraction of phenolics. However it is faster and cheaper, it permits night-time harvesting. Diseased grapes can be removed by hand prior to machine harvesting, but this adds to the costs.
As for winemaking of sparkling wine in general, what can you tell me about pressing?
For traditional method and premium wines, whole bunch pressing is used. It is the gentlest form of pressing providing a delicate juice that is low in solids and phenolics. It is however time consuming. Pressing should be performed as quickly and gently as possible, especially for the black skinned grapes (minimising maceration and extraction). Phenolic compounds can make the wine taste bitter and feel coarse. Both pneumatic and basket presses are used, juice is split into different press fractions. They make useful blending options. Juice is clarified before fermentation. Excessive tannin or colour can be removed through fining (casein, gelatine or pvpp).
In general, how is primary fermentation carried out for sparkling wine?
Typical temperatures are 14-20 C to retain fruit flavours, but that its not too cold for the yeast. The low pH is very difficult for the yeast. Primary fermentation is often in stainless steel. Cultured neutral yeast are often used, often for both primary and secondary fermentation. Therefore careful consideration in choosing the yeast strain is advised (low pH, high alcohol, low temperature, high pressure, low nutrients). Rapid autolysis and easy flocculation is desired in traditional method. EC118 Prise de mousse is often used. MLF can be used in excessively acidic wines, can be used to enhance texture. If MLF is not desired the wine is often sterile filtered so it doesn’t take place during second fermentation (hazyness in the bottle)
What happens with the base wine in general?
Some wines are matured in oak or on the lees.
Almost all wines are blends, blends of wines from different vineyard sites, grape varieties, vintages and wines that have undergone different winemaking techniques is one of the hallmarks of sparkling wine production. For traditional method wines, final blend should be stabilised for tartrates and proteins before being bottled for second fermentation. For all methods, base wines should be clarified before second fermentation
What is in general the use of blending of the base wine?
- balance
- consistency
- style
- rosé wines
- complexity
- minimisation of faults
- volume
- price
What methods are there to make sparkling wine?
- traditional method
- transfer method
- ancestral method
- tank method
- asti method
- carbonation
What can you tell about the traditional method for sparkling wine?
First second fermentation: it occurs in the bottle. Liqueur de tirage is added (wine/must, sugar, yeast, nutrients and clarifying agent (bentonite/alginate)). Most fully sparkling wines 24g sucrose per litre is added. During fermentation this amount converts to +- 1,5% alcohol. The CO2 produced is kept in the bottle and gives about 6 bar. The bottle is closed with a crown cap and the wine is stored horizontally ‘sur latte’ at a constant temperature of 10-12 c. Often fermentation lasts 4-6 weeks.
Second is lees ageing: For autolysis. Length of time varies. Benefits are derived from autolysis, enzymatic breakdown of dead yeast cells. It can last for 10 years, it adds biscuit complexity. It also protects wine from oxidation. However longer on the lees, the faster evolution after disgorgement.
Third, riddling and disgorgement: Pupitres (by hand-8 weeks) or gyropalettes (remuage-3-4 days). Wines are stored upside down (sur pointe). The disgorgement: bottles are cooled to 7C, necks are immersed in frozen brine, bottle upright and removing crown cap also removing frozen yeast. Liqueur déxpedition is added (wine+sugar) to top of the bottle.
What is the role of dosage after disgorgement in general?
It is to balance acidity (important in young wines). The sugar in the liqueur d’expedition reacts with compounds formed during yeast autolysis in a process called the Maillard reaction. This encourages the development of roasted, toasted vanilla aromas.
What can you tell about the transfer method for sparkling wine?
This method was developed in 1940 to avoid the cost of manual riddling while retaining bready, biscuit notes attained through yeast autolysis in bottle. It reduces bottle to bottle variation and it is easier to make final adjustments to the wine. This method is used in champagne for bottles <37,5 cl and larger than 300 cl. Fining agents to aid flocculation do not need to be added with liqueur de tirage, after lees ageing in bottled the wine is chilled to 0C. Bottles are opened and wine is poured into pressurized receiving tanks. SO2 is added and sterile filtering is carried out before bottling.
What can you tell about the ancestral method for sparkling wine?
Partly fermented must is put into bottles and the remaining sugar is converted into alcohol and CO2. Sugar levels in the partly fermented must can be measured accurately and therefore the final level of pressure can be estimated. Winemakers can choose to disgorge or keep the light sediment. No dosage is added. Outcome can vary! Fermentation often slows down and stops because of lack of yeast nutrients, resulting in an off-dry wine. Pet-Nat (petillant naturel): low in alcohol, slightly cloudy, dry to off-dry with unconventional flavours sometimes compared to cider.
What can you tell about the tank method for sparkling wine?
Cuve Close, Charmat, Martinotti
Large volumes of sparkling wine to be made inexpensively, quickly and with significantly reduced labour costs in comparison to the traditional method. No riddling, disgorgement, dosage of period on lees. It is generally the preferred method when the winemaker wants to preserve the primary aromas and flavours of the grapes and does not desire autolytic characteristics. Producing fruity wines made with semi-aromatic (glera) or aromatic (muscat) varieties. First fermentation at 16-18 C. Sugar and yeast are added and rapid second fermentation takes place in pressurised tanks. It is arrested by cooling to 2-4 C when desired residual sugar and pressure are reached. Wine is cold stabilised to precipitate tartrates, yeast is removed by centrifugation or filtration, sugar and SO2 levels are checked and corrected and then sterile filtered-bottled. Wine is chilled to -2 and bottled by counter pressure filler.
What can you tell about the asti method for sparkling wine?
It is a variation of the tank method that produces sparkling wine in a single fermentation. Sugar that is converted in CO@ comes from te sugar in the original must, not through later tirage. Fermentation in reinforced tanks, in the first stage CO2 is enabled to escape, part way the valve is closed an the carbon dioxide is retained. Timing of this will depend on the level of pressure and amount of sugar desired in the final wine. After that wine is cooled so fermentation stops and it is filtered under pressure to remove yeast.
What can you tell me about the carbonation method for sparkling wine?
Least expensive and least prestigious, injection with carbon dioxide under pressure. More often used for petillant, lower pressure wines. It has the advantage of leaving the aroma and flavour characteristics of the base wine intact and thus it is suitable for aromatic or fruity sparkling wines.
What are the EU labelling terms for sweetness in sparkling wine?
0-3 g/L Brut Nature/Bruto Naturo/Naturherb/Zero dosage
0-6 g/L Extra Brut/Extra Bruto/Extra Herb
0-12 g/L Brut/Bruto/Herb
12-17 g/L Extra-sec/Extra-Dry/Extra Trocken
17-32 g/L Sec/Secco/Seco/Dry/Trocken
32-50 g/L Demi-sec/Semi-seco/Medium-Dry/Abboccato/Halbtrocken
50+ g/L Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild
With the notation that with brut nature, dosage cannot be added and that a bandwidth of +- 3 g/L tolerance is permitted
What can you tell me in general about closures for sparkling wine?
Prior to bottling the cork looks like any other cork, but significantly fatter (31 mm). Most corks are composed of agglomerate cork onto which two disks of natural cork have been glued. Increasingly, technical corks such as DIAM are used. Some use crown caps (often pet nat and ancestral methode made wine)
What are the factors that affect the characteristics of bubbles?
- Amount of sugar, more sugar = more CO2
- Capacity of CO2 to be dissolved in wine (which depends on variety, health and winemaking)
- Length of time on lees (some is lost, but the remainder forms a longer lasting foam)
- Disgorgement process
- Time in bottle and shape of closure
- The size and shape of glasses, which way they are cleaned, temperature of the wine
How is the main promotional and protective body in the Champagne called?
The Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC)
Describe the classic and most common style of Champagne?
Most Champagne is a white, fully sparkling, non-vintage Brut made from a blend of the three main varieties: Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. These wines typically have medium intensity aromas and flavours of apple and lemon fruit with biscuit autolytic notes, high acidity and medium alcohol. They are typically good to outstanding quality and mid- to premium priced. Vintage and prestige cuvée wines command premium and super-premium prices.
Name the styles of Champagne?
- Non-vintage or NV
- Vintage: 100% of the wine must come from te year indicated
- Rosé: blend of red and white (Rosé d’assemblage), skin maceration or Rosé de saignée
- Blanc de Blancs: leaner and more austere in youth
- Blanc de Noirs: fuller bodied, but age more rapidly
- Grand Cru: quality statement
- Premier Cru: quality statement
- Prestige Cuvée: top wine. The product of strict selection of the best grapes and meticulous winemaking
- Late release, recently disgorged wines: extended time on lees and are disgorged just before release on the market.
What are appellations for other than sparkling wine in the Champagne?
- AOC Rosé des Riceys: still rosé from Pinot Noir and still wine
- AOC Coteaux Champenois: red, white or rosé: often a light bodied, high acidity, pale ruby Pinot Noir
What can you tell about the history of Champagne?
Originally it was a pink, still wine made from Pinot Noir. Dom Pierre Pérignon contributed to the development of Champagne as it came to be by producing the first white wine from black grapes, inventing the still widely used Coquard press and by blending wines to make a superior wine from grapes grown in different areas of the region. He also used the much stronger glass from England. In these times the fizziness was considered a fault. Madame Cliquot developed the pupitres for remuage. Then the process of dipping the neck in frozen, salty water to disgorge.
1927 the boundaries for the current AOC’s were set. Then the echelle des crus was used to determine grape prices. And also the blocage system, later called reserve wines.
What are the subregions of Champagne?
Champagne is a large region at 50 parallel, 150 km from north to south and nearly 120 km from east to west. Around Epernay: - Mantagne de Reims - Vallée de la Marne - Côte des Blancs South of CdB lies Côte de Sézanne Most southern lies Côte des Bar
What about the climate in the Champagne?
Climate is cool continental with some oceanic influence. Rain, 700 mm per year is adequate for grape growing. The low average annual temperature of 11C results in the low-alcohol, acidic base wines that are ideal fro the production of traditional method sparkling wine. Rain is spread throughout the year, but during flowering or fruit set it can be a problem, also during harvest.
What can you tell about the topography and soils of Champagne?
The chalky hillsides of Champagne in the northern part of the region have proved the most valuable for growing high-quality grapes suitable to make base wines. High chalk content is widely posited to be beneficial in the production of high-quality Chardonnay in particular.
Most common soils are chalky soils with limestone subsoil and chalk itself. Chalk is highly porous and stores water, providing a steady supply of water even in dry periods.
What can you tell about production in Montagne des Reims (Champagne?)
Best known for black grapes in de grand cru villages: Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy.
Topography is more like a wide plateau, with some top villages face north, providing excellent cool-climate sites (frost prone). Some important Chardonnay vineyards.
Wines tend to have very high acidity and are austere in youth.
Soils in the best sites are chalky.
What can you tell about production in Vallée de la Marne (Champagne?)
Meunier on clay, marl and sandy soils producing fruity Meunier. Because bud break is later and ripening earlier it is well suited for this frost prone valley. Chardonny is also grown and used to blend into early-drinking wines.
Grand cru village: Aÿ
What can you tell about production in Côte des Blancs (Champagne?)
Name comes from the cultivation of almost exclusively whites. Purest from of chalk in the soils. 95% plantings of Chardonnay.
Grand cru villages: Cramant, Avize, OGer and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. These can produce wines of great intensity and longevity and also austere in youth.
What can you tell about production in Côte de Sézanne (Champagne?)
Mostly clay and clay/silt soils and some pockets of chalk. Mostly planted with Chardonnay on warmer south-east facing slopes, leading to fruitier, riper grapes. Quality is rated lower than other regions
What can you tell about production in Côte des Bar (Champagne?)
This is a large area with a quarter of the vineyard area planted with Pinot Noir. Soils are Kimmeridgian, calcareaous marls. Steep slopes and soils with stony limestone elements have excellent drainage to help ripen Pinot Noir well. This region is an important source of full flavoured, ripe Pinot Noir to blend into non-vintage blends.
What is the distribution of the different grape varieties over the region of Champagne?
The area covers 35000 ha of vineyard. Pinot Noir 38, Meunier 32 and Chardonnay 30. Chardonnay is increasingly planted because of demand from the large Champagne houses.
Some other varieties are allowed: Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Fromenteau. These are used to blend
What can you tell me about Meunier growing in the Champagne?
It is a mutation of Pinot that has white hairs on its leaves ging it a floury appearance. It buds earley, but later than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Thus it is less prone to spring frosts in the cool Vallée de la Marne. It does well on heavier soils and as it ripens earlier it can be helpful in seasons where harvest is interrupted by rain. It is sensitive to botrytis.
The wines are typically fruity and it contributes softness to the Champagne blend. This is important for NV wines that are short-aged.
What is the management of planting in a Champagne vineyard?
Regulations specify a maximum inter-row spacing of 1,5m and intra-row of 0,9-1,5m, with total spacing never reaching more than 2,5m.
This produces an average planting desity of around 8000 vines/ha.
What are the approved training/pruning/trellising systems in the Champagne?
Regulated since 1938.
- Taille Chablis: 3-4 cordons with a spur up to 5 buds. Large proportion of permanent wood which can protect against frosts
- Cordon du Royat: Used for Pinot Noir and Meunier. Single cordon that is spur pruned, shoots are vertically positioned
- Guyot: VSP permitted in lesser-rated vineyards for all 3 varieties. Both single and double.
- Vallée de la Marne: similar to Guyot but with a higher nr of buds.
Average number of fruiting buds per vine for all these systems must not exceed 18 per square metre
What are hazards, pests and diseases in the Champagne area?
- severe winter frost
- spring frosts
- disruption to flowering and fruit set due to cold and rainy weather in June
- violent storms and hail in summer
- hot and humid weather in summer
Downy and powdery mildew, dagger nematode (fanleaf virus)
How is sustainable viticulture promoted in the Champagne?
The use of pesticides is reduced by sexual confusion. Soil protection methods has been put in place, such as management of groundwater on slopes and the increased use of cover cropping.
Also in the winery these practices are carried forward: water management schemes, recycling of waste and by-products. And a lighter wieght bottle for NV cuvées is introduced. The difference of 60gr leads to 8000 ton of reduced CO2
What can you tell about harvest in the Champagne?
The Comité Champagne is responsible for setting harvest dates and yields each year. They do that by taking grape samples from 450 control plots from the time of véraison and measuring the rate of colour change, the average weight, the sugar concentration and acidity and the incidence of botrytis. These findings determine the permitted yield and the required minimum alcohol by volume. Harvest date is set as start date. Growers can apply for an earlier harvest by the INAO.
Setting of yield is to protect the quality of the wine and protect the price of Champagne and regulates supply and demand.
In good vintages a proportion of the crop can become reserve wines. The upper limit of yields is controlled by EU law at 15500kg/ha. AOC regulations stipulate whole bunch pressing to hand harvesting is needed. Harvest generally takes 3 weeks and up to 100000 people each year.
What can you tell about pressing of the grapes in Champagne?
Whole bunches are pressed with a gradual increase of pressure to ensure high juice quality, low phenolics and to make white wine from black grapes. Traditionally 4000 kg (a marc) were loaded by hand into the basket press. But nowadays pneumatic and hydraulic horizontal presses are also used. Max yield is 79 hL/ha, but this can be raised to 98 hL/ha with the surplus put in reserve.
Juice is separated into fractions (max 2): Cuvée (free run) the first 2050 L (per 4000kg) and Taille, next 500 L.
Cuvée: rich in acids and produces wines with great finesse and long ageing potential.
Taille: lower acidity but richer in colouring pigments and phenolics, can be useful in blends helping to produce wines that are more expressive in youth.
In NV is a higher proportion of taille.
Chaptalisation is permitted if sugar levels is not high enough (to 11% abv)
What about MLF in Champagne?
It is often encouraged to reduce and soften the acidity of the final wine.
What can you tell about blending in Champagne?
The aim is to produce a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is particular critical for NV to achieve constant style. And also the use of reserve wines gives the winemaker a chance to make a particular style of Champagne.
Most reserve wines are kept reductively in stainless steel, others choose to age reserve wine in old oak that can add mildly oxidative notes or ageing wine in magnums (Bollinger).
Rosé is also blended at this stage.
What happens at second fermentation and maturation in the Champagne?
Liqueur de tirage is added.
Lees ageing is most important for Champagne. The toasty, brioche characters develop through yeast autolysis. Brioche can be stronger in Champagne than in warmer climates due to the lower intensity of primary fruit.
NV: minimum of 15 months of maturation of which 12 on lees. Vintage also 12 months on lees, but only release 36 months after tirage. In practice much longer on the lees.
Sweetness of champagne is determined by the amount of sugar in the liqueur d’expedition.
What can you tell about the quality hierarchy in Champagne?
Early 20th century there was échelle des crus to establish grape prices. 17 grand cru villages were rated 100%, 42 premier cru villages 90-99% an d257 other villages 80-89%.
This system ended under EU, but grapes for premier and grand cru villages are still the most expensive. Today the price is determent by the market with the biggest buyer Moët&Chandon.
What can you tell about the structure of the industry?
There are 16000 growers (with 90% of the vineyards) and 340 Champagne houses.
NM: Négociant Manipulant: buy grapes, must or wine to make champagne on their own premises and market it under their own label.
RM: Récoltant Manipulant: grower-producer
CM: Coopérative de manipulation: co-operatives
e.g. LVMH (Moët&Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Mercier, Veuve Cliquot, Ruinart, Krug). Vranken Pommery Monopole (Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsieck, Charles Lafitte, Bissinger)
Top 5 of these groupings account for two-thirds of all sales by value.
How about the sales in Champagne?
Half domestic, half export (2018: 302 Million bottles)
- Houses have biggest sales and are strongest in exports (73% all sales, 87% exports)
- From co-operatives half/half
- Growers sell most of their wine domestically
What can you tell about the demand for Champagne?
Half of sales is domestic, with cheap champagne sold in supermarkets. However percentage of cheap wine is dropping en percentage of wine over 20E has risen.
Main export is UK, USA, Japan, Germany and Belgium. Highest price per bottle is in USA and Japan, UK biggest market per volume and lowest average per bottle price.
Champagne has been repositioning itself away from the volume market in the light of the growth of mid-priced sparkling wine, especially Prosecco.
Tell me about cost of production in relation to price sought in Champagne?
Prices for grapes are high (6,10/kg with 1,2 kg needed to produce one 75cl bottle).
Vintage is more expensive to produce (cannot be sold for 3 years). Rosé is marginally more expensive to produce because red wine is required (this is more expensive to produce).
Use of oak is likely to increase costs.
How is the route to market for Champagne?
Price of the bottle is 50% grapes, 30% total production cost and 20% commercialisation.
Many major brands are part of conglomerates that have the distribution system in place to support several brands.
What are new products and trends in Champagne?
- Brut nature and Extra Brut have gained ground
- Demi-sec for use over ice and in cocktails
- Rosé champagne increased in demand
- Single vineyard Champagne
- More grower champagnes e.g. Domaine Jacques Selosse (CdBlancs), Champagne Jacquesson (Montage des Reims) and Champagne Drappier (CdBar)
What are the common features for all the Crémant wines?
- whole bunch pressing (hand harvesting)
- max yield 100L per 150 kg grapes
- min 9 months ageing on lees
- min 12 months maturation
- max 13% abv
- min 4 bar pressure
What can you tell in general about Crémant d’Alsace?
It accounts for 25% of total production of wine in the region. 500 producers make Crémant, often alongside their still wine production. Most important variety used is Pinot Blanc
This gives medium intensity apple and pear fruit with biscuit-like autolytic notes, medium+ to high acidity and a light to medium body. Most wines are Brut
How is the climate in the Alsace for the Crémants?
The vineyards are mostly on the eastern flanks of the Vosges foothills at elevation ranging from 200-400m. The Vosges protect from prevailing westerly winds en thus the climate is sunny continental. Dry and hot during growing season, though rain at harvest can be a problem. Shortage of water can be a problem as irrigation is not permitted. Grape ripening progressess with hot days and cool nights giving flavour ripeness while retaining acidity. Spring frost can be a problem
What sites are selected for Crémant d’Alsace?
Not on the best sites as these are reserved for premium still Riesling. Pinot Blanc is usually at lower level elevations and some cooler sites in the higher valleys.
What grape varieties are used for Crémant d’Alsace?
Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonney, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Pinot Blanc (main ingredient) is early budding (vulnerable for spring frosts) and prone to fungal diseases. Early ripening. It contributes pear and apple and high acidity. Only for Crémant is in Alsace Chardonnay permitted. Crémant d'Alsace Rosé can only be made from Pinot Noir. These wines can be of very good quality with medium to medium+ flavour intensity of red-berried fruit.
What can you tell about vineyard management for Crémant d’Alsace?
The vines are pruned to a greater crop load than for still wine. Max yield is 80 hL/ha. Growers must declare in July that they are going to make Crémant from particular vineyards. Harvest is early and by hand.
What can you tell about winemaking for Crémant d’Alscace?
Must is often chaptalised and follows standard procedure for traditional method. Typically made from single vintage grapes. Vast majority is Brut with dosage levels of 8-10 gr/L
Rosé wines are made by maceration on the skins for 12-24 hours.
What can you tell about wine law in Alsace?
- grape varieties (Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonney, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir)
- max yield: 80 hL/ha
- Time on lees: 12 months
What can you tell about wine business in Alsace?
Production is divided between co-operatives (43%), merchant houses (37%) and independent growers (20%). Largest company is the co-operative Maison Bestheim, it now makes wine sparkling and still from the fruit of nearly 1400 ha. The company owns half of these vineyards and the other half is owned by 450 growers. Other significant producers are Valentin Zusslin and Muré.
80% of sales is domestic
What are new products or trends in Cremant d’Alsace?
Crémant d’Alsace Emotion: Prestige category (2012) to create a top-quality category. It requires 75% Pinot Blanc, Chardonny and Pinot Noir, seperately or together and a minimum of 24 months on lees.
Domaine Jean-Claude Buecher makes very good wines, the new category has not proved popular
What can you tell in general about Crémant de Bourgogne?
Sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It accounts for 10% of wine production in Burgundy.
Most wines are white in a Burt style with medium+ to high acidity. The medium intensity fruit ranges from apple and lemon (cooler areas) to apricot (warmer areas), with brioche autolytic notes. In addition to the standard white sparkling wines, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and rosé are made.
How is the climate in the Bourgogne for the Crémants?
Because of the size of the region there is a range of climates. The northern areas have a cool climate, vines need to face south or south-east to gain maximum warmth and light. These areas produce wines with high acidity and a light body.
The central area has the most continental climate with low, sometimes freezing winter temperatures and drier sunny summers, producing wine with just ripe fruit and high acidity.
The southern area has a Mediterranean influence with high summer temperatures, producing wine with riper fruit character and lower acidity.
Hail, spring frosts, fungal disease and esca can be a problem. Max yield is 75 hL/ha, growers have declare Crémant grapes by the end of march.
What sites are selected for Crémant de Bourgogne?
The main sources of grapes for Crémant are
- Mâconnais (chardonnay- Côte Chalonnaise)
- Beaujolais
- Areas around Chablis
- Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Nuits
- flatland vineyard on the Côte d’Or
In general, these areas are the cooler and/or the cheaper vineyard areas in the Burgundy appellation
What grape varieties are used for Crémant de Bourgogne?
Gamay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon.
Mostly used are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
What can you tell about winemaking for Crémant de Bourgogne?
MLF is optional.
For CdB Blanc, the blend must be a minimum of 30% Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc (alone or in a blend). Max permitted amount of Gamay in a blend is 20%
For CdB Blanc de Blancs, Chardonnay and other white varieties are allowed, whereas for CdB Blanc de Noirs, only Pinot Noir is permitted. Rosé is similar dominantly Pinot Noir, but a small amount of Gamay is allowed to help with the colour
What can you tell about wine law in Bourgogne?
- grape varieties (Gamay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon)
- max yield: 75 hL/ha
- Time on lees: ??
What can you tell about wine business in Bourgogne?
68% of CdB is made by merchant houses, around 30% by co-operatives and 2% by independent winemakers
The biggest volumes are marketed by the négociants and co-operatives with the top 10 companies being responsible for 90% of volume. Significant producers include Veuve Ambal, Jean Charles Boisset an Louis Bouillot.
Export (40%) to USA, Sweden but also to UK, Belgium and Germany.
What are new products or trends in Cremant de Bourgogne?
Crémant de Bourgogne Eminent: additional lees-ageing requirement of 24 months minimum
Crémant de Bourgogne Grand Eminent:
- for whites: PN and Chardonnay only
- for Rosé: 20% Gamay is allowd
- Vintage is optional, but commonly used
- Minimum of 36 months lees-ageing and 3 months bottle agein before release
- Brut destination only
What can you tell in general about sparkling wine from the Loire?
There are 7 appellations, 3 to know: Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray and sparkling Saumur. Total sparkling wines account for about 13% of Loire wines. About 90% of CdL is white, in general the Chenin-Blanc dominant wines have medium intensity apple and citrus flavours with light toasty autolytic notes. Wines with 2-3 years of age can develop honeyed aromas. Wines have high acidity. Most wines are Brut in style, but Demi-Sec is also made.
What can you tell in general about Crémant de Loire?
There are about 500 producers of CdL with an annual production of 112000hL. Fruit for CdL is grown in the middle Loire districts of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine only. This is about a 200km stretch of river Loire and its tributaries, Which help to moderate the temperature. Within this area, the zone south and south-west of Saumur is the source of most of the fruit for CdL
How is the climate in the Loire for the Crémants?
The Atlantic Ocean extends its cool, mild influence to just east of Tours, in the centre of Touraine. This covers most of the area delimited by the CdL appellation. THe cool climate helps to produce grapes with low potential alcohol and high acidity levels, perfect for the base wines used in sparkling wine production. However, fungal diseases and untimely rain (during flowering, fruit set or harvest) can be a problem.
What sites are selected for Crémant de Loire? and what are the soil types?
There is a wide range of soils, including clay-limestone, flint-clay, sand, gravel and tuff. More schist and limestone in Anjou and more chalk in Touraine.
Overall, good drainage and water retention of limestone elements. The tuff has been excavated for castles, leaving perfect caves for maturation.
Sites are often less well-exposed sites with a higher proportion of clay. Specific rootstocks are used to protect vines from chlorosis.
What grape varieties are used for Crémant de Loire??
Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau Noir and Gris, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A max of 30% Cabernet Sauvignong and Pineau d’Aunis is allowed in the blend. Sauvignon Blanc is not allowed.
Voines are pruned to a greater crop load, max yield is 74hL/ha. In July producers declare to make Crémant.
What can you tell about winemaking for Crémant de Loire??
Juice with low level is produced with a pneumatic press. Base wines are typically fermented in stainless steel, however top cuvées can be fermented in oak. MLF is optional.
Wines from different areas within the CdL appellation may be blended before second fermentation in the bottle. Time one lees varies from min 9 months to up to 2 years. Use of reserve wines is not typical in mid-priced wines but more common in premium wines
What can you tell about wine law in the Loire?
Grape varieties: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau Noir and Gris, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Max yield: 74 hL/ha
Time on lees: min 9 months
