Detail Flashcards
What is the method of making champagne called?
Method Champenoise
Who was Dom Perignon?
Celler master at Abbey of Hautviller from 1668-1715.
Did not invent Champagne
Contributed to the modern champagne process and assemblage.
Tried to Eliminate the probablity of refermentation.
What is Mousseaux?
Sparkling or Effervescent
What terminology started due to the unpredictablity of sparkling wine in its early years, is still in use today?
- Petillant
- Demi-Mousseaux
- Grand-Mousseaux
All define the level of effervescence used today in other sparkling wine regions outside of champagne.
What is oldest champagne house still in use today?
Gosset (1584) however they began with still wine.
Ruinart dates back to 1729 in champagne production.
Who is the widow Cliquot? What did she pioneer in champagne?
Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin
Process of riddling (remuage) and Degorgement
Who was the process of chaptalization named for?
Jean-Anotonie Chaptal. He indentified the relationship between sugar and fermentation in 1801.
How did Madame Ponsardin and Jean Antonie Chaptal’s discoveries lead to our modern champage?
The riddling and disgorgement allowed for the removal of yeasts to control the second; and understanding of sugar + yeast in fermentation led to precise dosage to create bottle pressure to make bubbles without causing bottles to explode.
Who produced the first Brut champagne?
Pommery 1874
Who is the mediator between champagne houses and the growers?
CIVC
Comite Interprofessional du vin de Champagne
Soil of Champagne?
Belemnite chalk
Absorbs and retains heat to protect vines from the cold nights, also excellent drainage
What is another great aspect of the chalk soils of champagne?
Easy to dig elaborate tunnels and caves for storing wine. Provides a perfect storage environment of 53-54f for millions of bottles
Dominant soil type in Aube, to the south in Champagne?
Clay
What is the % breakdown of champagne’s three grapes?
Chardonnay : 30%
Pinot Meunier: 32 %
Pinot Noir: 38%
4 other varietals are allowed in Champagne AOP; but hardly found?
Pinot Blanc Vrai
Arbane
Pinot Gris
Petit Meslier
What are the four prunning methods in Champagne?
- Cordon de Royat (Pinot Noir)
- Taille Chablis (Chardonnay)
- Valle de la Marne
- Guyot
What is a marc of grapes in Champagne?
A traditional basket press holding 4,000 kgs.
The must limit is no more than 2,550 liters per marc- to prevent over pressing and extracting bitterness.
How many villages are permitted to grow grapes for champagne?
357 (increased from 319 in 2009 to meet amrekt demand)
The five districts of Champagne?
- Montage de Reims
- Valle de la Marne
- Cote de Blanc
- Cote de Sezzane
- Cote des Bars (The Aube)
Pinot Noir dominated districts?
Montage de Reims & Cote des Bars (the Aube)
Chardonnay dominated districts?
Cote de Sezanne and Cote des Blancs
Pinot Meunier dominated champagne?
Valle de La Marne - frost prone district- the grape buds late and ripens early
Vieyard orientation of Champagne.
South and North facing slopes.
What is the cru ranking system in Champagne? How many Grand and Premier Crus?
Echelle de Crus - status is awarded to the enitre village, not just individual vinyards or properties.
17 Grand Crus
42 Premier Crus
What is blocage and Deblocage?
The RESERVE and RELEASE of wine stocks for future use - regulated by CIVC in Champagne. Safeguards the quality from vintage to vintage in Champagne.
How does the Echelle de Crus work?
A percentile rating (minimum of 80%). Only those rated 100% are grand cru ad 90-99% premier crus.
What are the 2 villages with 99% rating?
Mereuil-sur-Ay in Valle de la Marne
Tauxieres in Montagne de Reims
What did the Echelle % originally set?
The % price (set by CIVC) paid for Grapes. A Grand cru vineyard would recieve 100% of the price. All other vineyards would recieve their designated %.
What is the set of initails followed by a number on a champagne bottle?
The Matriculation Number.
It is set by the CIVC: a code assigned to each producer, preceded by a set of initials that denote the type of producer.
What is an NM Champagne producer?
Negociant Manipulant.
A house that purchases grapes and or base wine from growers and smaller houses. Some of these may own a significant number of vineyards, others none at all. Large hoses with most international presence are in this category.
Manipulant = handling.
What is an RM producer?
Recoltant Manipulant : Grower-producer. Champagne made from Estate grown fruit. 95 % must originate from their own vineyards.
What is a CM producer?
Cooperative Manipulant. A growers coopoerative that produces the wine under a single brand. Growers don’t sell, they work to produce one label.
What is an RC producer?
Recolant Cooperateaur: A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label.
What is an SR producer?
Societe de Recolants: A firm (not cooperative) set up by a union, usually of related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands.
What is an ND producer?
Negociant Distributeur: The middleman company that distributed Champage it does not make
What is an MA producer?
Marque D’Acheteur. “Buyer’s own brand” often large supermarket or restaurat chain purchases champagne and sells under its own label.
What is the vin de cuvee in Champagne?
The first 2,050 liters of the press (Pressed from the 4000 kg marc)
*only 2,550 liters may be pressed from the 4000 kg marc
What is the vine de taille?
The last 500 liters of the press
What is usually done with vin de taille?
Lesser quality component; usually richer in pigment color and is often sold off - sometimes used as a structural eleement in a blend.
What is the third extraction of the pressing of Champagne?
Rebeche - required by law and must comprise 1-10% of the total. Used for distillate - not allowed to be added in Champagne.
What is the setting, usually 8-15 hours, of the grape must after pressing in Champagne called?
Debourbage