France Flashcards
What is the typical tasting profile of Champagne?
medium intensity apple and lemon
biscuit autolytic
high acid
medium alcohol
What is NV?
non-vintage - applied to champagne
What defines a Champagne vintage?
100% of grapes must come from the year indicated
What are the French terms for blending, or short maceration rosé?
Rosé d’assemblage
Rosé de saignée
What defines a Grand Cru Champagne?
All the grapes must have been grown in Grand Cru villages
What defines a Premier Cru Champagne?
All the grapes must have been grown in either Premier Cru or Grand Cru villages
What is the climate of Champagne?
Cool continental
Annual rainfall is 700mm
11°C average annual temperature
How do soils impact the wines in Champagne?
It is largely chalky, which is believed important to the best quality Chardonnay grapes. Chalk is porous and stores water for dry periods, without water logging vines planted on slopes
How does the Côte des Bar contribute to Champagne wine overall?
Steep, stoney limestone has excellent drainage. Provides the majority of ripe, full flavoured Pinot Noir.
Much is bought by merchants in northern Champagne to blend
What % of areas are planted by grape in Champagne?
38% Pinot Noir
32% Meunier
30% Chardonnay (increasing)
What grapes are dominant in NV Champagne?
Meunier contributes softness, important for wines matured for a short time and drunk on release
What planting regulations are there in Champane?
Results in planting density of about 8,000 plants/hectare:
rows are max 1.5m apart
Plants are 0.9m to 1.5m apart
Both dimensions must add to <2.5m
What training systems are most common in Champagne?
Taille Chablis:
- Chardonnay
- 3-5 cordons
- each cordon has 1 spur with =< 5 buds
- Benefit: permanent wood protects against frost
- spurs 0.6m above the ground for reflected heat
Cordon du Royat:
- black grapes
- single cordon with vertical positioned spurs
List Champagne weather hazards
occasional severe winter frost - kill vines
spring frosts kill buds and reduce yield
cold/rainy weather disrupt flowering and fruit set
Violent storms/ hail in summer damaging crops/vines
heavy rainfall, humid weather - encourage botrytis
What rules may the Comité Champagne implement annually?
Permitted yields (max 15,500 kilos/hectare)
Minimum potential alcohol
earliest harvest dates
Managing reserve stocks
Set out pressing requirements in Champagne
one basket press of 4,000kg
max yield is 79 hL/ha, up to 98 with surplus for reserves (set by the Comité)
Juice is limited to: 2,050l cuvée
500l taille
What are Champagne fractions used for?
Cuvée:
- high acid
- ageing potential
- finesse
Taille
- body
- phenolics/ colour
- expressive in youth
What chaptalisation is allowed in Champagne?
can chaptalise to minimum alcohol of 11%. Nothing higher that 13% in EU
What fermentation choices are typically made in Champagne?
Stainless steel vessels, with some producers using large oak foudres to increase texture
MLF is done in some cases, particularly in cooler years, but down to the producer
What blending approach is mostly unique to Champagne?
Blending reserve wines: brands may use from 10% reserve, up to 40% (for premium brands) to add depth
What is the typical Champagne maturation?
minimum of 15 months (incl 12 on the lees)
Vintage is typically 36 months
What are the three main business type acronyms you may find on Champagne?
NM: Négociant manipulant - buy grapes/must/wine to make and sell from own premises (most large brands)
RM: Récoltant manipulant - growers
CM: Coopérative de manipulant - use members grapes
What are the key Champagne markets?
UK, USA, Japan, Germany
What factors influence the cost to make Champagne?
Availability of grapes - typically €6 per kg
Cash flow - e.g. vintage being held for 3 years
Rosé uses expensive red base wine
Oak increases cost
Marketing could be 20% of the price
List some recent Champagne developments?
Growth in Brut Nature
Extra brut also growing
Moët launched a sweet champagne to be drunk on ice
Rosé has grown from 3% to 10%
Grower Champagnes growing….
What features are common to all crémant wines?
hand harvest and whole bunch press
max yield of 100l per 150kg grapes
min 9 months on lees after 2nd ferment
min 12 months ageing from liqueur de tirage
maximum 13% abc
minimum 4 atmospheres pressure
What are the growing considerations in Alsace?
Alsace:
- Sunny, continental
- Protected by Vosges mountain range
- no irrigation allowed
- Can rain at harvest (late Aug - early Sep)
- cool nights retain acid
- spring frost is an issue
- grapes for crémant are grown either in more fertile soils (high yield is ok), or high altitude where grapes for still wine struggle to ripen
What regulatory considerations are there for Alscace Crémant?
max yield is 80 hL/ha
must declare in July which vineyards will be used for Crémant
What winemaking choices/ considerations are typically made in Alsace?
Chaptalise if required
No reserve wines are blended - all one vintage
Lees is normally short - 12 months
Rosé by short maceration
Which is the largest producer of Crémant d’Alsace?
Maison Bestheim - a co-operative
What is the climate for Crémant de Bourgogne?
North - cool summers, need south/south east facing slopes, produce wines with high acid and light body
Central - continental, good fruit, but mostly goes into still wine
South - more Mediterreanean, high summer temperatures - ripe flavours and lower acidity
What are the typical winemaking choices for Crémant de Bourgogne?
MLF if producer decides
What is the maximum yield for Crémant producers?
max yield is 75 hL/ha Bourgogne
74 hL/ha for Loire
List key business factors in Crémant de Bourgogne
2/3rds of production is from merchant houses
smaller producers may use specialist producers to make their wine
What is the requirements for a Crémant de Bourgogne Grand Eminent?
Brut only
36 months on lees
Vintage is optional
Grape considerations (max 20% gamay, P. Noir and Chardonnay only others)
What is the distinction for Crémant de Loire vs. Saurmur or Vouvray?
Saumur and Vouvray must be from those regions, whereas Loire can be from anywhere in Anjou-Saumur or Touraine
What is the typical climate for Crémant de Loire?
Cool, due to Atlantic influence from west and the river Loire.
Fungal disease and untimely rain can be a problem
Use less exposed sites for sparkling
What are the soils in Loire?
Mix - overall lots of water retention yet good drainage of limestone. Schist/limestone in Anjou, Chalk in Touraine
Use lime resistant rootstock
What is the permitted yield for Crémant de Loire?
74 hL/ha
