France: Champagne Flashcards
What are the 3 main grape varietals used to make Champagne?
Chardonnay (white) Pinot Noir (red) Meunier (red)
On what parallel is the Champagne region located?
49th parallel
What are the soils of Champagne?
Chalk, limestone
Soil is belemnite chalk (fossilized
cephalopods) and has a high limestone
content (more limestone=more natural
acidity). Micraster chalk (fossilized sea urchin)
characterizes the younger soils. The top layer
is clay and sand, with more clay (the preferred
soil of Pinot Noir) to the south.
What 2 benefits do Champagne winegrowers have with their limestone and chalk soils?
They’re permeable with good drainage; roots can grow quite deep;
They retain a fairly constant temperature throughout the year
Are most champagnes bottled as single varietals or as blends?
Why?
Blends
Weather in Champagne varies greatly from vintage to vintage, and the region’s northerly latitude makes it difficult to ripen grapes consistently. In order to produce a harmonious Champagne from year to year, blending is prioritized.
What are synonyms for méthode champenoise?
Méthode classique term used for wines made outside the Champagne region but are made the same way as champagne Classic method Traditional method Méthode Traditionelle
What is the 1st step in making Méthode Champenoise?
Making the base wine.
grapes pressed quickly to avoid skin contact and oxidation;
grape must go through primary fermentation resulting in a low alcohol, high acid, lightly colored wine. This is your base wine.
What is the 2nd step of making Méthode Champenoise (after creating the base wine)?
Blending, aka assemblage
once the base wine is made, the winemaker will blend the different base wines (different vintages, villages, etc.)
What step in Méthode Champenoise comes after blending?
Secondary fermentation
the blended base wine is bottled with liqueur de tirage (a mixture of yeast + sugar);
the tirage ignites the secondary fermentation (because the yeasts will eat the sugar, creating CO2 and alcohol);
bottle gets a crown cap (bottle cap), is laid on its side, and secondary fermentation begins;
the CO2 created by the tirage is trapped and dissolves in the wine.
What are the 2 things tirage creates?
CO2
(a little bit of) Alcohol
What step in Méthode Champenoise comes after tirage?
Aging on the lees
As the yeast cells from the tirage expire, they settle onto the bottom of the bottle;
The wine rests on these expired yeast cells, called lees, for at least 12 months.
What is autolysis?
A process when yeasts decompose;
These dead yeast cells release proteins and flavor compounds redolent of bread;
This sur lie aging will create flavors of biscuit, brioche, and toast.
Champagne must spend a minimum of __ months aging sur lie and at least __ months of total aging prior to release.
12 mos sur lie
15 mos aging prior to release
What is the name of the process that moves lees from bottle to neck post aging?
Riddling
it’s the first part of the process of removing the spent lees
What is the French term for riddling?
Remuage
Describe the process of riddling.
Each bottle is turned about 45º every day to gently cajole the lees into the neck of the bottle;
Riddling is done until the bottle is standing upside down and all less have settled into the bottle’s neck.
Is riddling done by hand or machine?
Riddling can be done by hand OR machine: gyropallete or pupitre
How many bottles does a gyropalette hold? How long does it take?
It holds 504 bottles and it takes 8 days
