Grape Varieties Flashcards
What was the trend with regards to planting practices up until the late 19th century in Champagne?
Traditional planting practices favoured a wide mix of vines.
Three main grape varieties used in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Meunier
The three main grape varieties used in Champagne account respectively for which percentage of the area under vine?
Pinot Noir: 38%
Chardonnay: 31%
Meunier: 31%
Pinot Noir is dominant in which 2 regions?
Montagne de Reims
Côte des Bar
Why is Pinot Noir called “Précoce”?
It is called “Précoce” as it ripens early.
On what type of soil does Pinot Noir thrives?
It thrives on cool, chalky soil.
What does Pinot Noir contributes in terms of quality to the Champagne blend?
It endows Champagne wines with body, punch and structure, as well as distinctive aromas of red fruits and flowers (rose, violet).
Chardonnay is the star grape variety in which region of Champagne?
It is the star grape variety in Côte des Blancs.
To which terroir is Chardonnay particularly well-suited?
It is particularly well-suited to terroirs which lie on an outcrop of chalk.
What does Chardonnay contributes in terms of quality to the Champagne blend?
It brings a wonderful freshness to Champagne. Chardonnay yields delicately fragrant wines with floral, citrus and sometimes mineral notes. It is an ideal grape for producing wines that age well.
Why is Meunier particularly well-suited to the Vallée de la Marne region?
This hardy varietal is less susceptible to frost than the other two as it buds later. It is therefore compatible with soils that contain more clay, such as in the Marne Valley, and with harsher climatic conditions.
Where does Meunier gets its name from?
It gets its name (which means flour miller/une personne qui exploite un moulin, une machine à moudre un grain pour en faire de la farine) from the powdery white appearance of its leaves and buds at the start of vegetation.
What does Chardonnay contributes in terms of quality to the Champagne blend?
It adds roundness to Champagne wines. It produces supple, fruity wines with distinctive aromas of yellow fruits which tend to age more quickly than wines made from the other two grape varieties.
