Method Champenoise

Question 1

Where does the Method Champenoise begin?

Answer 1

The Method Champenoise begins in the press house. Black grapes must be pressed especially quickly after harvest, lest they color the must.

Question 2

What is the extraction of juice limited to?

Answer 2

Extraction is limited to 102 liters per 160 kg of grapes or 2,550 liters per 4,000 kg.

Question 3

How is the extracted juice divided?

Answer 3

The extracted juice is divided into the
- Vin de Cuvee = the first 2,050 liters, and the
- Vin de Taille = the following 500 liters.

Question 4

Describe what the Vin de Taille is.

Answer 4

Typically richer in pigment and tannin, many producers sell off this lesser component of the must or include it in a minor proportion as a structural component.

Question 5

Describe what Rebeche is.

Answer 5

Required by law, must comprise 1-10% of the total. The Rebeche is used for distillate, not Champagne.

Question 6

Describe what Debourbage is.

Answer 6

The juice is allowed to settle at a cool temperature eight to fifteen hours, so that remaining solids ( bourbes ) in the must can be removed by racking prior to fermentation.

Question 7

Vins Clairs - is the step after Debourbage, describe what happens.

Answer 7

After Debourbage, the must, which is often chapitalized, will undergo primary fermentation, resulting in a high-acid base wines ( Vins Clairs ) with an approximate alcohol content of 11%.

Question 8

What type of vessel is typically used for Primary Fermentation?

Answer 8

Primary Fermentation - may occur in either stainless steel or oak ( typically used barrels, some producers do use a percentage of new oak).

Question 9

How does MLF ( malolactic fermentation ) play a part in the Method Champenoise?

Answer 9

Base wines often undergo MLF, although this is not a universal practice.

Question 10

What typically happens after Primary and MLF Fermentations?

Answer 10

Base wines will generally be clarified, through fining, filtering or centrifuge.

Question 11

What happens after the base wines have been clarified?

Answer 11

The base wines remain in either stainless steel or barrel (in rare cases bottles) - until late February or March of the year following the harvest.

Question 12

Describe what the blending process entails.

Answer 12

Typically the ‘Blender’ will utilize a number of grapes/growing regions/vintages. The Blender will taste the lots of base wine. The house’s hallmark blend/taste profile is determined. Reserve stocks are utilized to provide complexity and richness.

Question 13

What happens in the blending process for Rosé Champagne?

Answer 13

Typically a small proportion of base red wine is added.

Question 14

What happens after assemblage/blending and cold stabilization?

Answer 14

The blend is racked and bottled with the ‘Liquor de Tirage.’

Question 15

Describe ‘Liquer de Tirage.’

Answer 15

Liquer de Tirage - A mix of still wine, yeasts, sugar and fining agents - which ignite the second fermentation.

Question 16

What else is ‘The Heart of the Method Champenoise’ referred to as?

Answer 16

Prise de Mousse = The Heart of the Method Champenoise =The Second Fermentation.

Question 17

During the Second Fermentation what is the bottle closed with?

Answer 17

Each bottle is fixed with crown cap. The crown cap is equipped with a, BIDULE = A plastic capsule that will serve to capture the sediment during REMUAGE.

Question 18

What is Remuage?

Answer 18

Remuage - Periodic turning or shaking of the wine to move sediment towards cork, or a cork after the liquor de tirage is added, and the yeast begins its work.

Question 19

Describe the time table of what happens during the Prise de Mousse.

Answer 19

The secondary fermentation lasts up to eight weeks, as the yeast slowly converts the sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol content rises approximately 1.2 - 1.3% carbon dioxide creates a pressure inside the bottle of five to six atmospheres.

Question 20

How are bottles of Champagne stored during the Secondary Fermentation process?

Answer 20

Sur Latte - horizontally

Question 21

During the Sur Latte/Prise de Mousse time period what happens with the dead yeast cells?

Answer 21

Autolysis happens, which is the breakdown of dead yeast cells, the cells form sediment or lees, for an appropriate period.

Question 22

For Non-Vintage wines what is the specified amount of time that the wine must sit on the lees?

Answer 22

For Non-Vintage Wines a minimum of 12 months is required - prior to removal through - Degorgement.

Question 23

What is Degorgement?

Answer 23

Sediment is first trapped in the neck of the bottle. *Historically producers performed an operation called -Pointage - Each bottle would be shaken to prevent sediment from sticking to sides of the bottle. However, with newer strains of yeast producers do not need to be concerned with sediment sticking and they usually proceed directly to Remuage.

Question 24

What is Remuage?

Answer 24

Remuage, also known as Riddling - The widow Clicquot invented the Pupitre -Two large wooden planks fastened together in an upright ‘A’ shape, with sixty angled holes cut into each plank of wood. The ‘Remuer’ The person who would fractionally turn and tilt each bottle over a period of about eight weeks, slowly inverting the bottles with the neck pointing downward = Sur Pointe

Question 25

What is a Gyropalette?

Answer 25

The modern Remuage operation, shortened to a week or less. A Spanish invention which holds 504 bottles.

Question 26

How many bottles does a Gyropalette hold?

Answer 26

504

Question 27

What happens after the Remuage operation is complete?

Answer 27

The bottles remain in the SUR POINTE (upside down vertical position) for a short period of time prior to degorgement.

Question 28

Notes on Degorgement?

Answer 28

Some houses will age their wine previous to degorgement in the “sur pointe” position for a number of years.

Question 29

Name a Champagne House and the bottling where the wine is only disgorged upon order.

Answer 29

Bollinger’s RD (RD = Récemment Dégorge) is kept ‘sur pointe’ for a number of years and only disgorged upon order.

Question 30

How is Modern Degorgement performed?

Answer 30

Degorgement à la Glace = The modern method involves dipping the neck of the bottle in a freezing brine solution. The bottle can then be turned up right. The force of the internal pressure will expel the semi-frozen sediment (and some wine).

Question 31

What is an older method of Degorgement?

Answer 31

Degorgement à la Volée - An older method, utilizes the same principle; however, without freezing the sediment excess wine is invariably lost.

Question 32

Describe ‘Liquer d’ Expedition’ and the role it plays in the final product.

Answer 32

The dosage is comprised of a liquid mixture of sugar syrup and wine. Rarely, bone-dry non-dosage styles are produced. The amount of sugar in the dosage determines the style. Brut is the most common.

Question 33

What is the final step in the Method Champenoise?

Answer 33

The bottle is finally secured with a cork and six and a half twists of a muselet = wire cage. The Champagne is aged prior to release. Non-Vintage - must remain in cellar for a total minimum of 15 months (including lees aging). Vintage - Requires 36 months in the cellar.