Other France sparkling Flashcards
Lees ageing for all Cremant
9 months
Harvest/pressing for all Cremant?
Hand harvest, whole bunch pressing
Max abv for all Cremant
13%
Minimum pressure for all Cremant
four atmospheres
Min ageing for all Cremant? (between tirage and release)
12 mths
including 9 mths lees
Largest Cremant producer
Alsace
Largest traditional method France producer (region as a whole)
Loire
Cremant + Saumur + Vouvray
Cremant d’Alsace what % of overall Alsace production?
25%
Area under vine for Cremant d’Alsace getting bigger or smaller?
Bigger. Grown by 15% in last 10 years, to 3,600 ha.
Increased demand for sparkling
Most important variety for Crem d’Alsace?
Pinot Blanc
Typical Crem d’Alsace (Pinot Blanc) style?
Medium apple pear biscuit
Medium (+) to high acid
Light to medium body
Brut
Climate for Crem d’Alsace
Sunny and continental Dry and hot during growing season Rain at harvest Hot days and cool nights Flavour ripeness while retain aicd
Altitutde Cremant d’Alsace
200-400m
Vosges foothills
Crem d’Alsace spring frost: why more of a problem recently?
Warmer and earlier springs = early bud break
Vines more vulnerable to spring frost and reduced yields
Best sites in Alsace used for…
Riesling and other noble varieties (still wine)
Pinot Blanc for Crem d’Alsace grown where?
Range of sites
Lower level elevation (high fertility = not suited to premium still wines)
Cooler sites in higher valleys (grapes for still wine would struggle to ripen)
Pinot Blanc planted in Munster Valley (Crem d’Alsace)
Cool airflows of valley retain acidity in the grapes
Grapes for Crem d’Alsace (6)
Pinot Blanc Auxerrois Chardonnay Riesling Pinot Gris Pinot Noir
Pinot Blanc what % of Crem d’Alsace vineyard?
20%
PB and Auxerrois are combined in data; mostly PB
Pinot Blanc
Early bud (spring frost) Fungal disease Early ripen (+ early picking for sparkling = v. early harvest)
Why is it a + to pick Pinot Blanc early in Crem d’Alsace?
Helps wineries that handle full range of Alsace varieties
Spread out harvest and grape reception
Pinot Blanc contributes what to Crem d’Alsace?
High acidity
Pear and apple aromas
Gewurtztraminer and Muscat allowed in Crem d’Alsace?
No
Riesling allowed but not used much
Chardonnay allowed in Crem d’Alsace?
Yes. 1% of planting
Crem d’Alsace rosé from what grape?
Pinot Noir only
Very good, medium to medium (+) red berry fruit
Max yield in Crem d’Alsace?
80hl/ha
higher than for still wine = dont need concentration of flavours
When do growers declare intent to make Cremant d’Alsace?
Must declare in July that they are going to make Crem from particular vineyards
Harvest dates Crem d’Alsace?
Early
Last days of August, first part of September
Just-ripe fruit, high acidity
Hand or marchine harvest in Crem d’Alace?
Hand only
Whole-bunch pressing is mandatory (high quality juice with low phenolic content)
Chaptalisation in Crem d’Alsace?
Common. potential alcohol is low
Are reserve wines common in Crem d’Alsace?
No
Usually grapes from single vintage only
Length of time on lees for Crem d’Alsace?
Relatively short
12 months or so
(mostly primary fruit in wine)
Cave de Turckheim (Alsace) lees ageing?
Long
Two years for most inexpensive sparkling wine
Biscuit autolytic notes, complex
Sweetness level for Crem d’Alsace
Brut mosly
8-10gl
Sugar balance high acid
How is rosé Crem d’Alsace made?
Macerate on skins 12-24 hrs (Pinot Noir only)
Braekdown of Crem d’Alsace market by produce rtype
Co-ops eg Cave de Turckheim (43%)
Merchant houses eg Maison Bestheim (37%)
Growers eg Famille Kreydenweiss (20%)
Largest single company making Crem d’Alsace?
Maison Bestheim
other significant producers: Valentin Zusslin, Muré
Crem d’Alsace mostly domestic or export?
80% domestic