Other Trad & Alsace Flashcards
OTHER TRADITIONAL METHOD SPARKING WINE
term used for sparking wine outside champagne?
Cremant- before 1985 term referred to semi sparkling style w/in CHMP
When EU banned Methode champenoise as a description of traditional method Cremant was used exclusively
OTHER TRADITIONAL METHOD SPARKING WINE
Cremant Appellations
there are 8 ___ the largest are Alsace, Bourgone and Loire
AOC Saumur
AOC Vouvray
permitted grapes reflect the region
OTHER TRADITIONAL METHOD SPARKING WINE
feature for all the Crémant wines?
- whole bunch pressing – hand harvest
- max yield at pressing 100 L per 150KG of grapes
- min 9 mth age on lees during 2nd ferm in bottle
- min 12 mth maturation between triage and release (which includes the 9th age on lees)
- max 13% ABV when finished
- min 4 Atmospheres pressure
OTHER TRADITIONAL METHOD SPARKING WINE
2018 production, hectoliters?
Cremant d’Alsace
statistics of the wine region?
sparking accounts for 25% of total production
500 producers make Crémant along side other wines
Crémant has grown 15% over last 10 years
Pinot Blanc most important base wine – apple/ pear fruits with biscut like autolytic notes med+ to h acidity, light to med body, Brut
CREMANT D’ALSACE -Climate
describe the prevailing climate here
-Eastern flanks of Vosges foothills at elevation 200-400m
Vosges protect from prevailing westerly winds
-sunny continental -hot days, cool nights
retaining high acidity good for sparking wines
CREMANT D’ALSACE- Climate
note hazards due to climate?
rain at the wrong time
-at harvest problem
Shortage of water during season and there is no irrigation
spring frost -has become worse in recent years e/ warmer and earlier spring resulting in bud break then turn cold
-vulnerable flowers/ fruit set
CREMANT D’ALSACE- Site location
best sites are reserved for Riesling and other noble grapes
-Pinot Blanc is on a range of sites usually lower elevation where cooler where still wine would struggle
Munster valley – where cool airflow retain acidity
CREMANT D’ALSACE- grape varieties
Pinot blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir
-mostly low aromatic varieties good for traditional method
Pinot Blanc =20% total Alsace vineyards
CREMANT D’ALSACE- grape varieties
describe Pinot Blanc?
early budding -vulnerable to spring frost
prone to fungal disease
early picking for sparking wines
contributes pear and apple and acidity to crémant
-inexpensive
CREMANT D’ALSACE- Grape Varieties
notes of other grapes (not PB) for sparking wines?
Gewurzt and Muscat not permitted for sparking
Riesling is allowed but mostly used as still wine
Pinot Gris is used to raise the quality
Chardonnay is used but planting is only 1%
Pinot Noir is used for Rose
CREMANT D’ALSACE- vineyard management
pruned to a greater crop load than for still wine
base wine does not need high concentration of flavors
Max yields 80 hL/ ha, very similar to champagne
Growers declare in July going to make Cremant from vineyard
harvest is last days of August- Sep just ripe is goal
hand harvest, whole bunch, low phenolic content
CREMANT D’ALSACE- Winemaking
Chaptalization is allowed- potential ABV is low
typically sparking is single vintage, no reserve
typically about 12 mths on lees -resulting in primary fruit
better produces increase time up to 2 years
Cave de Turckheim
result biscuit autolytic and more complex
brut, dosage 8-10g/L, sugar balance high acid
rose made on skins for 12-24 hours for color
CREMANT D’ALSACE – Wine Business
describe the types of producers found here?
Co-ops 43%
Merchants 37%
Independent growers 20%
CREMANT D’ALSACE- Wine business
Maison Bestheim
largest single Co op
pioneers of Crement d’Alsace
through M&A now makes sparking and still from fruit of nearly 1,400 H
Co owns half of these vineyards
450 growers own the other half of vineyards
Valentin Zusslin and Mure are other important producers
