Sparkling Flashcards
Chardonnay’s susceptibilities
Early budding so prone to spring frosts
Coulure and millerandage
More disease resistant that PN but still susceptible to powdery mildew, grapevine yellows and BBR
Pinot Noir susceptibility
Early budding so spring frosts
Coulure
Thin skinned so disease prone, especially downy mildew but also powdery, BBR, fan leaf and leafroll virus
Laccase’s effect on the wine
(Enzyme released by botrytis affected grapes)
Serious oxidation
Standard fermentation temperature for sparkling wines
14-20d celsius, typical to retain fruit but not too cold for the yeast
Liqueur de tirage contents
Wine +/ must, sugar, cultured yeasts, yeast nutrients and a clarifying agent eg bentonite +/ alginite (seaweed extract to facilitate riddling)
Amount of sucrose added in liqueur de tirage for fully spk wines
24g/L, = +1.5% alcohol
Conditions yeasts need to be able to withstand for 2nd fermentation
9.5-11% abv
Temps of around 16 degrees
pH values below 3
Later withstanding increasing pressure in the bottle
Temperature bottles are stored at for 2nd ferm
10-12 degrees
Maillard reaction
A process in which sugar in the liqueur d’Expedition reacts with compounds formed in yeast autolysis and causes the development of roasted, toasted vanilla aromas
Other names for tank method (3)
Cuve Close, Charmat and Martinotti
1st Fermentation temperature for tank method and why
16-18 degrees to retain fresh fruity and floral notes but avoids flavours associated with low fermentation temperatures
Diameter of cork before bottling for sparkling
31mm
Inside bottle neck diameter, and percentage it allows the cork to expand back to
18-21mm, to 60-70% original width
Dom Pierre Perignons contributions to Champagne
Produced first white wine from black grapes.
Invented the still widely used coquard press.
Blending wines from across the region to make a superior wine.
Thought to have introduced the cork stopper to France.
Pioneered the use of English glass.
19th century developments in Champagne
2nd fermentation in the bottle with measured yeast + sugar to produce a known pressure.
Madame Veuve developed riddling using pupitres.
These enabled disgorgement to be developed in the last quarter of the century resulting in a dry style of Champagne.
The year vineyard area and AOC of Champagne was set
1927
The other grapes of Champagne
Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau
No of villages in Echelle des Crus rating, and percentages
17 grand, 42 premier and 257 classic, rated 100%, 90-99% and 80-89% respectively
Common features for all Crémant (6)
Whole bunch pressing, and so hand harvesting.
Max yield pressing at 100L/150kg.
Minimum of 9 months lees ageing.
Minimum 12 months ageing between tirage and release.
Maximum 13%abv in final wine.
Minimum 4 atmospheres of pressure.
Cremant de Bourgogne Eminent AOC requirements
Minimum lees ageing of 24 months
Cremant de Bourgogne Grand Eminent AOC requirements
For whites, pinot noir and chardonnay only
For rose, max 20% Gamay
Vintage is optional but commonly used
Minimum 36 months on lees and further 3 months in bottle
Brut only
Varieties permitted in Cremant de Loire
Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau Noir and Gris, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Max 30% Cab Sauv and Pineau d’Aunis permitted.
Sauvignon Blanc is not allowed
Prestige de Loire
Launched in 2018 (with wines dating back to 2010) on the initiative of InterLoire.
The aim is to have wine sold at a minimum of €10 in France, across all sparkling categories.
Wines must be white only, made from Chenin, Cab Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, single or blended.
Must spend 24 months on the lees and state the vintage.
Must be Brut nature - Brut.
Producer must achieve sustainable viticulture within 5 years.
Saumur Mousseaux
Average annual production from 2014-2018 is 10.6m bottles from 1300ha
Minimum 60% Chenin Blanc and max 10% Sauvignon Blanc permitted.
Roses must be minimum 60% Cabernet Franc and max 10% Sauv B.
M. Harvest is permitted and more juice can be extracted (100L from 130kg) - cheaper - potential decrease in quality
Vouvray Mousseaux
Chenin must be dominant (can be 100%)
Orbius only other permitted variety, must be minority.
Avg production is 8.2m bottles from 1200ha
Production rules are broadly similar to Saumur.
Tiny production of Vouvray Petillant and increasing amounts of Pet Nat
Principal towns within Penedès
San Sadurní d’Anoia - in and around which principal Cava producers are located
Vilafranca del Penedès - the Consejo HQ is based here
Macabeo characteristics
Late budding, is picked first and is high yielding.
Susceptible to botrytis and bacterial blight.
Wines have light intensity apple and lemon.
Makes up 36% of registered Cava vineyards, typically planted at 100-300m in Penedes.
Xarel-lo characteristics
Mid budding (so prone to spring frosts some years) and mid ripening.
Susceptible to downy and powdery mildew but otherwise good disease resistance.
Wines have greengage and gooseberry notes with herbal, fennel tones. Can be earthy when overripe.
Has a reasonable affinity with oak.
Makes up 25% of vineyards and planted from sea level to 400m in Penedes
Paralleda characteristics
The lowest yielding and latest ripening of the 3.
Early budding so prone to spring frosts.
Susceptible to powdery mildew.
Makes up 20% of vineyards and typically planted at higher sites (500m in Penedes) as it requires long ripening season to reach flavour maturity without excessive alcohol.
Adds finesse and floral notes to a blend
The 4 seperate registers regarding Cava production process, and who its administered by
-Growers
-Producers of base wines
-Storekeepers of base wines
-Cava producers
Administed by the Consejo Regulador del Cava
Glera characteristics
Vigorous, semi-aromatic and capable of high yields
Susceptible to millerandage, powdery and downy mildew, drought in summer and grapevine yellows.
The first 2 buds dont bear much fruit so it has to be trained long, typically on vertically trellised systems with 8-12 buds.
Low-medium planting density is common (3000vines/ha) as a high vigour variety.
The 3 provinces Moscato Bianco can be grown for DOCGs
Asti, Alexandria and Cuneo
Moscato Bianco characteristics
Aromatic, early budding, mid ripening with a small berry size.
Prone to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot so requires careful canopy management.
Has a thin skin and due to its scent is attractive to bees, wasps and flying ants.
Susceptible to mites.
Recent clonal selection has sought to increase disease resistance, perfume and yields.
The 3 types of Asti promotes by the Consorzio
-Moscato d’Asti
-Asti Secco (off-dry style)
-Asti (can also be Asti Dolce, traditional style)
Defined for marketing purposes
The most important Lambrusco varieties
L Salamino, L Grasparossa and L di Sorbara
Lambrusco Salamino characteristics and DOC
Most widely planted.
Produces fragrant, deep coloured, full bodied wines with high acidity.
Most commonly blended with other varieties.
DOC is Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, requires minimum 85% of variety and max yield of 133hL/ha
Lambrusco Grasparossa characteristics and DOC
Does best on clay and silt, and the only variety to be grown mainly on hillsides.
Produces deep coloured, full bodied wines with medium (+) tannin.
The DOC is Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro. Requires minimum 85% of variety and a max yield of 126hL/ha
Lambrusco di Sorbara characteristics and DOC
Makes pale, lighter bodied wines with high acidity.
The DOC is Lambrusco di Sorbara and requires a minimum of 60% of this variety and a max yield of 126hL/ha
Other 2 Lambrusco DOCs and yields
1) Reggiano Lambrusco, or Reggiano DOC, in province of Reggio-Emilia. Max yields 126hL/ha
2) Lambrusco di Modena DOC, or Modena DOC, in province of Modena. Max yields 161hL/ha resulting in low fruit concentrations
Sweetness categories within Lambrusco frizzante
Secco/asciutto, Abboccato and Amabile.
Each encompasses a broader range
The 3 large producers that make about 1/3rd of all Franciacorta
Guido Berlucchi, Ca’ del Bosco and Bellavista
Perlwein sweetness categories
Trocken = up to 35g/L
Halbtrocken = 33-50g/L
Mild = 50g/L +
