Viticulture & Vinification Flashcards
What are the 4 pruning methods used in Champagne?
Chablis
Cordon
Guyot
Marne Valley
What is the practice of desuckering and why is it carried out?
Desuckering involves removing any non-fruitful shoots (also known as “suckers”). The aim is to encourage the vine to focus its energies on the main shoots which will bear the future precious clusters.
Harvesting method in Champagne?
Entirely done by hand across the region
Which 2 entities regulate the annual authorized harvest yield?
The Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) and the INAO (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité)
Type of pressing used in Champagne?
Whole clusters are pressed directly as carefully and gently as possible so as not to colour the juice through excessive contact time with the skins – unless, of course, the aim is to make a rosé wine using the maceration or saignée (bleeding off the juices) method.
Pressing is carried out in two stages. What are they?
The “cuvée” corresponds to the first pressing juice, and the “taille” the second. Each has its own distinct characteristics and will therefore be used to make different types of wine.
What is the traditional unit of measurement for a single press-load of grapes in Champagne?
4,000kg “marc”
The first pressing, aka the “cuvée” corresponds to the first how many litres of grape juice from a “marc” (4,000kg)? What about the tail/second pressing aka “taille”?
Cuvée: first 2,050 litres
Taille: following 500 litres
How does the “cuvée” differs from the “taille” in terms of organoleptic qualities, composition and potential?
Cuvée: richer in sugar and acid, better balanced and more fragrant than the taille. In short, it has a different chemical composition, untainted by pigments and not discoloured by oxidation.
Taille: fruitier, less acid and slightly coloured due to the presence of mineral and albuminous substances, pigments and colloids in the must. Some producers pride themselves in only using the cuvée in the elaboration of their Champagne.
How do you call the final pressing of the grapes after the cuvée and the taille have been extracted and what will be done with that juice?
It is called the rebêche, which is by law sent directly to the distillery to make alcohol.
After the juice is extracted from the grapes at pressing, what is the name of the open tank in which flows said juice?
A belon
How long does clarification/”débourbage” take and what is it?
This refers to the settling of the freshly pressed grape juice, during which any fragments of skin, pips and other sediment settles at the bottom of the vat. The purpose is to send clear juice to the fermentation stage in order to obtain wines with the purest expression of fruit. After 12 to 24 hours, the clear juice is then drawn off.
What is the goal in terms of final maximum alcohol level in the base wines?
11% abv max
Which important step takes place after the primary alcoholic fermentation of the base wines (potential malolactic conversion included) and before the bottling and second fermentation stages?
blending
What is the name of the liqueur that is added to the base wines once blended and bottled for second fermentation to occur? What does it contain?
“liqueur de tirage”, which is a mixture of still wine, sugar and yeast. The yeast will consume the sugar, releasing alcohol and effervescence, i.e. bubbles.
What are 2 clearly defined rules regarding bottling of the base wines?
- Bottling cannot take place before the first day of January following the harvests.
- The wine cannot be transferred from one container to another: it will be sold in the bottle in which it underwent its second fermentation.
What is the name of the process referring to the death and decomposition of yeasts?
Autolysis
What happens chemically when a wine is left in contact with the lees?
Enzymes start to break the cells down producing mannoproteins (mannose-containing glycoproteins) and polysaccharides that are released into the wine.
What is the 5 main effects of autolysis on wine?
- Contributes to a creamy mouthfeel that may make a wine seem to have a fuller body
- The release of enzymes inhibits oxidation which improves some of the aging potential of the wine
- The mannoproteins improve the overall stability of the proteins in the wine by reducing the amount of tartrates that are precipitated out
- The mannoproteins may also bind with the tannins in the wine to reduce the perception of bitterness or astringency in the wine
- The increased production of amino acids leads to the develop of several flavours including aromas of biscuits or bread dough, nuttiness and acacia
After how long does autolysis, and its impact on the wine, starts to become noticeable and how long can that effect keep influencing the style of the final wine?
It becomes noticeable after 18 months and will continue to impart traits to the wine for at least 5 years.
How long must all genuine Champagne be spent maturing in the winemaker’s cellar before release?
At least 15 months
How long must Vintage Champagne Cuvées mature in the winemaker’s cellar before release?
At least 36 months (3 years)
Bottle-turners performing hand riddling on “pupitres” rotate the bottle by which fraction of a turn?
1/8 or 1/4 of a turn at a time
How long does it take to complete manual “remuage” and how many turns per bottle does it usually involve?
4 to 6 weeks and involves on average 25 turns per bottle
