Champagne

Front 1

1690

Back 1

Champagne as a sparkling wine was originated, thanks to 2 key developments:

- stronger glass made by British using coal instead of wood.

- cork started to be used as airtight closure.

Front 2

1810 , 1832 , 1835 , 1890

Back 2

1810= was discovered that the addition of sugar to a still wine produced a sparkle.

1832= veuve cliquot (or her manager) developed a system of remuage, from flat tables to pupitres.

1835= people worked out how much sugar to add to achieve 5-6 pressure atmospheres.

1890= invented the method of disgorgement by freezing the neck of the bottle.

Front 3

name the Champagne 5 districts

Back 3

-montagne de reims

-vallee de la marne

-cote des blanc

-cote de sezanne

-cote de bar

The first 4 are in the Marne department, while the last one is in the Aube (closer to Chablis than to Reims)

Front 4

Montagne de Reims

Back 4

The most northerly.

Mainly Pinot noir, but also a bit of p.meunier and chardonnay.

These wines contribute the backbone to the blend, the bouquet, firm acidity.

Many premier cru and 9 grand cru.

Front 5

Vallee de la Marne

Back 5

Geographically the largest area, mostly flat, the slopes catch most of the sun.

Mostly p.meunier because more resistant to spring frost, some p.noir.

Fullest, roundest and ripest wines with plenty of aromas.

Many premier cru, just 2 grand cru.

Front 6

Cote des Blanc

Back 6

Area top for chardonnay, some p.noir.

East facing slopes.

Freshness and finesse to the blend.

6 grand cru.

Front 7

Cote de Sezanne

Back 7

Small area, mostly chardonnay.

No grand cru and no premier cru.

Front 8

Cote des Bar (Aube)

Back 8

Larger area, mostly pre-phylloxera.

Mostly p.noir.

No grand cru or premier cru.

A good amount of the grapes from here go to the big champagne houses.

Front 9

Champagne soil info

Back 9

Porous chalk subsoil 300mt thick (marine sediments/fossils) covered by a thin layer of drift.

It drains well, yet retains enough water for the vines to survive.

The chalk holds the heat and release it back to the vines.

High lime content.

Front 10

Secondary varieties used/authorised?

Back 10

- Arbane

- Petit meslier

- P.blanc vrai

- P.gris

Front 11

What is the Echelle des Crus?

Back 11

* Percentage system used to quality-rate champagne village by village.

- Grand cru = 100%

- Premier cru = 90 to 99%

- Lowest rated villages start at 80%

(realistically is a 20 points scale due to various reclassification. Nowadays prices are negotiated between growers)

* 12 grand cru until 1985, now 17

* 42 premier cru

Front 12

name the 5 latest entries in the grand cru classification after 1985

Back 12

- Chouilly

- Le Mesnil sur oger

- Oger

- Oiry

- Verzy

Front 13

Famous blanc de blancs prestige cuvee

Back 13

Deutz- amour de deutz

Charles heidsieck- cuvee de millenaires

Krug- clos du mesnil

Ruinart- dom ruinart

Salon- "S"

Taittinger- comtes de champagne

Front 14

Famous blanc de noirs prestige cuvee

Back 14

Billecart salmon- le clos saint hilaire.

Bollinger- vieilles vignes francaises.

Krug- clos d'ambonnay.

Front 15

Famous prestige cuvee rose'

Back 15

Billecart salmon- cuvee Elisabeth

Deutz- cuvee William deutz

M&C- Dom perignon

Pommery- cuvee Louise pommery

Perrier jouet- belle epoque

Louis roederer- Cristal

Ruinart- dom ruinart

Taittinger- comtes de champagne

Veuve clicquot- grande dame

Front 16

What is the AOC for still wines from champagne?

Back 16

* Coteaux Champenois AOC

- styles: white, rosé, red

- varieties: chardonnay, p.noir, p.meunier, arbane, p.meslier, p.blanc, p.gris.

- min 9% abv

- max RS 3 g/l

- low quality, high prices

- Reds are incredibly the most interesting. Bouzy is the most famous of these wines, but always unreliable.

* Top cuvées:

Bollinger- la cote aux enfants

Joseph Perrier- cumieres rouge

Paul bara

Egly ouriet

Gatinois

Laurent Perrier

Front 17

what is Ratafia AOP?

Back 17

It's a vin de liqueur (VDL) made in Champagne, made in the same way of the Pineau de Charentes, adding neutral spirit to unfermented grape juice.

Famous one: Janisson Baradon.

Front 18

Rosé des Riceys AOP

Back 18

- Not part of the Coteaux Champenois AOC.

- 100% p.noir rosé made in the commune of Les Riceys, in the Aube.

- min 10% abv

Grapes are vinified as whole bunches (semi-carbonic maceration).

Front 19

Champagne climate info

Back 19

Cold and wet continental climate (but very dry) influenced by the Atlantic, which has a cooling effect on its summer.

* major problems:

- severe winters so cold to kill the vines.

- spring frost, especially in the vallee de la marne, can significantly reduce yields.

- hail can destroy a crop.

- fluctuating temperatures at flowering time can affect fruit set.

Front 20

Pinot noir in champagne

Back 20

The most planted.

Long lived wines with a certain finesse.

It buds early so is susceptible to frost.

Provides backbone, structure and body, depth of fruit; develop biscuit flavours with age.

Front 21

Pinot meunier in champagne

Back 21

Second most planted.

Flowery notes, fruitiness on the palate, early richness; gives wines immediate appeal, for early consumption.

It buds later than the other 2 so less risk from frost (that's why mostly in vallee de la Marne).

Develop mushroomy complexity with age.

Front 22

Chardonnay in champagne

Back 22

Tends to be steely in youth, gives acidity, elegance.

keeps a wine fresh, develop toasty/vanilla flavours as it matures.

Greatest potential longevity and greatest finesse.

It buds early so at risk from frost.

Front 23

name the 4 pruning systems in champagne

Back 23

- Chablis (compulsory for gran cru)

- Cordon de Royat

- Guyot (single or double)

- Vallee de la marne (just for p.meunier)

Front 24

name the 3 presses used in champagne, and regulations

Back 24

- the traditional Coquard press (vertical basket press).

- the Vaslin horizontal press.

-the Willmes horizontal press (more gentle).

* only 102lt of must can be extracted from 160kg of grapes.

* the Cuvée comes from the first pressing, the highest quality, the first 80lt.

* the Taille are the remaining 22lt.

Front 25

Minimum ageing requirements on the lees by the CIVC?

Back 25

* 15 months x NV

* 36 months x vintage

(in practice better wines will be aged for longer, it's a flexibility to suit the wine and the vintage.

A wine from a more recent year may be released before a wine from an older vintage)

Front 26

What is Transversage?

Back 26

The procedure of filling smallest and largest champagne bottles (quarter and all sizes above Jeroboam).

Immediately after disgorgement bottles are emptied inside a pressure tank, dosage is added, then is re-bottled into the required size.

Front 27

Bottle sizes for champagne

Back 27

Magnum 1.5lt

Jeroboam 3lt

Rehoboam 4.5lt

Methusalem 6lt

Salmanazar 9lt

Balthazar 12lt

Nebuchadnezzar 15lt

Front 28

CIVC

Back 28

Comite' Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne.

Regulatory body, looking after the interests of the growers and the producers, protecting the champagne appellation.

Until 1990 it set the price of the grapes.

Activities:

-manage relations between sellers of grapes and buyers/merchants.

-improvement of vine growing techniques.

-improvement of winemaking techniques.

-protection and development of champagne market.

Front 29

How to make Champagne Rosé

Back 29

2 ways:

- black grapes are left in contact with the must at the start of fermentation, and it gets its colour from the skins (standard method).

- a small amount of still red wine is added during the assemblage.

Front 30

LVMH

Back 30

French luxury goods company with a strong presence in champagne: Moet&Chandon, Krug, Veuve Cliquot, Ruinart.

Spirits brands: Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardberg, Belvedere.

Wine brands: cloudy bay, cape mentelle, terrazas de los Andes, numanthia, clos de lambrays.

From 1998 stakeholder in Ch.d'Yquem, and its Chief executive is now co-owner of cheval blanc.

Chandon brand: Argentina, Brazil, US, Australia, China, India.

Front 31

Describe the laws governing reserve wines in champagne

Back 31

- juice extraction: 20.5hl every 4000kg.

- no more than 80% of any year's harvest may be sold as Vintage champagne.

- at least 20% of any year's harvest is conserved for future blending of NV wines.

Front 32

Name the types of Champagne producers

Back 32

NM - negociant manipulant

RM - recoltant manipulant

CM - cooperative de manipulation

RC - recoltant cooperateur

MA - marque d'acheteur

Front 33

Best champagne vintages

Back 33

02, 04, 08

90, 95, 96, 98

82, 85, 88, 89

Front 34

Worst champagne vintages

Back 34

01, 07

91, 94

80, 87

78

Front 35

Name the 3 champagne rivers

Back 35

- Marne

- Aube

- Seine

Front 36

What village/abbey was Dom Perignon the cellar master of?

Back 36

Hautvillers (vallee de la marne)

Front 37

Grand Cru of Montagne de Reims (9)

Back 37

- sillery

- puisieulx

- Beaumont sur vesle

- verzenay

- mailly

- verzy

- louvois

- bouzy

- ambonnay

Front 38

Grand Cru of Vallée de la Marne (2)

Back 38

- ay

- tours sur marne

Front 39

Grand Cru of Cote des Blancs (6)

Back 39

- chouilly

- oiry

- oger

- le mesnil sur oger

- cramant

- avize

Front 40

Premier Cru Montagne de Reims (25)

Back 40

- bezannes

- billy le grand

- chamery

- chigny les roses

- cormontreuil

- coulommes la montagne

- ecueil

- jouy les reims

- ludes

- les mesneux

- montbré

- pargny lés reims

- rilly la montagne

- sacy

- sermiers

- taissy

- tauxieres mutry

- trepail

- trois puits

- vaudemange

- villers allerand

- villers aux noeuds

- ville dommange

- villers marmery

- vrigny

Front 41

Premier Cru of Vallée de la Marne (8)

Back 41

- avenay val d'or

- bisseuil

- champillon

- cumieres

- dizy

- hautvillers

- mareuil sur ay

- mutigny

Front 42

Premier Cru of Cote des Blancs (9)

Back 42

- bergeres les vertus

- cuis

- etrechy

- grauves

- pierry

- val des marais (coligny)

- vertus

- Villeneuve renneville chevigny

- voipreux

Front 43

Prestige cuvées major Champagne houses

Back 43

- Ayala, cuvée perle d'ayala

- Billecart Salmon, nicolas francois billecart

- Billecart Salmon, Elisabeth salmon rosé

- Billecart Salmon, grande cuvée

- Billecart Salmon, clos st.hilaire

- Bollinger, la grande année

- Bollinger, r.d.

- Bollinger, vieilles vignes francaises

- Deutz, cuvée william deutz

- Deutz, amour de deutz

- Diebolt Vallois, fleur de passion

- Duval Leroy, femme de champagne

- Gosset, celebris

- Charles Heidsieck, champagne charlie

- Charles Heidsieck, blanc de millenaires

- Laurent Perrier, grand siecle

- Laurent Perrier, alexandra (rosé)

- Mumm, cuvée r.lalou

- Bruno Paillard, nec plus ultra

- Pommery, cuvée louise

- Taittinger, comtes de champagne

- Veuve Clicquot, la grande dame

- Jacques Selosse, substance

- Agrapart, venus

- Egly Ouriet, les crayeres

- Jacquesson, grand vin signature

- Jacquesson, dizy corne bautray

- Jacquesson, ay vauzelle terme

- Jacquesson, dizy terres rouges

- Jacquesson, avize champ cain

- Larmandier Bernier, vieille vigne de cramant

- Larmandier Bernier, terre de vertus

- Philipponnat, clos des goisses

Front 44

Special Club (club tresors de champagne) rules

Back 44

- viticulture must occur on the estate (just RM may join).

- vinification and bottling must occur on the estate.

- members must respect and uphold the Club's charter.

- the Special Club is the top of the range, prestige cuvée for all members.

- the Club Tresors will declare a vintage as being worthy of Special Club prestige cuvées, then each member may decide individually whether or not to produce a Special Club wine.

- all base wines and finished Special Club wines must undergo tasting analysis.

- all Special Club bottles share an identical label and bottle shape.

Front 45

name some Special Club members

Back 45

- paul bara

- j. lassalle

- salmon

- vazart coquart

- pierre gimonnet

- larmandier pére et fils

Front 46

what is Bouvreaux?

Back 46

is the 2nd crop in Champagne vineyards, which rarely ripens, and is typically left on the vine.

Front 47

who was the 1st producer to release a Brut Champagne?

Back 47

The brut style was pioneered by Perrier-Jouët in the mid-19th Century, originally for their market in England.

The 1846 vintage marked the beginning of a new era, they took the brave decision not to add any sugar to their wines destined for the English market.

Front 48

when was the CIVC formally established?

Back 48

1941

Front 49

what is the max amount (in %) of a RM production that may be from purchased grapes?

Back 49

5%

(95% must be from estate fruit)

Front 50

what is called the 3rd pressing in Champagne?

Back 50

'Rebeche'

- by law is between 1-10% of the total production, and by law is sent directly to the distillery to make alcohol.

Front 51

Tete-de-cuvee first vintages….

Back 51

- Cristal 1876

- Salon S 1905

- Dom Perignon 1921

- Dom Ruinart 1959

- Bollinger RD 1967

- Bollinger V.V.Francais 1969

- Cristal rosé 1974

- Sir Winston Churchill 1975

- Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979

- Krug Rosé 1983

- Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon 1988

- Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1995

Front 52

what is MCR?

Back 52

concentrated and rectified grape must used for dosage (mout concentré rectifié).

Front 53

how many bottles does a Gyropalette hold?

Back 53

504

Front 54

how many bottles does a Pupitre hold?

Back 54

60(riddling takes 8 weeks to complete)

Front 55

what is the French term for the release of older vintages of base wine for use in assemblage?

Back 55

Deblocage