Champagne Flashcards
(25 cards)
Who was baptised in Reims on Christmas Day 496, by Saint Remigus, the Bishop of Reims?
Clovis
Which Champagne house can claim to be the oldest?
Ruinart
When was the first intentionally crafted sparkling champagne in Champagne made?
Between 1695 and 1698
What was the first champagne house and when was it established?
Ruinart 1729
Which French king championed champagne and is said to have drunk it with every meal?
Louis XIV (14)
Which Champagne sub-region has the same soils as those in
Chablis - Kimmeridgean Marls?
Côte des Bar
What is the aging regulation ms for Non- Vintage and Vintage
Non-Vintage: 12 months on the lees and 15 months in total, minimum
Vintage: 12 months on the lees and 36 months in total, minimum
How many Grand Cru Villages are in Champagne?
17
In what type of vessel is most of champagne fermented?
Stainless steel tanks
What do the 3 main grapes contribute to the champagne blend?
Chardonnay: high alcohol and acidity
Pinot noir: moderate alcohol and lowest amount of acidity
Meunier: least amount of alcohol and moderate acidity
What was the name for Pinot Gris is Champagne from the 9th to the 16th centuries?
Fromenteau
What does Prise de Mousse refer to?
The second fermentation
If champagne producer only vinifies grapes from their own vineyards, which producer code should they show on their label?
RM: Récoltant- Manipulant
Which traumatic, historic event reduced the size of the Champagne region to a sixth of its previous size?
Phylloxera
Champagne’s topography helps to create mesoclimates, what is this and what are the benefits?
Mesoclimate: the climate of a particular vineyard or growing area
It provides the vine with shelter, warmth and adequate air circulation
T or F. Champagne lies within the Paris Basin?
True
What is the Paris Basin?
A large downward depression of sedimentary rock strata
Where is Champagne situated
Northeast France a 1.5 hour drive from Paris
What are the two types of chalk in Champagne?
Belemnite- fossilised remains of dart-like relatives of todays squid
Micraster- composed of fossilised sea-urchins
Why is Belemnite chalk preferred over Micraster chalk in Champagne?
Belemnite- it is found at the upper to mid section of the slope of the vineyard. At that point it provides optimal sun exposure, air circulation and water drainage
Micraster- is found where the slope begins to flatten.
Where in Champagne is Limestone- rich Marl concentrated?
Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Bar
Just as in Bourgogne, limestone-rich marl are preferred soils for which grape variety in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
The soils of Vallée de la Marne, Val de Reims, Côteaux Sud d’Epernay, Val du Petit Morin and Côte de Sézanne all include:
Clay and/or sand together with chalk or marl
What type of wines do clay and sand soils produce?
Clay soils produce wines that can be tight and taut- needing age to express their true flavours and aromas
Sandy soils produce wines that are open and easy drinking, either more upfront fruit
