Champagne: Jimmy's

Question 1

Define the style: non-vintage or NV

Answer 1

Blended from a number of vintages, usually following a house style. Blending from difference parcels of land can even out vintage variations to create consistency year on year.

Question 2

Define the style: Vintage

Answer 2

100% of the wine comes from the indicated year, generally only produced in the best years.

Question 3

Define the style: Rosé

Answer 3

Made by blending red and white wines. Only permitted in Champagne.

Question 4

What is rosé d’assemblage?

Answer 4

Rosé Champagne made by blending red and white wines.

Question 5

What is rosé de saignée?

Answer 5

Rosé made by macerating the skins of black grapes and “bleeding off” the wine.

Question 6

Define: Blanc de Blancs

Answer 6

Sparkling white wine made from white grapes only.

Question 7

Define: Blanc de Noirs

Answer 7

Sparkling white wine made from black grapes only.

Question 8

Define: Grand Cru

Answer 8

All grapes have been grown in vineyards belonging to grand cru villages.

Question 9

Define: Premier Cru

Answer 9

All grapes have been grown in vineyards belonging to premier or grand cru villages.

Question 10

Define: Prestige Cuvée

Answer 10

The best/most prestigious wine or wines in a Champagne producer’s range.

Question 11

Define: Late release/recently disgorged wines

Answer 11

Wines that have had extended ageing on the lees, and age faster than more conventionally lees aged wines. They are intended to be consumed immediately.

Question 12

Name two significant characters in the story of the development of Champagne.

Answer 12

Dom Pierre Pérignon and Madame (Veuve/widow) Clicquot.

Question 13

Describe the climate of Champagne.

Answer 13

Cool continental, some oceanic influence, 700mm per year of rain. Average annual temperature of 11C. Rain is spread throughout the year, and can negatively impact yields if it occurs during flowering, fruit set or harvest (when it causes fungal disease).

Question 14

How has climate change impacted the region?

Answer 14

The climate has warmed over the last 30 years, bringing harvest forward by an average of 18 days, lowering overall acidity and raising alcohol levels by 0.7%. On the other hand, this increase in temperature has resulted in more consistently good harvests.

Question 15

Describe the key features of the topography and soil in the region.

Answer 15

The region is an old seabed, with a thick layer of chalk throughout. Soils are therefore chalky, with limestone and chalk subsoil. Vineyards tend to be between 90 - 300m above sealevel, and planting on well-drained slopes help growers avoid any waterlogging from the relatively high rainfall of the region.

Question 16

Name the 5 subregions of Champagne

Answer 16

Montagne de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Côte de Blancs
Côte de Sézanne
Côte des Bar

Question 17

List 3 qualities of the Montagne de Reims area.

Answer 17

Best known for black grapes.

Some top villages face north.

Wines tend to have high acidity and are austere in youth.

Question 18

Name the five Grand Cru villages of the Montagne de Reims.

Answer 18

Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy.

Question 19

List 3 qualities of the Vallée de la Marne.

Answer 19

The main plantings are Meunier.

Soil types are clay, marl and sandy.

Meunier’s budburst and ripening is later than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, suiting it to this frost-prone area.

Question 20

Name a Grand Cru village in the Vallée de la Marne.

Answer 20

Aÿ

Question 21

List three qualities of the Côte de Blancs.

Answer 21

Almost exclusively white grapes.

Soil type is the purest form of chalk, giving it an excellent balance between water retention and drainage.

Plantings are 95% Chardonnay.

Question 22

Name the four grand cru villages of the Côte de Blancs.

Answer 22

Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Question 23

List three qualities of the Côte de Sézanne.

Answer 23

A continuation of the Côte de Blancs, with clay and clay/silt soils.

Mostly planted with Chardonnnay on south-east facing slopes.

Lower quality than the Côte de Blancs, Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims.

Question 24

List three qualities of the Côte des Bar.

Answer 24

Soil type: Kimmeridgian calcareous marls.

Steep slopes with stony limestone are well drained.

Nearly one quarter planted with Pinot Noir, which makes the region an important source of this grape.

Question 25

Name four minor grape varieties being grown in Champagne.

Answer 25

Pino Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Fromenteau (Pinot Gris). + Voltis

Question 26

Name one advantage and one disadvantage that Meunier (or Pinot Meunier) has.

Answer 26

Advantage: It buds later than other popular grapes in Champagne, which makes it less prone to spring frosts. Disadvantage: It is very susceptible to botyrtis infection.

Question 27

What does Meunier bring to a blend?

Answer 27

It is a fruity wine that brings softness to a Champagne blend.

Question 28

What vineyard spacing is required by regulations in Champagne, and what is the average planting density as a result?

Answer 28

Inter-row spacing of 1.5 metres Intra-row spacing of 0.9 - 1.5 metres Total spacing must not exceed 2.5 metres Average density therefore of approx. 8,000 vines per hectare.

Question 29

Name the four approved training, pruning and trellising systems in Champagne.

Answer 29

Taille Chablis Cordon du Royat Guyot Vallée de la Marne

Question 30

Name five climatic dangers in Champagne.

Answer 30

Severe winter frost Spring frost Cold/rainy weather during flowering and fruit set in Jun Violent summer storms Hot and humid summers, bringing botrytis.

Question 31

Name an innovation around packaging that the Comité Champagne has brought about.

Answer 31

They have introduced a lighter weight Champagne bottle for non vintage wines, with an estimaged 8,000 metric tonne reduction in CO2 output for the region.

Question 32

Name four functions of the Comité Champagne.

Answer 32

Protecting the quality of wine in the region by preventing over-cropping. Protecting the price of Champagne and regulating supply and demand. Managing levels of reserve stocks of wine. Setting harvest dates and yields each year.

Question 33

How may pressing centres are there in the region (approximately) and why?

Answer 33

There are around 1,900 pressing centres in the region to help keep transportation (and thus spoilage risks) to a minimum.

Question 34

What is the French term for the the traditional method of making Champagne?

Answer 34

Méthode Champenoise

Question 35

List three kinds of press used in the winery.

Answer 35

Basket press Pneumatic press Hydraulic horizontal press

Question 36

What is the permitted yield range in hectolitres per acre?

Answer 36

79 hL/ha, but can be raised to 98 hL/ha and the surplus put into reserve if agreed by the Comité Champagne.

Question 37

What is a marc?

Answer 37

4,000 kilos of grapes

Question 38

What are the permitted quantities of the two fractions of juice during pressing?

Answer 38

2,050 litres (per marc) of free run and first pressing (cuvée) 500 litres (per marc) of taille

Question 39

Describe the qualities of the cuvée.

Answer 39

The cuvée is rich in acids and produces the highest quality of wine.

Question 40

Describe the qualities of the taille.

Answer 40

The taille has lower acidity, but more colour and phenolics, so is useful to add to blends, giving more expression to youthful wines, but less ageing potential.

Question 41

What are the primary fermentation vessels used in Champagne production?

Answer 41

Primarily temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, but increasingly large oak foudres, particularly at the higher end.

Question 42

What is the importance of reserve wines?

Answer 42

For non-vintage production, having a good range of reserve wine available (large producers can have over 100 available) means that house style can be rigorously adhered to, no matter what happens to any given year's harvest.

Question 43

What are the regulations around maturing in Champagne?

Answer 43

Non-vintage wines must be matured in cellar for 15 months, of which 12 must be on the lees. Vintage wines must also have 12 months on the lees, but must be matured for 3 years after tirage.

Question 44

Is there a limit to the effects of lees ageing?

Answer 44

Lees ageing can continue for up to 10 years, after which it is thought to have little further impact.

Question 45

What impact can the base wine in liqueur d'expédition have?

Answer 45

This year's youthful base wines can give light, fresh flavours. Aged reserve wines can give aromas of baked apple and dried fruit. For rosé, colour can be corrected with the base wine used here.

Question 46

What was the name of the original system for ranking in Champagne, that ended under pressure from the EU?

Answer 46

Échelle des Crus

Question 47

What is a Négotiant manipulant, or NM?

Answer 47

A business (or house) that buys grapes, must or wine to make their own Champagne under their own label.

Question 48

What is a Récoltant manipulant, or RM?

Answer 48

Referred to as "growers", they make and market their own label from their own grapes. They manage the whole process on their own premises.

Question 49

What is a Coopérative de manipulation, or CM?

Answer 49

A cooperative that markets its own label of Champagne from its members' grapes.

Question 50

What changes has the Comité Champagne been making to Champagne's brand positioning recently?

Answer 50

It has been positioning itself away from the high-volume market, given the growth of high quality mid-priced wines such as Prosecco, and towards higher price points, by setting lower maximum yields to reduce volume by 10%.

Question 51

How many kilos of grapes are needed to produce one bottle of Champagne, and what is the cost per kilo?

Answer 51

1.2kg for one bottle of Champagne at €6.10 per kilo.

Question 52

Name three factors that push up the cost of production?

Answer 52

Cost per kilo of grapes. Choice of grapes - i.e. grand or premier cru. Style of wine - rosé is more expensive to produce. Vintage Champagne versus non-vintage, as the longer storage period adds costs and ties up cash flow. Primary fermentation vessels - oak is more expensive than stainless steel vessels.

Question 53

List five recent trends in Champagne production and marketing.

Answer 53

Increase in awareness and popularity of Brut Nature and Extra Brut. Sweet wines intended for drinking over ice or in cocktails. Rosé is in increasing demand. Single-vineyard wines (at the top end of the market). Grower Champagnes.