Champagne Region and Viticulture Study Guide

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering the geographical zones, soil types, grape varieties, classifications, and technical winemaking processes of Champagne as described in the lecture notes.

Champagne Location

A wine region situated $145\text{ kilometers}$ east of Paris, spanning $35,208\text{ hectares}$ across chalk and limestone soils.

ABV and Acidity

Unique climatic factors allow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier to achieve ripeness at a low alcohol by volume ($ABV$) and high levels of acidity.

Autolysis

The process where Champagne absorbs slowly evolving, yeast-complexed aromas from the enzymatic breakdown of spent yeast cells.

Zone de l’élaboration

The outer limits of the region, consisting of $637\text{ communes}$, where it is legal to vinify Champagne or transport uncommercialized grapes, juice, and wine in bulk.

Zone parcellaire de production de raisins

A delimited lacework of viticultural parcels representing only $35,208\text{ hectares}$ spread across $319\text{ communes}$.

Belemnite Chalk

A subsoil derived from fossilized cephalopods found on slopes that helps retain heat and provide drainage for vines.

Micraster Chalk

A subsoil composed of fossil material from an extinct genus of sea urchin, typically found in flatter valley vineyards.

Diurnal Shift

The difference between the highest daytime and lowest nighttime temperatures; in Champagne, a shift of $10\text{ to }15\text{ degrees Celsius}$ ensures acid preservation.

Gouais Blanc

An ancient parent variety of more than $80$ European grape varieties, including Chardonnay and Petit Meslier.

Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC)

The interprofessional body that began clonal research in the $1960\text{s}$ and manages the region’s regulations and harvest dates.

Chardonnay

A grape variety representing $30.3\text{ percent}$ ($10,414\text{ hectares}$) of plantings, known for freshness, toasty aromas, and longevity.

Pinot Noir

A variety representing $38.3\text{ percent}$ ($13,163\text{ hectares}$) of plantings, known in Champagne as Plant Doré, Morillon, Noirien, or Auvernat.

Meunier

A mutation of Pinot Noir representing $31.1\text{ percent}$ ($10,688\text{ hectares}$) of plantings, recognized by the flour-like white undersides of its leaves.

Arbanne

An ancient white variety dating to the $14\text{th century}$ that crops at very low yields and has a distinctive, intense aroma.

Petit Meslier

A spontaneous cross of Gouais Blanc and Savagnin Blanc that provides high acidity and reduced alcohol content to blends.

Grande Montagne

A subdistrict of the Montagne de Reims containing $10\text{ grand cru}$ villages and serving as the preeminent area for Pinot Noir.

Côte des Blancs

A district named for its almost exclusive cultivation of Chardonnay, containing $6\text{ of Champagne’s 17 grands crus}$.

Échelle des crus

A defunct historical classification system ($abolished in 2010$) that once formalized grape prices based on village status.

Grand Mousseux

A term for fully sparkling wine defined as having between $5\text{ and }6\text{ atmospheres}$ of pressure.

Crémant

An old Champagne regulation style defined by a softer mousse and a pressure of $3.6\text{ atmospheres}$.

Nonvintage

A category accounting for $80\text{ percent}$ of all Champagne sold, which must be aged at least $15\text{ months}$ after bottling.

Prestige (Deluxe) Cuvée

An ultra-expensive luxury blend made of exceptional quality, such as Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon or Louis Roederer's Cristal.

Blanc de Blancs

A style traditionally produced from Chardonnay, though other white varieties like Arbane and Petit Meslier are legally permitted.

Blanc de Noirs

A white wine produced exclusively from black grapes such as Pinot Noir, Meunier, or a blend of both.

Rosé de Saignée

A pink Champagne made from colored, free-run juice that naturally bleeds from black grapes before pressing.

Brut Nature

A dryness category with less than $3\text{ grams}$ of residual sugar ($RS$) and no added dosage.

Marc

A unit of volume in Champagne winemaking representing the weight of $4,000\text{ kilograms}$ of grapes in a classic press.

Cuvée and Taille

The names for the first $2,050\text{ liters}$ (Cuvée) and the subsequent $500\text{ liters}$ (Taille) of juice extracted from a marc.

Liqueur de Tirage

A solution of sugar, yeast, and nutrients added to base wine to initiate the second alcoholic fermentation in the bottle.

Remuage (Riddling)

The process of oscillating and tilting bottles to shift yeast sediment into the neck for removal.

Pupitre

A traditional wooden rack containing $60\text{ holes}$ used for manual riddling.

Gyropalette

An automated steel frame device used to perform mechanized riddling of bottles in large pallets.

Dégorgement à la glace

A disgorgement method involving freezing the bottle neck in a salt or glycol bath to eject sediment as a semi-frozen slush.

Liqueur d’expédition

A mixture of sugar, base wine, and sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) added after disgorgement to balance the wine and determine its final sweetness.

Jetting

A process where sulfited water is injected into the wine before corking to excite $CO_2$ and push oxygen out of the bottle.

Mytik Diam

A technical cork made from microagglomerated granules treated with supercritical $CO_2$ to ensure it is $TCA$-free.