1

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

2

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Contents• Overview• Geography• Terroir• Harvest & Pressing• Fermentation• Blending & Ageing• Riddling & Disgorgement

3

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Grapes Must• Harvest• Pressing

Wine• Fermentation

(s)

Champagne

• Blending• Maturation

Bottle

• Riddling• Disgorgement

Overview - producing champagne

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

EQUATOR

49th parallel South

.

.

..

.. ...

. ..

... . .

........... ... ... ... . .

.. . ...

49th parallel North

Geographical position

5

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

ChâteauThierry

Épernay

ReimsPinot Noir

Pinot Meunier

Chardonnay

Bar/Aube

Map of Champagne

6

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Chalk - regulates water cycle and temperature- offers optimum minerality for local grape

varieties

Champagne Terroir: the soil

7

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

•East or South-East aspect (exposure)•Canopy management optimising sunshine exposure

Champagne Terroir: Aspect

9

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Continental climate with oceanic influence Average yearly temperature : 10.5 °C (54°F), frequent frost

periods,low rainfalls, favourable summer and fall

Champagne Terroir: the climate

10

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Pinot Noir Black Grape, Clear Pulp Montagne de Reims

Pinot Meunier Black Grape, Clear

Pulp Vallée de la Marne

andMontagne Ouest

Chardonnay White Grape, Clear Pulp Côte des Blancs

Grape varieties

11

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Grape varieties, Crus and even blocks are kept separate

Grapes are all hand-harvested

Harvest

12

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Minimum time between harvesting and pressing Juice fractions : "cuvée" and "taille" are kept separateLimited extraction : 2550 litres/4000 kgs ("marc"), or 1,2 kg for 1 bottle

Pressing

13

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol

From the grape juice

Selected strains added

The must turns into wine

+CO2

Escapes in the air

Alcoholic fermentation

14

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Malic Acid+ Bacterias

= Lactic Acid

Strong Acid from the grape juice

Selected strains added

Milder acid

Malo-lactic Fermentation

15

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Blending different grape varieties,

Pinot Meunier for fruitiness, roundness,

Pinot Noir for body, structure, length,

Chardonnay for freshness, finesse, delicacy

coming from different crus and several vintages.

Blending

16

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Daily tastings from November to January Several hundreds of wines tasted to create the different

"cuvées"

Blending

17

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Once the blends have been made, wines are bottled for the 2nd alcoholic fermentation

Ageing

18

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Allows to eliminate the dead yeast sediment

Riddling

19

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Ejection of the dead yeast sediment

Disgorgement

20

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Brut nature

Extra Brut

Brut

Extra Dry

Dry ou Sec

Demi Sec

Doux

Grammes of added sugar per liter

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

The Final Touch for a Champagne

Dosage

21

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Corking and muzzling

22

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

From Quarter bottle to … Nebucchadnezzar (20 bottles)

Qu

art

er

bo

ttle

Ha

lf b

ott

le

Ma

gn

um

Bo

ttle

Jer

ob

oa

m

Ma

thu

sel

em

Sa

lma

na

zar

Ne

bu

cha

dn

ezz

or

Ba

lth

aza

r

Labelling

23

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

Recommended temperatures : - Brut NV : 8 to 10°C (46/50 °F)- Vintages : 10 to 12°C (50/54°F)

Tasting and serving champagne

24

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

• The style is defined by the fundamental elements that characterize all the different champagnes made by a given House, and which recur year after year.

• It is perceptible through:– Effervescence & foam– Colour– Structure on the palate– Texture– Taste

Style

25

CHAPTER 9 – CHAMPAGNE

`In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need

it.`Napoleon Bonaparte