Champagne Update April 2016
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Champagne Update April 2016 An Unique Appellation Champagnes can be identified by the initials that appear before a number on the wine label. • RM (meaning Récoltant-Manipulant) commonly associated with Grower Champagnes. NM (meaning Négociant-Manipulant) appear on the labels of large Champagne houses that source the majority of their grapes rather than growing them. • CM (meaning Coopérative-Manipulant) is a co-operative of growers who blend the product of their collective vineyards to sell under one or more brands. In this situation the individual grower may have some involvement in the winemaking process. Special Thank You To: • RC (meaning Récoltant-Coopérateur) is a wine sourced from a single grower but made entirely for him by a co-operative winemakingElbé & Martie facility. While the wine is sold under the grower's ownChampagne brand, he will often Jacquart have had and very Southern little if any involvementDistributers in the winemaking process. Wine Cellar in Cape Town • SR (meaning Société deGreat Récoltants) Domaines is a registered in Johannesburg firm set up by two or more growers who share the same winery which theyReciprocal use to make Trading wine to sell under their own label. This designation differs from a CM in that the growers almost always have significant involvement in the winemakingTeam process. Graham Beck Champagne – An Unique Appellation • 34 300 Hectares over 5 Departments • 319 Crus (Communes) also know as Villages • Pinot Noir 38%, Pinot Meunier 32% & Chardonnay 30% • Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot de Juillet (Rosé), Pinot Gris (named Fromenteau in Champagne) • 0.4% of Total World Vineyard Plantings • 13% of Total World Bubbly Consumption • 40% of Total World Bubbly Value • 63 % of Total French Bubbly Exported @ 91% Value • Exported to 190 Countries - Roll of the CIVC The Comité Champagne is the trade association that was established in 1941, that represents the interests of independent Champagne producers (vignerons) and Champagne Houses. Its mandate is to promote the vines and wines of Champagne through a broad remit that includes: economic, technical and environmental development; continuous quality improvement; sector management; marketing and communications; and the promotion and protection of the Champagne AOC across the world. Balancing stakeholder interests depends on all parties acting in concert, which in turn depends on active trades union involvement. The Comité Champagne seeks to unite its two major partners, harmonizing their complementary roles in a spirit of goodwill and realism. It looks at the bigger picture – the need to overcome passing conflicts of interest for the sake of greater security and prosperity in the Champagne region. Biggest buzz in Champagne at the moment is CLIMATE CHANGE. ADDITIONAL READING: http://www.thewinecompany.net/champagne-vintages/ http://www.champagne.fr/assets/files/brochure%20champagne/Champagne_ANGLAIS.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFh5DuF49xw http://www.champagne.fr/assets/files/comite/rapport_activite_2015.pdf THE VINEYARD OF CHAMPAGNE: CLIMATE A dual climate that is subject to oceanic and continental influences alike. Latitudes : 49°5 in Reims, 48° South (Bar/ Seine) .Average annual temperature in Reims is just 11°C (50°F) .Annual rainfall: 650 to700 mm Annual precipitation is steady (oceanic influence) but moderate .Annual sunshine hours : 1 650 Relatively low considering 290 « shiny » days Rainy spring and autumn Cool to warm summer Cold winter Structure of Champagne: Acidity, effervescence & mineralities 300 km North to South (Cormicy - Channes) 170 km West to East (Saâcy - Rizaucourt-Buchey) 70 km from Paris ! 49°5 latitude at Reims 48° latitude at Bar-sur-Seine 34 282 ha planted in 2013 5 Departments Marne 22 771 ha (66%) Aube and Haute-Marne 8 092 ha (24%) Aisne and Seine-et-Marne 3 419 ha (10%) 319 Crus 279 917 plots (avg 12 to 25) 42 % of the vines are over 40 years old THE CHAMPAGNE TERROIR: THE DIVERSITY OF CRUS Grands Crus : 100% Premiers crus: 90 to 99% Autres crus: 80 to 89% 17 Grands Crus 4470 ha – 14% 42 Premiers Crus 6657 ha – 20% 260 Autres Crus 21890 ha – 66% THE VINEYARDS OF CHAMPAGNE: LANDSPCAPES & SOILS Sand & clay Relief: 3 concentric cuestas towards Paris . Côte de l’île de France Chalk & clay . Côte de Champagne . Côte des Bar Culture on hillsides to optimize enlightment Height between 90 and 300m Clay & limestone Slopes between 12 and 60 % Streams and their tributaries carve the relief Chalk The Marne, the Vesle, the Ardre, the Seine, the Aube, the Arce, the Ource … Soils: basement is calcareous for the greater part. Flush sediments are also calcareous in 75% + Marls, Sand, Chalk Calcareous marls GRAPE VARIETIES Pinot Noir Meunier Chardonnay 38,3% 31,7% 29,7% 0,3 % : Pinot blanc vrai, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot gris, enfumé… CHAMPAGNE PATTERN: A FRAGILE BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY & SALES Wine Growers 15736 (20 617 registrants) 30 195 ha 90% of the surface Sales Coops Grape suppliers RM 14 384 13 648 1951 1/3 39,6% of the surface 56,3% of the surface 4,1% of the surface Clear Wines Clear Wines RC CM 2/3 2678 40 NM 392 3376 ha 10% of the surface Producer information Every label must display the producer’s registration code issued by the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), preceded by two initials indicating the category of producer: NM - Négociant Manipulant. An individual or company, with or without vines of their own, buying grapes, grape must or wine to make Champagne on his/her own premises. RM - Récoltant Manipulant. Grower who makes and markets own-label Champagne from grapes exclusively sourced from his/her own vineyards. RC - Récoltant Coopérateur. Co-op grower who sells, under his/her own label, a partly or totally co-op produced Champagne. CM - Coopérative de Manipulation. Wine co-op that markets Champagne made on co-op premises from members’ grapes. SR - Société de Récoltants. A family firm of growers that makes and markets own-label Champagne from grapes sourced from family vineyards. ND - Négociant Distributeur. Distributor who buys in finished bottles of Champagne then labels them on his/her own premises. MA - Marque d’Acheteur. Buyer’s own-brand Champagne. http://www.sgv-champagne.fr/le-vignoble-champenois/l-aoc-champagne.html The SGV was established in 1904 to represent all of the growers and cooperatives in Champagne. Its objectives are: Economic organization of the Champagne winegrowing region Providing business support to winegrowers Promoting Grower Champagnes sold under the ‘Champagnes de Vignerons’ umbrella brand http://www.champagne-de-vigneron.com/about-2/ http://www.clubtresorsdechampagne.com/en/home The Club Trésors comprises 29 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognised for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organisation in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards. • Each winemaker must make their champagnes entirely in his, or her, own premises and cellars. Furthermore the champagne must be made exclusively from grapes harvested in his, or her, own vineyards. • Each wine maker is devoted to his work and passionately protects the quality and the unique character of his own terroir. • The jury of oenologists and wine professionals who select the champagnes, demand irreproachable quality as regards both the work in the vineyard and the wines. • Each champagne is subject to two blind tastings (once at the still wine stage before bottling and again after 3 years ageing in bottle) by a panel of passionate and distinguished oenologists and wine makers. • A Special Club champagne may only be made in outstanding vintage years. Only winemakers who have successfully passed these two tests are deemed worthy of putting their chosen champagne in the unique ‘Special Club’ bottle which may not be used by anyone except the members of the Club Trésors. Obtaining this ‘Holy Grail’ is a true accolade and one that requires daily dedication and application by the wine maker. Only in this way can our select group guarantee to champagne lovers everywhere the exceptional quality and unique artisan character of our champagnes. Youthful – Radiance – 2 to 3 years old Mature – Balance – From3/4 to 6/8 years Aged – Completeness & Complexity – More than 6/8 years old DOSAGE - CLASSIFICATION Brut nature 3 Extra Brut 6 Brut 12 Extra Dry 12 17 Dry ou Sec 17 32 Demi Sec 32 50 Doux 50 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 grammes de sucre/litre http://www.champagnelemesnil.com/en/historic/78/ http://www.louis-roederer.com/en/house http://www.champagne-jacquart.com/en/home http://www.greatdomaines.co.za/54-larmandier-bernier http://www.greatdomaines.co.za/57-vilmart-et-cie http://www.greatdomaines.co.za/55-marguet-pere-et-fils http://www.champagnediscovery.com/review-benoit-lahaye/4579115663 http://www.champagne-gardet.com/ http://www.domperignon.com/ https://www.krug.com/ http://www.salondelamotte.com/ CHAMPAGNE LES MESNIL Founded in 1937, Le Mensil is proud of its rich Champagne drawn from the chalky soil of its prestigious terroir. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is in the heart of the Cote de Blancs, located 20 km south of Epernay in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. It is classified among the Grands Crus of Champagne. The vineyards comprise of chalk on quite a slope producing only Chardonnay. Le Mesnil gives rise to lightness, delicacy, roundness and freshness. Most Le Mesnil's grapes are sold to Salon and Laurent Perrier and to other Grande Marque houses. 100% Chardonnay. There are 17 Grand Cru AOC And only 7 = Blanc de Blancs Total 309 ha with 667 Members 2014 Production = 13 248 kg/ha Cuvée élaborée par assemblage de chardonnay du village du Mesnil sur Oger, de différentes années qui sont sélectionnées pour leur finesse et leur légèreté qui délivrent des arômes complexes et gourmands.