CHAMPAGNE
This combination of weather influences makes for constant, moderate
precipitation – a near-ideal pattern of rainfall that provides the vines with just
enough water to produce quality fruit. Mean annual rainfall for the Champagne
region as a whole is close to 700mm, ranging from 600mm to 900mm depending
on the area.
This combination of weather influences makes for constant, moderate
precipitation – a near-ideal pattern of rainfall that provides the vines with just
enough water to produce quality fruit. Mean annual rainfall for the Champagne
region as a whole is close to 700mm, ranging from 600mm to 900mm depending
on the area.
8 Soil and subsoil A chalk pit in Reims Soil and subsoil Chalky subsoil The subsoil in Champagne is predominantly limestone. Outcropping sediments are likewise composed of 75% limestone (chalk, marl and limestone proper). This type of terrain provides good drainage and also explains why certain Champagne wines have a distinctly mineral taste. Champagne’s extensive chalk deposits show as outcrops in the vineyard areas of the Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Vitry-le-François, but are buried deep underground on the Montagne de Reims. Elsewhere, chalky soils give way to a greater proportion of marls, clays and sands, in the Vallée de la Marne (to the west of Châtillon-sur-Marne) and in the hills surrounding Reims (Saint-Thierry, Vallée de l’Ardre and Montagne ouest). Marls essentially take over in the Côte des Bar vineyards (Bar-sur-Aube and Bar-sur-Seine). The chalk in Champagne consists of calcite granules that are formed from the skeletal plates of coccolithopores (marine phytoplankton), and is characterized by the presence of belemnite fossils (marine invertebrates of the Mesozoic era). Being highly porous, chalk acts as a natural reservoir (holding 300 to 400 litres of water per m3), providing the vines with just enough water even in the driest summers. Chalk draws in water through capillary action. The effort required to tap into this water supply puts the vines under just enough water stress in the growing season to achieve that delicate balance of ripeness, acidity and berry aroma potential.
Lithological formations of the Champagne vineyard N Château- ierry Rock types Chalk Charly-sur-Marne Villenauxela-Grande Fismes Vallée de la Marne N 3 Vallée de l'Ardre Hard and soft limestone, calcareous sands Marls (calcareous clays) Clays and argillaceous alluvium Siliceous sand Slope wash (composite rock) Massif de Saint-Thierry A 4 Petit-Morin Grand-Morin Ville-en- Tardenois Dormans Surmelin Châtillonsur-Marne N 4 Ardre Sézanne Côte de Sézanne Montgueux N 60 N 44 Vesle N 31 A 26 N 51 Reims Aÿ Avize Vertus Verzy Épernay Troyes Marne N 51 Vesle Côte des Blancs Bar-sur-Seine A 4 Laignes Montagne de Reims N 44 Seine N 4 N 44 N 19 Vitryle-François Bar-sur-Aube Côte des Bar N 71 Saulx A 5 Aube Essoyes Ource Les Riceys Mussy-sur-Seine Landion Soil and subsoil 9
- Page 1 and 2: CHAMPAGNE from terroir to wine vign
- Page 3 and 4: CHAMPAGNE from terroir to wine Cont
- Page 5 and 6: The Champagne wine-growing region N
- Page 7: Average annual temperature is just
- Page 11 and 12: Château- ierry Main grape varietie
- Page 13 and 14: Planting The grubbing-up and replan
- Page 15 and 16: Bio-diversity and landscapes The re
- Page 17 and 18: Guyot training, before pruning Vall
- Page 19 and 20: A vine before pinching back penetra
- Page 21 and 22: A porter of picking baskets today.
- Page 23 and 24: colouring agents. Taille musts prod
- Page 25 and 26: alcoholic fermentation Alcoholic fe
- Page 27 and 28: Blending Assemblage is the art of b
- Page 29 and 30: and second fermentation Traditional
- Page 31 and 32: The special tirage stopper meanwhil
- Page 33 and 34: Disgorgement The purpose of disgorg
- Page 35 and 36: Final corking - shaking and final i
- Page 37 and 38: • The registration and code numbe
- Page 39 and 40: DOWNY MILDEW: Fungal disease of vin
- Page 41 and 42: CHAMPAGNE du terroir au vin vignero
- Page 43: CHAMPAGNE from terroir to wine
Lithological formations<br />
of the Champagne vineyard<br />
N<br />
Château-<br />
ierry<br />
Rock types<br />
Chalk<br />
Charly-sur-Marne<br />
Villenauxela-Grande<br />
Fismes<br />
Vallée de la Marne<br />
N 3<br />
Vallée de l'Ardre<br />
Hard and soft limestone,<br />
calcareous sands<br />
Marls (calcareous clays)<br />
Clays and argillaceous alluvium<br />
Siliceous sand<br />
Slope wash (composite rock)<br />
Massif de<br />
Saint-Thierry<br />
A 4<br />
Petit-Morin<br />
Grand-Morin<br />
Ville-en-<br />
Tardenois<br />
Dormans<br />
Surmelin<br />
Châtillonsur-Marne<br />
N 4<br />
Ardre<br />
Sézanne<br />
Côte de Sézanne<br />
Montgueux<br />
N 60<br />
N 44<br />
Vesle<br />
N 31<br />
A 26<br />
N 51<br />
Reims<br />
Aÿ<br />
Avize<br />
Vertus<br />
Verzy<br />
Épernay<br />
Troyes<br />
Marne<br />
N 51<br />
Vesle<br />
Côte des Blancs<br />
Bar-sur-Seine<br />
A 4<br />
Laignes<br />
Montagne<br />
de Reims<br />
N 44<br />
Seine<br />
N 4<br />
N 44<br />
N 19<br />
Vitryle-François<br />
Bar-sur-Aube<br />
Côte des Bar<br />
N 71<br />
Saulx<br />
A 5<br />
Aube<br />
Essoyes<br />
Ource<br />
Les Riceys Mussy-sur-Seine<br />
Landion<br />
Soil and subsoil<br />
9
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