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2012 Champagne Report
web: j jbuckley .com
phone: 888.85.wines (888.859.4637)
emai l : info@jjbuckley .com
twit ter : @j jbuckleywines
7305 edgewater dr ive , su i te d | oakland, ca 94621
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 4
Language of Champagne 4-23
Wineries 4
Regions & Vineyards 5
Cte des Bar A Look 6
Winemakers 7
Winemaking 8
Classic Grapes 9
Rare Grapes 10-14
Wine Styles 15-17
The Saigne Ros Process 18
Vintage 19
Corks & Aging 20
Reading the Label 21
Bottle Size 22
The Serving Debate 23
Grandes Marques 24-41
Bollinger 25
Charles Heidsieck 26
Deutz 27
G.H. Mumm 28
Heidsieck Monopole 29
Henriot 30-31
Krug 32
Laurent-Perrier 33
Louis Roederer 34
Nicolas Feuillatte 35
Perrier Jouet 36
Piper-Heidsieck 37
Pol Roger 38
Pommery 39
Salon 40
Taittinger 41
Mini-Marques 42-53
Alfred Gratien 43
Ayala 44
Billecart-Salmon 45
Canard Duchene 46
Delamotte 47
Devaux 48
Drappier 49
Gosset 50
Philipponnat 51
Thienot 52
Vranken 53
Growers 54-82
A. Margaine 55
Agrapart 56
Chartogne-Taillet 57
Coutier 58
Diebolt-Vallois 59
Dosnon+Lepage 60
Fleury 61
Gardet 62
Gaston Chiquet 63
Henri Billiot 64
Henri Goutrobe 65
J. Lassalle 66
Jean Lallement 67
Jean Milan 68
L. Aubry 69
Larmandier-Bernier 70
Moutard 71
Mouss 72-73
Paul Bara 74
Pehu-Simonet 75
Pierre Gimonnet 76
Pierre Pters 77
Ren Geoffroy 78
Saint-Chimant 79
Stephane Coquillette 80
Vazart-Coquart 81
Vilmart 82
About This Report 83
3
CHAMPAGNE: A CELEBRATION OF STYLE by Chuck Hayward
Nothing stands as a symbol of celebra-
tion more than champagne. Fashionable
in Europe for centuries, it assumed its
place at the best tables in America
around the time of the Civil War. Even
back then, Champagne was a global
product and its popularity and percep-
tion as a luxury item led many countries
to make their own versions of sparkling
wine. But the real stuff has always
been the most sought-after interpreta-
tion.
Today, Champagne, both the region and
the drink, finds itself at a crossroads. It
has never been more in demand, as the
taste for the best wines has spread from
Europe and the Americas, to the Far
East and other countries. Top cuves
like Cristal and Dom Perignon sell
briskly and have established themselves
as "must have" wines. At the same time,
the global financial crisis has taken the
wind out of the sails at the bottom end
of the market. Reports of falling exports
and distress sales by many Champagne
houses continue to make the news.
The Champagne industry is becoming
increasingly dominated by multination-
al corporations that own a number of
brands in an effort to develop a portfo-
lio of luxury products. Their financial
clout and marketing power have al-
lowed these brands to populate shelves
and wine lists globally. At the other end
of the spectrum, grower champagnes
are carving out small niches in the mar-
ket, popular among those who eschew
the corporate mentality of the big hous-
es. These come from small producers
who offer personalized winemaking styles
and expressions of each property's unique
terroir. This has not gone unnoticed by the
larger Champagne producers, who are
working feverishly to improve their prod-
ucts, especially their top of the line tte-de-
cuves. In terms of quality and diversity, its
a great time to be drinking the real deal.
The future of champagne, however, is
cloudy. Because many consumers only pop
the corks during holidays and celebrations,
the region needs to change how people
view Champagne as a whole rather than
wasting energy on protecting use of the
name. More clarity about how Champagne
is made, along with promotion of the re-
gion's rich history, would also help. Show-
ing the diverse styles of Champagne and
its adaptability at the table would go a long
way toward increasing sales across the
board. And as they say, a rising tide lifts all
boats
Champagne is also suffering from growing
pains. The region, which has diligently
protected its reputation by limiting the
number of acres certified to grow grapes,
cannot expand production without author-
izing higher yields from existing vine-
yards. Each year, the CIVC (Comit Inter-
professionnel du Vin de Champagne) authoriz-
es the yields that will be allowed for the
harvest, and in this way they can protect
the prices paid to growers by raising or
lowering figures as demand fluctuates. As
wine consumption increases globally, there
will be upward pressure on prices and an
inability to adjust to market demands by
increasing production without expanding
the boundaries of the Champagne AOC.
Hence, for the first time in decades, there
are now discussions about increasing the
number of acres in the Champagne region.
Crus from various villages are under con-
sideration for this expansion and a few
marginal sites will lose the right to grow
grapes that can be designated for Cham-
pagne production. The debate is heated,
and there are concerns that the sites under
consideration are only marginally suited
for growing superior grapes. This expan-
sion will not occur before 2020 at the earli-
est, if it happens at all. But one thing for
certaindemand for bona fide Champagne
will continue unabated until then and be-
yond.
In this report, we hope to provide infor-
mation which will allow emerging fans to
know where to launch their exploration of
champagne, and enable current Cham-
pagne aficionados to delve a little deeper.
Cheers!
Chuck Hayward
4
Wineries Over the past 100 years, many Cham-
pagne houses have become household
names via combination of quality, quan-
tity, and the power of advertising. Yet
there are still shelves and wine lists
filled with obscure estates and enigmat-
ic labels. To help you get your bearings,
Ive placed the houses reviewed in this
report into three categories:
The Grandes Marques: Most of cham-
pagnes production comes from one of
these wineries. Typically with a history
dating back to champagnes heyday in
the mid-1800s, today these properties
produce a wide range of styles aimed at
different price points Most grandes
marques cuves are blends fashioned
from purchased grapes and wines since
they do not own enough land to supply
their entire production.
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE A brief introduction
Champagne is one of the most difficult
wine producing regions to understand
and one might expect that, given that
there are 75,000 acres worked by 15,000
growers funneling their fruit into over
20,000 different labels. At the same time,
Champagne is one of the most identifia-
ble wine styles, with the price of ubiqui-
tous brands like Veuve Clicquot as well
known to consumers as the price of die-
sel is to truckers. Yet with so many wine
styles, a dizzying number of brands, as
well as myths and old notions that per-
sist even today, learning about Cham-
pagne can confound the most deter-
mined wine enthusiast. The following
pages contain a bit of information that
will help you understand this bubbly
subject.
The Mini-Marques: This is a group of
properties and labels owned by larger
Champagne houses that are more
specialized in what they produce than
the grandes marques, yet their produc-
tion is significantly less. They may
also own enough vineyards to take
care of a significant proportion of
their needs.
The Grower-Champagnes: This cate-
gory actually comprises the most
number of labels although a very
small proportion of the total amount
of Champagne produced. Only 3% of
the total Champagne imported into
the United States comes from this
segment of the market. Grower-
champagnes are gaining popularity,
as consumers search for site driven
wines made by passionate grower-
winemakers. As a hedge, many grow-
ers will sell a portion of their fruit to
the bigger houses, retaining selected
parcels for their own production.
5
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE The dirt
Regions & Vineyards Champagne's tradition of blending dif-
ferent lots to comprise a final cuve re-
flects the nature of a region where thou-
sands of small plots of land, farmed by
many families, necessitates that most
wineries make a wine that is the sum of
these individual parts. This has allowed
the grandes marques to select and blend
grapes from differing vineyards to make
a consistent style of wine. Smaller prop-
erties must work with the fruit from
vineyards they own and in such cases
create wines that are more reflective of
their unique site as well as the condi-
tions of the vintage. Understanding the
basic fruit sources available to the
Champagne producer, whether they be
big or small, goes a long way to under-
standing the style you are likely to en-
counter.
There are five grape growing regions
that provide Champagne wineries with
the bulk of the grapes allowed to be
grown:
Montagne de Reims: Predominantly
planted to pinot noir, the villages facing
north/north-east have more spine and
tension and tend to offer more aromat-
ics. A fuller-bodied expression of pinot
noir comes from crus with south/
southeast exposures with many prized
for their richness of their flavors.
Ctes des Blancs: Full of white, chalky
soils, the vineyards from here are large-
ly dedicated to the production of char-
donnay with finer and leaner expres-
sions coming from the northern crus. As
you progress south, the fruit gets riper
and the chardonnay gains more body.
Valle de la Marne: Located east of the
Champagne towns of Epernay and
Reims, there are few grand cru sites to
be found here. A large chunk of pinot
meunier comes from here.
The Cte des Bar: The southernmost
growing region allowed to grow grapes
for champagne, the Cote's warmer tem-
peratures permit the fruit here to attain
higher levels of sugar at harvest. Wines
from here will be weightier and more
textured than the more renowned vine-
yards up north.
Cte de Szanne: Another southern
area for growing grapes, chardonnay is
the dominant variety and achieves rich-
er texture thanks to the warmer temper-
atures.
Premier Cru & Grand Cru Vineyards You will also sometimes see "premier
cru" and "grand cru" designations on a
Champagne label. In the early 20th cen-
tury, the vineyards of each village were
ranked on a scale of 80 to 100 in an at-
tempt to normalize pricing for the many
growers selling their grapes to the large
firms. Since then, the grower-producer
consortium sets a price for a kilogram of
grapes each year and those villages with
vineyards ranked 100% receive the full
set price. Growers in lesser ranked vil-
lages stand to receive a percentage of
the price equivalent to their ranking.
There are currently 17 villages ranked at
100% and thusly designated as grand
cru villages. Premier cru sites are
ranked between 90-99% and any wine
so labeled cannot contain fruit from
vineyards ranked below 90%.
The grand cru and premier cru designa-
tions are not as much of a quality indi-
cator as that which exists in Bordeaux or
Burgundy. Each village in Champagne
consists of many different crus with
different soils and exposures as a village
might have in Burgundy. However, all
the vineyards within each village re-
ceive the designated ranking and there
is no allowance made for plots of higher
or lesser quality within the village. Simi-
larly, wines made from a grand cru vil-
lage may vary widely in style and quali-
ty; there is no official tasting of wines
from these areas to ensure that each
grand cru Champagne measures up to a
pre-determined standard of quality.
By practice, the tete-de-cuves of the
grandes marques are almost always com-
prised of grapes from 100% ranked or
grand cru villages, although from time
to time, premier cru sites may be used.
In addition, given that premier crus
sites can range in ranking from 90 to
99%, few wines are designated as prem-
ier cru on the label.
6
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Highlighting the Cte des Bar
With the word Champagne comes a fair
amount of confusion. The promotional
agency for French Champagne spends a
considerable amount of effort (and Eu-
ros) attempting to protect its brand and
image from infringement. They have
been somewhat successful, at least as far
as promoting Champagne as a region in
France.
As Champagne finds increasing favor
among wine enthusiasts, much has been
done to educate consumers and the
trade about the different areas that
make up the appellation. Regions like
the Cotes des Blancs and the Montagne
de Reims are beginning to gain recogni-
tion as significant producers of quality
champagne. In getting to know more
about the Champagne region, it might
be surprising to know that there are five
different subregions that make up the
appellation. One region you don't hear
much about is the Aube, but that's about
to change.
The Aube region, increasingly referred
to as the Cte des Bar by the wine trade,
is located 70 miles and an hour south of
Champagnes main growing regions.
Given the 17,000 acres devoted to grape
growing, about 20% of the appellation,
it is somewhat surprising that so little is
known about the Cte des Bar. A num-
ber of reasons might contribute to its
relative obscurity.
When the boundaries and regulations of
the appellation were originally formu-
lated, growers based in Reims and
Epernay did not want to include vine-
yards of the Aube. But the locals rioted
until organizers eventually agreed to
include their vineyards in the new ap-
pellation. Then, as now, no villages
were assigned premier or grand cru
status. In fact, the Aube was referred to
a deuxieme zone and the area assumed a
marginalized status within Champagne.
Growers from the wineries near
Epernay and Reims rarely acknowl-
edged using fruit from the Aube, which
created further distance between the
two regions.
The Cte des Bar has distinctly different
soil types compared to the regions clus-
tered around the Marne Valley. While
they are all chalk based, the Aube vine-
yards are grown on a subset of soils
similar to those in Chablis, located only
40 miles away. More importantly, the
more southern location means warmer
temperatures which allows for riper
fruit.
Those differences, however, eventually
led to more attention for the region. As
prices for vineyards and grapes near
Epernay and Reims climbed to new
heights, larger producers increasingly
looked south. Though sometimes kept
secret, the Cte des Bar has proven to be
a more affordable component to blends
made by the larger firms. Able to pro-
vide ripe fruit consistently, the grapes
also provide more weight and textures
compared to the leaner structures from
northern sites.
Increasingly, the Cte des Bar has been
the scene for much of the innovation to
recently occur in Champagne. Do-
maines there were among the first to
adopt organic and viticultural practices,
innovative cellaring techniques such as
indigenous yeasts for fermentation and
low sulfur additions at bottling. Much
of this has come from new winemakers
moving into the area, thanks to lower
prices for vineyards and less stifling
traditions that dominate life and com-
merce further north. The houses of the
Cte des Bar are certainly worth investi-
gating for new interpretations of what
Champagne can produce.
7
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE The unknown artists
Winemakers In the past, you rarely heard about the
winemakers behind the champagne.
This was partially due to the corporate
nature of many large Champagne hous-
es where the power of the brand and
integrity of the house style came first,
with winemakers being interchangeable
and somewhat secondary. In addition,
because the house style was so im-
portant, the winemakers were simply
there, working behind the scenes to put
the pieces together. Today, things are
different.
For one, the rise of the "grower-
champagne" category has changed the
nature of the story being told to the
market. At most of these properties, the
grower and winemaker are one and the
same. Getting to know the winemaker
becomes more important because it is
their decisions that affect the style of
bubbly they produce. Accordingly, the
larger Champagne houses now realize
that quality must not remain static, and
it is up to the winemakers to improve
their product in an effort to remain both
relevant and competitive.
In the future you will undoubtedly start
reading more about the winemakers
behind the brands. That's to be ex-
pected, of course, from the smaller es-
tates. But it is the larger grandes marques,
with the power of public relations dol-
lars behind them, combined with the
never-ending need for journalists to
come up with a new story, where we
will begin to see the rise of the star
Champagne winemaker.
Thus far, Champagne winemakers that
enjoy a bit of international recognition
have stayed tremendously loyal to their
employers. As such, there is little indus-
try gossip surrounding leadership
changes in the winemaking teams that
work in Champagne. But given the re-
cent history of other winemaking re-
gions, you might expect winemakers
like Richard Geoffroy of Dom Prignon,
probably Champagne's first superstar
winemaker, to create some buzz should
he ever decide to make a move. Its just
a matter of time.
8
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE The practice
Winemaking With the increasing diversity and avail-
ability of champagnes in the market,
understanding the winemaking tech-
niques behind a bottle of Champagne is
becoming increasingly important as
they will provide some indication of the
style you can expect. Accordingly, both
trade and consumers are asking more
questions about winemaking practices.
Hundreds of years ago, Champagne
was made much like other wines neces-
sitating the use of wood and later con-
crete to ferment and age the base wine.
As technology progressed, there was an
increasing use of stainless steel to pro-
cess fermentations in a controlled man-
ner. These wines were fresher and crisp-
er, with less toasty and oxidized flavors
than those fermented and aged in oak
barrels.
Today's winemakers have a wider
choice in making their blends. Houses
like Bollinger and Krug maintain long
held traditions with the use of oak
(usually older, neutral vessels) in fer-
mentation and aging to give their wines
a more robust character. Because of this,
they use more pinot noir in their cham-
pagnes, which is able to withstand oak
aging. Other properties looking to pre-
serve the minerality, elegance and fresh-
ness from the more delicate chardonnay
grape might avoid the use of oak alto-
gether. Often however, a blend of the
two is preferred, in order to create a
more complex wine.
Another decision that winemakers are
faced with is whether to put their base
wines through malolactic fermentation.
Again, particularly with smaller houses
that rely on chardonnay as a major com-
ponent, the decision to use this process
can change the nature of the final blend.
Wines that do not go through malolactic
fermentation, or malo, will be more
taut on the palate, preserving the
grape's minerality. On the other hand, if
you want to add a creamy texture by
lowering the acid profile on the palate,
malolactic fermentations can be of assis-
tance.
The final and most important decision
made by Champagne winemakers is the
composition of the dosage, also known
as the liqueur d'expedition. This blend of
sugar with wine or grape must can be
manipulated to achieve a certain style of
wine. The amount of sugar in the dosage
will also determine whether the final
wine is labeled brut, extra dry,
ultra brut, demi-sec, etc. In recent
years, champagnes have become drier,
with tte-decuve and small estate
blends using less sugar in the dosage.
These are just a few of the questions that
are increasingly being asked by our
customers at JJ Buckley. My hope is that
by helping you become aware of the
choices faced by winemakers, you will
understand the style of Champagne you
prefer.
9
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
Grapes Champagne can be made from nine
grapes as proscribed by law. Chardon-
nay, pinot meunier and pinot noir form
the foundation for most cuves. Howev-
er, grapes like pinot blanc, arbanne,
petit meslier, pinot gris, pinot de juillet
and pinot ros are also allowed, alt-
hough these varieties make up only
0.2% of the vines in the region.
Most non-vintage cuves contain the
three mainstay grapes and the propor-
tions vary considerably from house to
house. Vintage and tte-de-cuve blends
are predominantly chardonnay and
pinot noir combinations with percent-
ages varying according to each estate's
preferred style.
Chardonnay and pinot noir are the most
important grapes in the production of
champagne, comprising the majority of
the grandes cuves and vintage releases.
These grapes complement each other
quite well with pinot noir providing
body and structure, while chardonnay
adds lightness and finesse. By altering
the blend in either direction, the wine-
maker can construct a blend that suits
the style of the house or his personal
preference.
While chardonnay is grown throughout
Champagne, the grape achieves its best
expression on the east facing slopes of
the Ctes des Blancs, the hills that lie
directly southeast of Epernay. Each of
the villages sprinkled along the Ctes
have slight variations in soils and expo-
sure, creating subtle differences in the
base wine. The larger houses will blend
wines from different crus to create lay-
ers of complexity and nuance in the
final cuve while many smaller grower-
champagnes are limited to the grapes
sourced from their individual plots.
Pinot noir is grown predominantly in
the northern Montagne de Reims that
separates Epernay from Reims. Vine-
yards facing south along the Marne Riv-
er are prized for their power and struc-
ture while eastern and northern expo-
sures provide a leaner, mineral-laced
style of pinot. The pinot noir component
adds structure and body to the final cu-
ve and is also a vital component in ros
champagnes, where it contributes color
and fruity flavors to the finished wine.
Pinot meunier is largely grown in the
Valle de la Marne located directly west
of Epernay and Reims. Although techni-
cally a "black grape" due to the dark
color of its skin, the wine is more neutral
in flavor as compared to pinot noir.
Winemakers often see meunier as a
bridge between the chardonnay and
pinot noir, linking the finesse and power
of the two grapes. Rarely bottled by it-
self and frequently absent from vintage
or other prestige cuves, the house of
Krug is one of the region's few champi-
ons of the grape.
10
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
Champagnes Indigenous Varieties If there is anything that wine enthusi-
asts have committed to their memories,
it's that chardonnay, pinot noir and pi-
not meunier, in varying proportions, are
the three grapes used to make Cham-
pagne. Like many other details about
the wine and the region, that's just a bit
of the actual truth. Because as wine
geeks and aspiring MS and MW stu-
dents know, it's that seven grapes are
legally allowed to be used in the pro-
duction of Champagne. All of a sudden,
Champagne drinkers are hearing about
grapes such as arbane and pinot blanc
vrai, fromenteau and pinot meslier in
their bubblies. What's going on and how
did this happen?
In the 19th century, when the Cham-
pagne industry began the process of
becoming what it is today, there were
few regulations on what grapes were
allowed to be grown. Champagne re-
sembled most other growing regions in
France, if not the world. Records from
the time indicate that grapes such as
chasselas, savignin and gamay were
grown in Champagne along with a wide
range of lesser known varieties, many of
which are now extinct. A census of vari-
eties undertaken in 1910 revealed 39
distinct types of pinot noir in the Cham-
pagne region alone, each with a unique
name.
As the French wine industry became
more regulated around the start of the
20th century (with Champagne among
the first regions to do so), one of the first
topics addressed was the question of
permitted varieties. At the time, the
reputation of the region's wines had
suffered due to the introduction of low-
er quality grapes as well as fruits such
as rhubarb and pears from other regions
of France. In addition, the region's vine-
yards had been decimated following
World War I and a replanting regimen
needed to be organized in order to en-
sure that only those grapes of the high-
est quality were allowed.
Accordingly, laws were organized stip-
ulating what grapes were permitted in
the production of Champagne. Starting
with regulations set up in 1935, prefer-
ence was awarded to the three main
grape varieties, chosen for their suitabil-
ity to the region's terroir as well as to the
finished wine. A number of other grapes
were outlawed completely but growers
were given a period of time before the
law would be enforced. The most nota-
ble grape affected by this new regulation
was gamay which was to be torn up by
1942. That deadline was extended to
1962, due to World War II.
Laws just passed in 2010 outlawed even
more varieties, and stipulated that while
ancient vines were allowed for Cham-
pagne production, new plantings of cer-
tain grapes were not allowed. Growers,
however, can replant designated varie-
ties in any existing vineyards that al-
ready have them. These grapes, detailed
on the next page, are the main focus for
the new wave of Champagne's heritage
vine cuves. Today, even though vine-
yards dedicated to Champagne's indige-
nous varietals make up less than .01% of
all the region's plantings, they are com-
pensating for their low profile with a
renewed share of interest and attention.
11
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
Champagnes Ancient Grapes Champagne's main growing areas, the
Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne
and the Cotes des Blancs, have long
dominated the region's focus and com-
merce. Many of the rules and regula-
tions that were put into effect in the
early 20th century were quickly adopted
by these areas (close to Reims and
Epernay, the centers of Champagne's
commerce).
The Cotes des Bar, however, was quite
distant geographically from those main
regions and there was considerable de-
bate as to whether this area should even
be included in the Champagne appella-
tion. Most of the grapes in the Cotes des
Bar were sold to larger wineries that
preferred the riper wines that resulted
from the region's warmer temperatures.
Being a poorer area with a lower profile,
change came slowly to the Cotes des
Bar. The growers had little incentive to
modernize vineyards and the lack of
producers in the region meant there was
no pressure from local Champagne
houses as well. Accordingly, many of
Champagne's ancient vines remained in
production, sold to larger wineries and
co-ops that cared little about their
unique qualities.
Today, the Cotes des Bar is home to
some of Champagne's newest do-
maines who have more freedom to
experiment with innovative styles,
reviving the region's legacy. These
wineries have been among the strong-
est advocates for bringing attention to
the lost varieties, and they deserve
recognition for their efforts.
Arbane
This is one of the two varieties unique to
Champagne that are still permitted by
law. About 2.5 acres remain, with most
of the vineyards located in the warmer
Cotes des Bar. According to Moutard
winery, the region had significant plant-
ings of Arbane but they lost favor due to
the grape's susceptibility to frost.
Moutard is one of the few wineries to
make a monovarietal bottling - most
other houses blend arbane with other
grapes.
Petit Meslier
This rare grape is a cross of gouais blanc
and savagnin that, despite its difficulty
in the vineyards, is prized for its ability
to retain acidity, even in warmer vintag-
es. The grape, however, suffers from
low yields and is prone to disease,
which is likely what led to its downfall.
There are thought to be about 20 hec-
tares of petit meslier left in Champagne
as well as a small planting in the Eden
Valley of Australia, where it is also
made into a sparkling wine. Usually
blended with the Champagne's other
indigenous grapes, Duval-Leroy is one
of the few houses to still make a 100%
petit meslier.
Pinot Blanc
A widely planted grape in Alsace but
also prevalent in many other countries,
pinot blanc played a considerable role in
Burgundian and Champenois viticulture
in the 19th century. But as agencies for
those regions began to create regulations
governing viticulture, pinot blanc lost its
favor among both growers and govern-
ment officials as chardonnay became the
preferred varietal. One can easily under-
stand pinot blancs former popularity in
Champagne as it was widely used in
Burgundy to make the sparkling wine,
Cremant de Bourgogne.
Pinot Gris
Known locally as fromenteau gris, the
home of pinot gris is nearby Alsace, but
it is also widely planted throughout the
globe. The fromenteau name also applies
to pinot gris grown in the Languedoc. It
lost its popularity in Champagne due to
poor yields and difficulty to ripen in the
lower northern temperatures.
12
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
Producers What follows is a list of producers who
have made cuves that highlight these
rare varieties. While it is by no means
comprehensive, it will steer the curious
in the right direction. And we can ex-
pect to see more bottlings emerge over
the years, as growers uncover forgotten
plots of vines and domaines start to
bottle their own wines (instead of sell-
ing their crops to co-ops or larger pro-
ducers).
Aubry
The Aubry family has probably
achieved the most recognition for their
work with Champagne's ancient varie-
ties thanks to Terry Theise, the do-
maine's enigmatic American importer.
This small domaine of 17 hectares is
located in the Montagne de Reims. In
preparation for the winery's bicentenni-
al, the family decided to replicate a
blend that might have been produced at
the time of their domaines founding.
The Aubrys have three cuves that uti-
lize some proportion of ancient varie-
ties. Their most famous cuve, "La
Nombre dOr Campanae Veteres Vites",
means old vines of the countryside. The
most recent release of their classic brut
bottling is the first to see 5% of the cu-
ve contain a blend of petit meslier,
arbanne and fromenteau. The latest cu-
ve uses all seven permitted varieties
and is a blend of 20% pinot gris and
pinot blanc, 20% petit meslier, 15% char-
donnay, 25% pinot noir, 5% pinot
meunier and 15% arbanne. Cham-
pagne's only rose that sees any old vari-
eties also comes from Aubry. Their
"2006 Sabl Ros Nicolas Franois Au-
bry" is the estate's most recent release
and is comprised of 35% cofermented
pinot noir and pinot meunier, 15% char-
donnay, 20% arbanne, 20% petit meslier
and 10% still pinot meunier.
Bouchard
A close friend of the folks at famed
Jacques Selosse, Cedric Bouchard owns
vineyards which include a .21 hectare
plot of 40 year-old pinot blanc. 2005 was
the first vintage for a cuve named "La
Boloree", produced from this variety. It
has 4.5 bars of pressure compared to the
standard 6, so there is less effervescence
in this bot-
tling. Most
reviewers rec-
ommend a few
years on cork
before it reaches its peak. A very rare
wine, only 800-1000 bottles are made
each year.
Drappier
Located in the Cte des Bar, Drappier
maintains its position as one of the best
wineries in the region. Not content to
rest on past success, the domaines work
in biodynamics and minimal sulfur ad-
ditions are just two examples of where
Michel Drappier pushes the envelope.
The family's extensive vineyards includ-
ed some old plantings of Arbanne, Pinot
Meslier, Pinot Blanc (which rarely rip-
ened, according to Michel's father). In
2000, Michel blended those grapes with
some chardonnay in a new wine desig-
nated "Cuve Quattror" and he is quite
pleased with the blend, believing that
global warming (or Le Bon Probleme, as
some French vintners have coined it) has
allowed these unique grapes to achieve
full maturity.
13
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
Diligent
The Franois Diligent label produces a
100% pinot blanc cuve with fruit plant-
ed on Kimmeredgian soils in the Cotes
des Bar. The label is owned by the par-
ent company that also owns Cham-
pagne Moutard, a house that specializes
in Champagnes from the region's alter-
native varieties.
Dufour
Typically for the Cte des Bar, the ma-
jority of the plantings for this house are
planted to pinot noir. Charles Dufour's
vineyard has about 75% pinot noir, an-
other 23% dedicated to chardonnay, and
a parcel each of pinot meunier and pinot
blanc making up the rest. The pinot
blanc is designated for their
"Simplement Blanc" cuve which sees
no dosage. Reviews have indicated that
the style of this Champagne is quite
unique, possessing considerable weight
(which makes sense given pinot blanc's
inherent texture).
Duval-Leroy
In the vintages of 1998, 2001 and 2004,
this Cotes des Blancs negociant made a
Champagne from 100% petit meslier for
their Aunthentis program. It is unclear
if this cuve is still in production but it
has received good reviews.
Gerbais
Pierre Gerbais has fashioned a Cham-
pagne of 100% pinot blanc vrai from a
plot whose vines can be traced back to
1904. The site is in the Cotes des Bar and
is planted on Kimmeridgian soils (also
found in Chablis). Dubbed
"L'Originale", it is probably the only
such bottling of its kind in Champagne.
Jacquesson
Jacqueson is reputed to have produced
some experimental bottlings of pure
petit-meslier from a quarter of acre of
vines planted in the grand cru village of
Dizy in the Montagne de Reims. It is
unclear if they intend to continue with
monovarietal bottlings or add it to the
Dizy Corne Bautray cuve.
Laherte
The Lahertes own 75 parcels of vines
spread across 10 villages. In 2003, Thier-
ry planted an assortment of ancient va-
rieties in the village of the Chavot, near
Epernay at the Montagne des Reims.
The plot is planted as follows: 10% fro-
menteau, 8% arbanne, 14% pinot noir,
18% chardonnay, 17% pinot blanc, 18%
pinot meunier and 15% petit meslier. All
are blended together in one cuve. 2005
saw the first bottling, released in an ex-
tra brut style based on 60% from the
most recent vintage, along with 40%
reserve wine.
Moutard
The house of Moutard, located in the
Cotes des Bar village of in Buxeuil, has
become one of Champagne's most prom-
inent exponents of wines from ancient
varieties. They are the only producer of a
100% arbane, the "Cuve Arbane Vieilles
Vignes" made from vines planted in
1955. Most other producers have utilized
these heritage vines in blends rather
than produce monovarietal wines.
Moutard's example, the "Cuve des 6
Cpages", uses equal proportions of each
permitted variety, excluding pinot gris.
Prevost
Jerome Prevost has made a name for
himself with the pinot meunier-based
Champagnes from his vineyards in the
Vallee de la Marne. He recently planted
an additional .2 hectares next to his ac-
claimed Les Bguines parcel. Planted
14
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in my bubbly?
with pinot meslier, chardonnay, pinot
noir and pinot blanc, these vines are still
young and have not been designated to
a specific cuve.
Tarlant
Founded in 1687, this winery is located
in the village of Oeilly, near Epernay,
with 14 hectares of plantings spread
over 55 parcels in 4 villages. Arbanne,
pinot blanc and petit meslier vines are
included in the vineyards among the
traditional grapes, but is unclear which
cuve, if any, is designated for their
bottlings.
15
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE From dry to sweet, and in-between
Wine Styles Almost everyone gets an education in
wine styles when ordering their first
bottle of champagne. Ubiquitous dry
styles labeled Brut and Blanc de Blancs
are familiar to almost everyone. Below
are some other styles you will encoun-
ter:
Extra Dry Champagnes
Extra Dry designations are increasing-
ly a thing of the past. Partly due to con-
fusion among consumers, these slightly
sweeter styles are being renamed by
Champagne houses without this term
on the label (examples include Mot &
Chandon Nectar and Pol Roger
Riche). Ironically, this has created
even more confusion for the consumer
since without any designation to indi-
cate the level of sweetness, one has to
rely strictly on knowing these wines by
their brand name or hope that your re-
tail clerk or server is familiar with the
product.
Blanc de Noirs Champagnes
These are much less common in Cham-
pagne than California, but there are a
few, mostly from small grower-
producers who have identified small
plots of pinot that they feel merit special
attention. It may also surprise Cham-
pagne enthusiasts that two of the most
expensive cuves in the market are
blanc de noirs. Bollingers pre-
phylloxera Vieille Vignes Franaises
and Krugs Clos dAmbonnay are
100% pinot noir, commanding prices in
the thousands of dollars upon release.
Ros Champagnes
In a world where pink table wines are
often treated with derision, ros cham-
pagnes have an aura of romance and
heightened luxury. Made in limited
quantities, they usually command a
higher price than a standard cuve, thus
adding to their mystique.
Ross are made in two ways. The most
common is to add a small percentage of
still red pinot noir to the base wine prior
to cellar aging. The percentages vary
according to house preference, with
more color and softer flavors coming
from higher percentages. An addition of
about 5-10% is generally the norm, alt-
hough there are experimental wines
with higher percentages. Still pinot noir
for ros is usually sourced from villages
along the southern hills of the Monta-
gne de Reims, where the warmer sites
allow for riper grapes at harvest. Most
comes from the crus around the village
of Bouzy and surrounds.
The second method is called saigne,
where the pinot noir portion of the
Champagne blend is macerated on its
skins prior to fermentation. The result-
ing wine gains a deeper color, extracting
flavor components from the skins and
seeds. Ross made in this manner are
generally deeper in color, with rich,
viscous fruit textures as compared to the
more delicate footprint left by the tradi-
tional ros method.
It should be noted that making a ros
using the saigne method is more diffi-
cult and challenging, especially in poor
vintages where there is a reduction in
intensity of both color and flavor of the
pinot noir grapes. Thus, vintage varia-
tion among saigne ross is more likely,
whereas those made in the traditional
method benefit from more consistency
and are less labor-intensive.
Dessert Champagnes
Sweet champagnes are often an over-
looked segment of the market. It was
not that long ago that most of the
Champagne produced was sweet, but as
the British taste for drier styles became
the global fashion, demi-sec and sec
styles were relegated to the shadows.
Today, many of the grandes marques con-
tinue to make these wines, but they are
often difficult to find or not exported.
Made by adding a higher percentage of
sugar to the dosage, some of the slightly
sweet styles are a perfect match for`
spicy dishes while very sweet Cham-
pagne can be a perfect dessert on their
own.
16
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE The Drier Side of Bubbly
One recurring theme we always empha-
size in our annual Champagne report is
that the region and its wines are far
from static. It's easy to assume that
Champagne is rather dormant, with its
historic cellars and houses whose tradi-
tions and reputations often span centu-
ries. But a closer examination reveals a
dynamic and evolving industry, one
that is genuinely exciting when you peel
back the curtain.
Nowhere is this so clearly evident than
in the style of the Champagne that is
made today. Most of the bubbly we
drink now is dry, but many are sur-
prised to learn that dry Champagne is a
fairly recent development. When it en-
tered its golden era of popularity in the
19th century, most of the bubbly pro-
duced was then quite sweet. In fact,
different countries had specific prefer-
ences on the level of sweetness they
preferred (with Russia preferring very
sweet styles while England's consumers
selected the driest versions). Cham-
pagnes of that era were probably 4-5
times sweeter than what is standard
today.
As Champagne enthusiasts know, dry-
ness levels are arranged in categories.
Generally, most brut Champagnes vary
between 10-15 g/l of residual sugar,
with the slightly sweeter extra dry bot-
tlings ranging above 15 g/l to 18 g/l.
Extra brut champagnes will have less
than 6 g/l, with the non-dose or brut
sauvage cuves seeing no sugar added to
the dosage.
The sweetness in Champagne is deter-
mined by the dosage that is added to
each bottle following the disgorgement
of the dead yeast cells (which accumu-
late over the years spent in the cellar).
The main component of the dosage is the
liqueur d'exposition: a combination of
older reserve wines along with a meas-
ured amount of sugar.
The most important goal of the dosage is
to counterbalance the naturally high
acidity in any given bottle of Cham-
pagne. The winemaker must add just
enough to sugar to soften the acidity,
while retaining just enough to deliver
Champagnes trademark crisp finish.
Wine that has spent less time on its lees
tends to have more acidity, requiring
more sugar in the dosage. As Cham-
pagne ages in the cellar, the acidity sof-
tens. Therefore, vintage
and tete de cuve bot-
tlings (which typically
spend many years en
tirage) usually require
less sugar after dis-
gorgement.
At the same time, however, the dosage
also determines the ultimate style of the
finished Champagne. Add more sugar
and the resulting wine will be sweet,
while less sugar in the dosage creates a
drier style. At the same time, the chef de
cave must remain aware of the level of
acidity that he wants in the finished
wine.
Extra Brut! Extra Brut! Read All About
It
While today's Champagnes are much
drier compared to the bubbles of the
past, the last decade has seen a small yet
noticeable increase in the production of
even drier versions. The labels of these
wines are designated as extra brut,
along with other terms such as no dose,
sauvage, brut nature and brut zero mak-
ing more frequent appearances on labels
as well.
Wines with the extra brut designation
must have less than 6 g/l of finished
sugar, well below the level at which
most people can perceive sweetness and
way below the sugar level of brut bub-
blies. Dosages are permitted for the extra
brut category, but the bone dry ultra brut
or brut zero Champagnes are bottled
without any dosage.
While this trend has been closely linked
to the increase in the grower Cham-
pagnes made by small producers, bone-
dry Champagnes were introduced to
the market by larger houses many dec-
ades ago. Piper Heidsieck's Brut
Sauvage and Laurent Perrier's Ultra
Brut cuve (reintroduced in 1960) are
17
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE The Drier Side of Bubbly
two such examples.
The prevailing rationale as to why crit-
ics and winemakers prefer drier Cham-
pagne suggests that cuves should ex-
press the specific nuances of their ter-
roir. The belief is that higher amounts of
sugar mask the subtle flavors that are
meant to be preserved.
There is a danger in this new trend.
Many in the press and trade argue that
grower Champagnes are inherently
better than those wines made by the
larger houses. And because many of the
Grand Marque Champagnes are thought
to come in at around 12-15 g/l (which
would theoretically place them in the
extra dry category), the argument posits
that the drier Champagnes being made
by many of the smaller domaines are
inherently better.
This trend has not arrived without con-
troversy. For one, just because a Cham-
pagne is drier does not mean its better.
There remains a need for sugar in the
dosage to help balance out the strong
acidity in most Champagne. In addition,
there must be enough fruit in extra brut
and non-dosage cuves to ensure that the
palate does not leave an overly austere
impression. Wineries dealing with unfa-
vorable terroir or cool vintages could be
left with some mean wines. Each com-
ponent must be carefully calibrated in
order to create a balanced wine.
Taking Note
Another new trend related to the in-
creased presence of extra brut Cham-
pagne has been a change in the way in
which wine critics now prepare their
tasting notes. Over the years, it has be-
come more and more standard to see
certain bits of information included in
reviewer notes. In addition to the cepage,
disgorgement dates and lot numbers
that are increasingly evident in todays
reviews, levels of dosage are now part
of any note that aspires to be considered
complete. As a result, it sometimes
seems as though many of today's Cham-
pagne tasting notes have more numbers
than words!
It's important to remember, however,
that the stated amount of sugar in the
dosage must be taken with a grain of
salt. The grams per liter information
should not be taken as an up or down
vote on the quality of the wine being
reviewed. It is only one of many data
points now provided to help the con-
sumer. More importantly, it is only a
partial indication of how dry the Cham-
pagne will ultimately seem on the pal-
ate. Once again, the most important
factors to determine a wines quality
and style are the balance of fruit, acidity
and sugar, in addition to the perceived
sweetness that remains in the finished
wine.
18
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Saigne Ros: For those Who Prefer a Bit More Pink in their Drink
Champagne is a region that maintains
strong traditions. Change happens at a
slow pace and it seems you don't even
notice things changing until the altera-
tions have already occurred. So it is
with ros champagnes. In the past,
How was this ros made? was a ques-
tion delegated to the realm of wine
geeks. Today, in order to predict wheth-
er I will like a specific bottle, that is the
first question I ask.
The commonly accepted practice in
making ros Champagne is for still red
wine to be added, either to a blended
cuve prepared specifically for a ros
offering or to an existing blend such as
the wine designated for the classic non-
vintage brut. This addition occurs after
the primary fermentation. The still pinot
noir (or pinot meunier with some hous-
es) usually comes from the grand cru
villages of Bouzy and Ay, two particu-
larly warm sites where the grapes can
easily ripen.
Though it varies according to the prefer-
ences of the house, the percentage of
pinot added to the blend typically rang-
es from 6-12%. Naturally, smaller
amounts will create a more subtle hue
while darker colors result from higher
percentages. It is important to under-
stand, however, that simply adding
more still wine will not necessarily
make the wine fruitier or more colorful.
Colors will vary depending as much on
the quality of the added wine as on the
amount.
Recently, many Champagne houses
have begun using the saigne process to
make ross of deeper color and a more
powerful flavor statement. This tech-
nique requires the vintner to macerate
the skins and seeds of the pinot noir
component and that portion is then
blended with other grapes for the pri-
mary fermentation. This requires a bit
more attention to detail as too little or
too much time on skins can affect the
final result. In addition, poor harvest
conditions can result in less pigment
and flavor components.
The saigne process as described above
is evidenced best by Laurent Perrier's
Brut Ros, developed in 1968. Their
classic ros shows a beautiful cherry/
pink color and flavor profiles that are
round and centered on ripe fruit. Saigne
styled ross are finding increasing pres-
ence in the market, especially among
smaller domaines that are looking for
new expressions. It is generally recom-
mended that saigne ross be consumed
close to their disgorgement to capture
the youthful fruit flavors and colors.
Understanding how your ros is made
will ensure a happy occasion. If a deli-
cate style with subtle flavors and color-
ing is preferred, the method of adding
still pinot noir will likely provide the
most satisfaction. Ross with hints of
orange and drier, almost tannic, textures
are frequently made from the traditional
technique of adding still wine. The
saigne method is best for those who
want juicier fruit profiles on the palate
and more vibrant hues of pink. In the
end, it is good to know your ros cham-
pagnes so you can decide what style is
best for your occasion!
19
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Whats in a year?
Vintage The Champagne industry has not made
the question of vintage an easy issue to
address. Most champagnes that we
drink are designated by the term "non-
vintage" or NV which is actually very
inaccurate. The more correct description
is "multi-vintage" as the finished wine is
usually a blend of differing years. Nev-
ertheless, each years harvest provides
Champagne houses with a quantity of
wine that will comprise the base of the
final cuve. Older reserve wines are
added at the discretion of the winemak-
er and may comprise 5-40% of the fin-
ished product.
The concept behind blending vintages
for non-vintage wines is to create con-
sistency year in and year out. But be-
cause so much of the final cuve is
based upon the fruit from a particular
year, there will be variations even in NV
wines, depending on the success or fail-
ure of the harvest. Warmer years like
2003 will contribute more fruit and
weight to the final blend where a more
sinewy wine that results from a colder
harvest might need more reserve wines
for added body and texture. Because
grower-champagnes have smaller pro-
duction levels, a higher percentage of
their basic cuves often depend on the
fruit from one harvest.
For vintage wines and prestige cuves,
the year on the label is an indication of
that house's assessment as to the quality
of the harvest. Much like port houses,
each winery in effect "declares" a vin-
tage to be of sufficiently high quality as
to warrant a special bottling. However,
there are no government regulations
involved in this declaration other than
the requirement that wines from other
years are forbidden in a vintage cham-
pagne.
Today we are seeing more wine critics
focusing their efforts on the Champagne
segment and along with that comes crit-
ical assessment of vintage quality. Most
will agree that 1996 was one of the best
recent vintages. 2002 and 2006 are look-
ing good, but 2005 and 2007, not so
much. If the warming trend we are see-
ing continues, Champagne can expect to
see a succession of good vintages in the
future.
20
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Big bang or gentle sigh?
Corks Corks are still the preferred closure for
champagnes when they are disgorged
and released into the market. They are
wired into bottles to retain the CO2 in
the wine, which is under about five at-
mospheres of pressure.
Besides the risk of cork taint, over time
corks can lose their seal which is neces-
sary to maintain pressure, effervescence
and freshness. By checking the cork
after opening, you can get a rough idea
on when the wine was disgorged. As
you can see in the picture below, the
cork on the left is thick and has almost
expanded back to its original size. This
is a good sign that the bottle was recent-
ly disgorged and will be fresh and
Aging Champagne Champagne is best drunk fresh when
the fruit flavors are vibrant and the ef-
fervescence is active. Depending on
personal taste, however, you might pre-
fer an aged champagne. As the wine
ages, Champagne colors deepen from
lighter straw to more golden hues. Ef-
fervescence also disappears with age
and the beading may be subtle or non-
existent. Accordingly, the wine may
resemble a still wine more than the bub-
bly we are accustomed to. Pronounced
aromas of yeast and mushroom become
more evident over time while the pri-
mary fruit scents fade away.
Champagne also ages in the short term
and paying attention to disgorgement
dates can be of help in understanding
what you are tasting. After the dead
yeast cells are expelled from the bottle, a
dosage of sugar and wine is added, and
the wine is then sent down the line to
receive its cork and cap. Traditionally,
most Champagne rests for six to twelve
months after disgorgement in order to
allow the dosage and Champagne to
marry. In some cases, a recently dis-
gorged Champagne can seem disjoint-
ed, with aromas of fresh brandy spirit
dominating the bouquet. In such cases,
some additional short term aging can be
beneficial to allow the wine to become
more integrated and harmonious.
youthful. The stem on the right cork is
narrow and has not expanded at all af-
ter the bottle was opened. This is a like-
ly indication that the wine was dis-
gorged some time ago or that the wine
could have seen some warm tempera-
tures. There's a good chance that this
wine will have less effervescence and
could also be oxidized if some air has
seeped through the cork.
There is no way to tell from looking at
the cork to tell if it is tainted with TCA.
Unfortunately, the use of alternative
closures such as crown seals seems a
long way off.
21
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Reading a Champagne label
Whats with the letters? The two letter codes found in small
print on front labels are production
codes that will tell you a bit about how
the wine is made. These production
codes specifically refer to the winery's
role in growing grapes and/or purchas-
ing fruit or wine. It is important to note
they are not an indication of quality;
good and bad examples can be found in
each of the categories described below.
NM: Ngociant manipulant. These
companies buy grapes and make the
wine. Most larger Champagne houses
and grandes marques fall into this catego-
ry.
CM: Cooprative de manipulation.
This refers to co-operatives that make
wines from the growers who are mem-
bers, with all the grapes pooled togeth-
er.
RM: Rcoltant manipulant. Grower -
champagnes are usually grouped under
this category. A grower that makes wine
from its own grapes (a maximum of 5%
of purchased grapes is permitted). Note
that co-operative members who take
their bottles to be disgorged at the coop
can now label themselves as RM instead
of RC.
SR: Socit de rcoltants. An associa-
tion of growers making a shared Cham-
pagne but who are not a co-operative.
RC: Rcoltant cooprateur. A co-
operative member selling Champagne
produced by the co-operative under its
own name and label.
MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque
d'acheteur. A brand name unrelated to
the producer or grower; the name is
owned by someone else, for example a
supermarket.
ND: Ngociant distributeur. A wine
merchant selling under his own name.
.
Disgorgement Date The most important information being
included on labels today is the disgorge-
ment date. It is at this point in the wine-
making process after the dead yeast
cells are expelled or disgorged, that the
Champagne begins its the process of
aging in the bottle. Unlike still wines
that are bottled once when aging is com-
pleted, Champagne houses disgorge
their wines on demand. For non-vintage
cuves, this is often a continuous pro-
cess whereas vintage champagnes may
be disgorged and released into the mar-
ket multiple times over a period of
years.
This information is important for a
number of reasons, but mainly it will
give you an indication as to how long it
has been since the winery released that
batch of wine for sale into the market.
.
22
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE How big is your bottle?
Bottle Size Most Champagne is sold and bottled in
the standard 750ml size bottle but you
can find a dizzying array of bottle sizes
ranging from the 187ml airline bottle up
to a 30 liter bottle that contains over 3
cases of fizz. Bottle size has both ad-
vantages and drawbacks that may im-
pact your drinking pleasure.
Champagne is traditionally aged on its
lees in the basic 750ml size before it is
disgorged. A number of wineries also
cellar their wines in half bottles and
magnums. Most sparkling wines in bot-
tles of six liters or more are filled by
transferring the wine from 750s or mag-
nums into the larger vessel. Because this
transfer exposes the wine to small
amounts of air and can affect pressure
inside the bottle, most experts agree that
sparkling wine in extra-large formats
should be consumed earlier rather than
later for maximum effervescence. Large
format bottles will lose their fizz more
quickly than the traditional 750ml size.
When it comes to aging champagne,
common consensus is that magnums are
the preferred bottle size for cellaring.
The reasons for this are numerous and
mysterious but most agree that the wine
evolves more slowly in magnum as
compared to the standard 750ml bottle,
which retains fruit flavor for a longer
period of time and seems to add another
dimension of complexity.
Quarter
187ml = standard bottle
Half/Split
375ml = standard bottle
Bottle
750ml = 1 standard bottle
Magnum
1500ml = 2 standard bottles
Jeroboam/Double Magnum
3000ml = 4 standard bottles
Rehoboam
4500ml = 4.5 standard bottles
Methuselah/Imperial
6000ml = 8 standard bottles
Salmanazar
9000ml = 12 standard bottles
Balthazar
12,000ml = 16 standard bottles
Nebuchadnezzar
15,000ml = 20 standard bottles
Melchior
18,000ml = 24 standard bottles
Solomon
20,000ml = 26.66 standard bottles
Sovereign
25,000ml = 33.33 standard bottles
Primat
27,000ml = 36 standard bottles
Melchizedek
30,000ml = 40 standard bottles
23
THE LANGUAGE OF CHAMPAGNE Serving Champagne
Glassware Champagne has long been on the re-
ceiving end of rulesones about how it
is made, how it is labeled, and how it
should be drunk. Over the years, we
have come to accept those regulations
and perhaps even find it comforting
that they don't fluctuate often. But to-
day, Champagne is witnessing revisions
to concepts that were before considered
sacrosanct, and they have nothing to do
with grapes or labels. The change has to
do with glass vessels.
If there is one rule that has been gener-
ally accepted across the board, it is that
sparkling wine is best served in a flute,
preferably scored at the base to promote
effervescence then rinsed with water
and dried with a towel. Along that same
line of thinking is that the coupe, also
referred to as the Marie Antoinette
glass, fails to preserve bubbles since the
broader surface allows what is in the
glass to go flat more quickly. Recently,
though, many in the industry are re-
thinking this.
Most significantly, a slow movement is
afoot to replace the traditional flute with
a classic wine glass. A number of wine-
makers and writers claim that in order
to maximize the wine's flavors and en-
hance aromas, pouring Champagne in a
burgundy styled glass is preferable to a
flute. At the least, they claim, a wider
and broader shape to the bowl of the
flute is the minimum recommendation.
Decanting Another trend that has popped up is for
sparkling wines to be decanted. I wit-
nessed this firsthand at a recent tasting
hosted by the CIVC (Comit Interprofes-
sionnel du vin de Champagne) where the
representatives for Charles Heidsieck
poured their bubbly out of Riedel's
Amadeo decanters. Once again, the goal
is to reveal the flavors that would other-
wise appear much more slowly, if at all,
when only poured from a bottle.
These changes to the accepted wisdom
about pouring and drinking bubbly do
not come without controversy. Much
has been written about changes in dos-
age levels and the various crus that can
affect the way a wine tastes in a very
minute way, but using decanters and
new glassware is such a major change
that even Champagne makers are in
conflict.
At a tasting of the champagnes of Terry
Thiese, who has defined the artisanal
fizz movement in the US, I conducted
an informal survey of the producers in
attendance. While some saw a wider
bowl more helpful in letting their wines
reveal the hidden flavors and aromas, a
surprising number drew the line at us-
ing decanters. Preserving their wines
effervescence was very important to
them.
Both of these trends turn our classic
understanding of Champagne on its
head. No doubt, using decanters or bur-
gundy glasses would dissipate the bub-
bles and effervescence that winemakers
work so hard to create (and what con-
sumers have been taught to appreciate).
Utilizing regular glassware or decanters
is treating sparkling wine more as a still
wine. While some drinkers see the flat-
ness as a fault, many connoisseurs still
appreciate that older champagnes lose
their bubbles over time. The theories
that form the logic behind this
"glassware revolution" are understanda-
ble. However, the question then be-
comes whether bubbles are still im-
portant to champagne. That is a ques-
tion each consumer and, ultimately the
sparkling wine industry, must decide.
24
THE GRANDES MARQUES The art of assemblage
When thinking of champagne, certain
brands come quickly to mindand for
good reason. With many wineries trac-
ing their histories back some 300 years
or more, those still around today have
developed serious brand equity. These
houses are known as the grandes
marques, named as such by their mem-
bership in the Union de Maisons de
Champagne.
While each has an historic identity and
a wine style that has been nurtured and
preserved over the years, today many
of these houses are part of large corpo-
rations that own a number of brands.
Some people might be quick to doubt
the quality of their champagnes simply
because of this affiliation. However,
there can be no denying the ability of
the grandes marques to produce quality
cuves at various price points, all the
while carrying more than their share of
the promotional work which benefits
the entire region.
The key behind the success of cham-
pagnes from the grandes marques is in
blending. Because their large produc-
tion needs are sourced from among
some 20,000 growers spread out over
300 villages, it is not possible to express
the flavors of a single site. Therefore a
thorough understanding of blending is
essential in order to produce a con-
sistent product from year to year, espe-
cially for the non-vintage cuves that make
up the bulk of sales for each house. The
tradition of adding reserve wines from past
harvests allows each house to adjust the
blend to account for vintage differences.
At a typical grandes marques house, the chef
de cave faces the daunting task of assem-
bling wines from three different grapes,
grown by hundreds of growers, from al-
most as many villages. Some blenders may
have 300 individual lots of wine at their
disposal. These young, acidic still wines
are tasted and blended about six months
after harvest, an incredible feat given that
the winemaker has to project what these
wines will taste like anywhere from three
to fifteen years down the road!
However the big houses are not entirely
resistant to changes in style or to develop-
ing new concepts. Popularized by Bol-
linger's "RD" cuve, more houses are now
releasing bottles that have been aging on
their lees in the cellar for periods of up to
thirty years. Recognizing the increasing
popularity of grower champagnes, a few
houses are also releasing cuves that are
more site specific, either from a single vine-
yard, from one village or a regional blend
of fruit, such as a cuve from the Ctes des
Blancs. With a large quantity of vineyards
at their fingertips and considerable finan-
cial resources, we can expect more innova-
tion from the grandes marques in the future.
.
Grandes Marques
Reviewed:
Bollinger
Charles Heidsieck
Deutz
G.H. Mumm
Heidsieck Monopole
Henriot
Krug
Laurent-Perrier
Louis Roederer
Nicolas Feuillatte
Perrier-Jout
Piper-Heidsieck
Pol Roger
Pommery
Salon
Taittinger
25
BOLLINGER A
When reading the story of Bollinger, the
moral seems to be that adopting and
upholding a style will lead to success.
However, the real lesson shows that
triumph comes from making the effort
to educate the market about that style.
Bollinger has excelled in that arena, and
its exalted place among the grandes
marques remains secure.
Bollinger, much like Krug, has defined
its style with the use of oak in winemak-
ing. All grapes for the "Grande Anne"
and a significant portion destined for
the "Special Cuve" undergo fermenta-
tion in three to six year old Burgundy
barrels. Bollinger is renowned for hav-
ing its own coopers to maintain the bar-
rels, which is a very expensive proposi-
tion.
Bollinger also keeps a large stash of
reserve wines, which are held in mag-
nums under cork and arranged in the
cellars according to vintage and village.
They usually make up about 10% of the
finished blend of the non-vintage
"Special Cuve. That portion of the
cuve may be an assemblage of up to
ten vintages between five and twenty
years of age, making the chef de cave's
skill as a blender of paramount im-
portance.
These methods combine to create Bol-
linger's definitive style. Among the houses
that use wood for fermentation and aging,
Bollinger stands alone for its weight and
complexity, thanks to the wide array of
vineyard sources and extensive use of re-
serve wines for the "Special Cuve." These
wines are definitely for fans of oak-driven
fizz, although it would be nice to see a bit
more fruit to balance the wood component.
NV Brut "Special Cuve"
25% chardonnay, 15% pinot meunier, 60%
pinot noir. Deep golden straw in color with a
slow persistent bead. Aromas of spicy sandal-
wood emerge, followed by toast, honey and
mead. This is a robust, masculine Champagne
with intense flavors of wood and caramel, fin-
ishing with notes of yeast and other autolytic
characters. (L016206) 92 points Chuck Hay-
ward
NV Brut Ros 24% chardonnay, 14% pinot meunier, 62%
pinot noir. Five percent of the blend consists of
still pinot noir added to the base. Medium-deep
salmon color. Toasty, woody notes dominate
the bouquet with pinot fruit underneath. The
palate shows initial hints of cherry, but strong
flavors of wood, caramel and honey complete
the wine. The oaky finish is dry and firm. An
unusual style, it seems to miss the mark of a
true ros as it is does not display a clear ex-
pression of pinot noir fruit on the nose and
palate. That said, if you prefer a firmer, oakier
ros, this is a good one. 90 pointsChuck
Hayward
2000 Brut "Grande Anne" 33% chardonnay, 67% pinot noir. Deep gold-
en color. The bouquet is classic Bollinger with
strong aromas of brandy and wood, suggesting
a freshly disgorged bottle, followed by fresh
mushrooms. The flavors of caramel, burnt
toast and lemon on the back-palate contribute
to the firmly structured finish. An excellent
choice for fans of oak-influenced Champagne.
93 pointsChuck Hayward
Bollinger
stands alone for
its weight and
complexity
26
CHARLES HEIDSIECK Reims
Charles Heidsiecks connection to the
US market has a long and dynamic his-
tory. As Champagne production started
to expand in the early 1800s, houses
found themselves with more wine than
local markets could drink and therefore
began to export throughout Europe.
Sensing opportunities overseas, Charles
-Camille Heidsieck crossed the Atlantic
numerous times to promote his wines,
earning the nickname "Champagne
Charlie" (and later a movie by the same
name with Hugh Grant in the starring
role). However, his arrest during the
Civil War and a major diplomatic inci-
dent which led to time in jail made him
rethink future travels.
Today, the winery has been joined with
Piper-Heidsieck under common owner-
ship by the Rmy Martin conglomerate
and has set about redefining its style.
Under the direction of Regis Camus,
also in charge at Piper-Heidsieck,
Charles Heidsieck has assumed a dis-
tinct identity. Where Piper's cham-
pagnes emphasize forward fruit and a
richly textured palate, Camus has con-
tinued the work of his predecessor in
making Charles Heidsieck a more mas-
culine style, showing off notes of honey
and toast. Interestingly, these flavors are
achieved without the use of oak. In-
stead, the autolytic characters of yeast,
nuts, and bread come from both exten-
sive time spent on lees before bottling
and a high proportion of reserve wines
added to the final blend. To ensure that
consumers were getting the best bubbly
possible, Charles Heidsieck became one
of the first houses to put disgorgement
dates on all of their wines.
When tasting through the portfolio,
Charles Heidsieck's style was quite evi-
dent. Unlike the pattern of Bollinger, the
powerful aromas of toast and yeast are
more balanced here with th e fruit not so
overwhelmed by autolytic characters. This
is readily apparent in the vintage cuve
where the fruit is clear and present. It is
when you come to the non-vintage blend,
along with the tte-de-cuve Blanc des Mil-
lnaires, that bread and nuts make their
way to the forefront.
NV Brut Ros "Ros Reserve" 33% chardonnay, 33% pinot meunier, 34%
pinot noir. The addition of 5% still pinot noir
from the grand cru of Bouzy. Salmon color.
The nose is quite subtle on this cuve with
hints of Bing cherry mixing with toasty aro-
mas. This Champagne is of medium weight
with understated fruit flavors. This is a firm,
structured fizz with a dry finish but lacks the
juicy, pinot flavored core of other ros Cham-
pagnes. (L082258) 90 points Chuck Hay-
ward
2000 Brut Vintage 40% chardonnay, 60% pinot noir. Yellow gold
in color, the backward nose shows subtle hints
of yeast. Medium bodied, restrained and subtle
flavors show a bit more fruit than toast or
yeast, with roasted apple and pear apparent on
a firmly structured palate. The finish is clean
and crisp. 92 points Chuck Hayward
1995 Brut Blanc de Blancs "Cuve de Millnaires 100% chardonnay. This is the tte-de-cuve of
the house and has been made only five times
since 1980. Aged 10 years on the lees before
disgorgement, the grapes are sourced from five
grand crus in the Ctes des Blancs. This gold-
en colored Champagne did not have much
effervescence. Yeast and porcini mushroom are
the primary aromas while mature characters of
honeyed toast and croissants join in the bou-
quet. The attack is soft and gives way to in-
tensely concentrated flavors of honey, wood
and other autolytic characters. The finish is
crisp and light. 94 points Chuck Hayward
NV Brut "Brut Reserve" 33% chardonnay, 33% pinot meunier, 34%
pinot noir. Fruit from the 2004 harvest com-
prises 60% of the blend with the remainder
coming from reserve wines. Yellow gold in
color. Very complex aromas of fresh apricot
and citrus-laced apple coexist with toast and
yeast. Medium-plus in body, the core fruit
flavors are clean and focused, supported by the
autolytic characters of toasted bread and cara-
mel. A bit structured on the back-palate, the
elegant finish still keeps the fruit as the focus
of the wine. (Disgorged in 2008) 93 points
Chuck Hayward
27
DEUTZ A
Founded in 1838 as a negociant busi-
ness, Deutz has seen continuous family
involvement in the business for over
five generations, even after the compa-
ny was purchased by Roederer in 1993.
Producing about 125,000 cases, Deutz
falls squarely into the mid-size segment
of the Champagne market.
Similar to Roederer, Deutz has in-
creased reliance on its own grape
sources to maintain its style, with self-
owned vineyards supplying 35% of pro-
duction needs. In making the various
cuves, there is no use of oak or other
oxidative procedures, though malolactic
fermentation is utilized for texture. The
addition of about 30-35% reserve wines
also provides continuity of style for the
basic non-vintage blend.
Deutz is a Champagne house that has
always been moderate in aspiration and
in style, which is not necessarily a bad
thing. Maintaining consistency in the
Champagne world is quite difficult, but
the blend of the basic non-vintage cuve
has been unchanged since World War I.
Tasting across the portfolio, it is easy to
see the Deutz style of precisely poised
and balanced fruit presented cleanly
and without artifice. If this style appeals
to you, Deutz certainly will not disap-
point.
2005 Brut Ros 100% pinot noir, 10% from still, old-vine
pinot. Pale strawberry color. Hints of fresh
flowers straddle aromas of cherry and earth.
This elegant wine is a classic example of the
Deutz style, medium weighted with subtle
cherry notes on a delicate finish.
(LA109D0369) 91+ points Chuck Hayward
1998 Brut "Cuve William" 35% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier, 55%
pinot noir. Pronounced aromas of yeast and
toast formulate the bouquet's autolytic style.
The palate is marked by intriguing flavors of
cherry surrounded by dried apricot and other
baked fruit, along with pastry dough. Almost
ros-like in flavor, the finish is crisp with hints
of aged yeast. (L04D0807) 93+ pointsChuck
Hayward
NV Brut "Brut Classic" 30% chardonnay, 32% pinot meunier, 38%
pinot noir. A complex and balanced mlange
of granny smith apple, burnt caramel and
spiced pear forms the bouquet. Moderately
intense flavors of crisp pear with subtle, sweet
spice are fresh and vibrant. The finish is firm
yet snappy. (LB111D05510) 91 points
Chuck Hayward
2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs 100% chardonnay. 90% of the fruit comes
from the grand crus of Mesnil-sur-Oger and
Avize. Deep straw in color, this cuve has
fresh baked bread and hints of lemon. This is a
slightly fuller style of blanc de blancs with a
notable palate presence. Vibrant grapefruit
mingles with a touch of rich lime, and good
acidity makes for a crisp finish.
(LA106D0038) 92 points Chuck Hayward
it is easy to see the
Deutz style of
precisely poised and
balanced fruit
presented cleanly
and without artifice
28
G.H. MUMM Reims
G.H. Mumm is the third largest produc-
er of champagne, with the iconic
"Cordon Rouge" setting the pace. Even
with 540 estate-owned acres, Mumm
must still source enough grapes from
growers to supply 75% of their needs
for each harvest. Probably the brand in
the United States for over a century, it is
also the winery that seems to have suf-
fered the most in the quality department
due to multiple changes in ownership.
Mumm's revolving door when it comes
to winemakers has not helped, as most
vintners in Champagne tend to stay at
their posts indefinitely. However, unlike
other wineries stripped of their land
and resold to cover the purchase costs,
Mumm still holds these valuable re-
sources.
While the "Cordon Rouge" cuve is
closely tied to the company's identity,
the house also produces one of the most
unique styles of Champagne in the
"Mumm de Cramant." Made since 1882,
bottles of the originally-named
"Cremant de Cramant" were reserved
for the friends and family of G.H.
Mumm and was not released for com-
mercial sale until 1960. This chardonnay
based Champagne is sourced entirely
from the winery's 20 acre holdings in
the grand cru of Cramant in the Ctes
des Blancs.
Where most Champagne of reasonable
quality will spend at least three years in
the cellars, this cuve is disgorged after
just 24 months to retain the fresh fruit
flavor which is one of the wines hall-
marks. The winery also completes malo-
lactic fermentation, which reduces the
acidity in the final blend. Lastly, to pre-
serve the delicate palate, the wine is bot-
tled with only 4.5 atmospheres of pressure
versus the 6 atmospheres found in most
Champagnes. The result is a less efferves-
cent wine, which might lead some to mis-
takenly think the bottle is a bit flat when
drinking this historic champagne.
NV Brut "Cordon Rouge" 30% chardonnay, 25% pinot meunier, 45%
pinot noir. A blend of 77 crus, reserve wines
comprise 10-20% of the final blend, depending
on the harvest. Pale straw c