Sparkle Alert
🍾✨ Sparkle Alert! ✨🍾
It's high time I shared some bubbly news with you all! I'm thrilled to announce that I've recently received my official Champagne Specialist Certification with Merit directly from the Comité Champagne. The very entity that upholds the regulations and reputation of this incredible region!
I believe the unparalleled success of this region stems from the incredible camaraderie amongst the producers/houses and Champagnes' captivating diversity of styles.
As many of you know, I've always had a special love for all things bubbly. I didn't even realize how obsessed I was until friends consistently let me know how enamored I was. The theme of my CMS certification party was "In victory, you deserve Champagne; but in defeat, you need it." This is a beautiful reminder that no matter the outcome, we were celebrating each other's dedication to betterment and growth.
This certification has been an incredible deep dive, allowing me to truly appreciate the nuanced spectrum of Champagne. What are the grapes allowed in Champagne you ask? Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier and plot twist there is more! There are SEVEN grape varieties that are appreciated in Champagne the others are Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Laherte Frères makes a field blend that has all seven grape varieties to make the Champagne Les 7 Solera.
This is also very important.
What is Champagne’s favorite type of music? Pop! Obviously
Let's go over Special Club Growers and Champagne Houses.
Special Club Growers (Club Trésors de Champagne): This is an exclusive association of independent, grower-producers who bottle Champagne under their own labels. To be part of the Special Club, they must adhere to quality standards and produce a special cuvée (the "Special Club" bottling) that is tasted and approved by a panel of other members. These Champagnes are often highly individualistic and express the unique terroir of the grower. Members include Gaston Chiquet, Marc Hebrart, and Salom.
Houses: These are larger Champagne producers who often buy grapes from a wide network of growers (though many also own extensive vineyards themselves). Examples include Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Ruinart. Houses generally produce larger volumes and have a global presence.
Malo vs. Partial Malo vs. No Malo
Malolactic Fermentation (Malo): This is a secondary fermentation that converts sharper malic acid (found naturally in grapes, like in green apples) into softer, creamier lactic acid (like in milk) by a bacteria called Oenococcus oeni. This bacteria can naturally occur in the vineyard and there are ways the producer can block Malolactic fermentation from occurring.
With Malo: Champagnes that undergo malolactic fermentation tend to have a softer acidity, a creamier texture, and often exhibit notes of brioche, and yogurt. A grower producer that uses full malo, that I love, is Moussé.
Partial Malo: This is a great balance of freshness and roundness. Louis Roederer does this in many of their champagnes including Cristal, in select years.
No Malo: Champagnes that block malolactic fermentation retain their brighter, crisper acidity, and often showcasing more vibrant fruit and citrus notes. A great example of this wine style would be Vilmart.
Oak vs. No Oak
With Oak: Old oak (neutral) is typically used in Champagne. So this old oak is not about adding vanilla and baking spices but to allow oxygen to affect the taste of the wine. Oak contributes to a richer, more textural mouthfeel as well. This exposure to oxygen gives a more developed character to the wine and introduces notes of nuts, dried fruit, and ginger. A champagne house with this style would be Krug.
No Oak: Fermenting and aging in stainless steel tanks preserves the fresh fruit character and primary aromas of the grapes. These Champagnes tend to be crisper, and more focused on the purity of the fruit and minerality. Producers who are using this style are Laurent-Perrier, and Moët.
Blanc vs. Noirs Blends vs. Blends vs. Rose
Blanc de Blancs (White from white skin grapes): Made exclusively from white grapes, almost always 100% Chardonnay possessing the greatest aging potential. These Champagnes are typically elegant, fresh, and often show notes of citrus, and white flowers. Some well-known producers like Runiart, Perrier Peters and Taittinger, offer this style.
Blanc de Noirs (White from black skin grapes): Made exclusively from black-skinned grapes, typically Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. Despite being made from black skin grapes, the juice is pressed gently to avoid color extraction, resulting in a white wine. These Champagnes often have more body, richness, and notes of berries, and florals. These two producers are red skinned grapes heavy in their blends Bollinger and Ulysse Collin.
Blends: The most common style of Champagne, blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Meunier. This allows the winemaker to create a balanced and complex wine that showcases the best qualities of each grape. Billecart-salmon Brut Réserve is ⅓ Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.
How do you make Rosé Champagne?
Blending: A small amount of still red wine (usually Pinot Noir or Meunier) is blended into a white base wine before the second fermentation. Champagne is the only region in France allowed to blend white and red still wines, and this is for consistency. Ruinart and Billecart-Salmon use this method for their Rosé Champagnes.
Saignée (Bleeding): A portion of the juice is "bled" off from a tank of red wine grapes after a short period of skin contact, leaving behind a more concentrated red wine and creating a rosé as a byproduct. Producers that use this method are Egly-Ouriet Rosé and Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée.
Direct Pressing: Black skin grapes are gently pressed, and the juice has minimal contact with the skins, resulting in a very light pink color. Producers that use this less common method are Marie-Courtin, depending on the vintage.
Non-Vintage (NV) vs. Vintage
Non-Vintage (NV): These wines are a blend from multiple harvest years (vintages). This allows the Champagne Houses and growers to maintain a consistent house style and quality year after year, regardless of variations in individual harvests. NV Champagne must spend a minimum of 15 months aging and 12 months on lees, although most producers leave their champagne on the lees for longer than this minimum.
Vintage: A "Vintage" Champagne is made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single, exceptional year. Producers only declare a vintage in the best years when the harvest quality is outstanding. These Champagnes are complex, expressive of a specific year's terroir, and often designed for aging. Vintage Champagne must spend a minimum of 3 years aging on its lees.
If you take one thing away from this post let it be that Champagne is always the answer … I just forgot the question.
Sweetness Levels
BRUT NATURE: 0 to 3 grams per litre (Absolutely bone dry!)
EXTRA BRUT: 0 to 6 grams per litre (Bone dry)
BRUT: 0 to 12 grams per litre* (Dry to very dry, but should never be austere)
EXTRA SEC OR EXTRA DRY: 12 to 17 grams per litre (A misnomer — dry to medium-dry)
SEC OR DRY: 17 to 32 grams per litre (A bigger misnomer — medium to medium-sweet)
DEMI SEC: 33 to 50 grams per litre (Definitely sweet, but not true dessert sweetness)
DOUX: 50+ grams per litre (Very sweet — this style was favored by the tsars but is no longer commercially produced)
@the new sotheby's encyclopedia
Also I know champagne is not the only bubbles out there so stay tuned for more posts for other regions!
Bisous MJ
