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As Americans, about the only time we ever indulge in the decadent bubbles of Champagne is New Year’s Eve, and generally this is accompanied by an off-key murmur of Auld Lang Syne. Furthermore, it my not even be genuine Champagne at all that thunderously resounds from the living room at the morose drip of the illuminated sphere, but a California concoction with a case of mistaken identity.
Champagne has somehow become synonymous with sparkling white wine of any kind and this is likely due to its fame as a beverage to be enjoyed by the elite for celebratory pleasure. Large manufacturers from the Central Valley and elsewhere got ahold of the namesake and rapidly began slapping the labels on bulk, underripe, gaseous Chardonnay, that more closely resembles a carpet cleaning spirit than an actual beverage fit for any sort of consumption.
It’d probably wise to interrupt myself here to explain what Champagne is, and what it isn’t. Champagne is not any sparkling white wine, which would be called Crément, in French. Champagne is a region of France just northeast of Paris, that, among other things, produces a unique style of sparkling wine, under a governing body, with a very specific set of rules to oversee its production.
One such rule, is that Champagne must contain bubbles produced in the old-fashioned Traditional Method, or Méthod Traditionelle. You will see this phase on all Champagne bottles. After a wine has been fermented, then aged in-barrel and left on the dead yeast for the allotted amount of time, it is transferred to a thick glass bottle, the one you’ll purchase it in, and sealed. Not before a small dosage of sugar is added to the bottle. This dosage reignites fermentation, and yeast begin to spore.
The yeast leave behind a grey sediment in the beverage which is unsightly, so a process called riddling is performed. The bottles are lined up on a wooden rack at a thirty-degree angle towards their corks, and carefully spun clockwise forty-five degrees by hand, until after a few months the sediment has fallen to the neck of the bottle. The neck is then frozen, blowing the sediment out of the bottle in one large ice chuck. Then the bottle is resealed with a fresh cork, labeled and sold.
This is a tedious and expensive process, but is part of what makes Champagne so desirable, and allows it to command the prices that is does - that being said it’s not the only reason that champagne commands high prices, a lot of that has to do with prestige, especial brand-to-brand, and locale-to-locale.
Soil can also make a venerable difference in the quality of Champagne. The Champagne area is known for its chalk soils and dense clay that offer little in the way of nutrients or water. What they do provide the vines with is fortifying mineral content to keep it healthy - for anything else, the vine must struggle working its roots down below the powdery overcoat and into the water table below, which is considerably deep. But not all regions have this chalky limestone, some have a more Chablis-like Kimmeridgian limestone, and other soils still appear more like those in the Cote D'Or, with chunky, broken limestone top soil.
In the late nineteen-twenties, Champagne divided itself up into five wine classification districts, The Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne. Each of them encompasses a large area akin to a region in and of itself, with unique terroir, and all known for their own distinct characteristics. Each of the five areas also specializes in its own grape varietal - Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
The Aube is a region of Champagne that is well on the way to Burgundy. Far to the south, Aube is an island of vines near Chablis that specializes in artisanal wines with small numbers of production. The grape of choice here is Pinot Noir, which is better suited to the warmer climate. Producers are desperately terroir-focused and certain land holdings in the Aube are much more expensive than others. The region in general tends to have far less chalk than most of the rest of Champagne. This means less astringency in the wines as the vines are not forces to break through layers of dusty chalk to fine water. These vines also see higher proportions of sun exposure.
Oppositely, in the heart of Champagne, just to the south of the bustling town of Épernay, is the Côte des Blancs, which specializes in its white Chardonnay of the sharp and mineralic variety. Despite its small size some larger producers are located in this area - perhaps some names that you’ve heard of, such as Taittinger. Because the soils here are so chalky, it makes for excellent terroir with which to grow Chardonnay. This grape grows so throughly in chalk and dispels aromas of ripe citrus when the vines are forced to struggle amidst dry soil types like chalk.
The smaller Côte de Sézanne is located a stone’s throw from the Côte de Blancs, bordering just to the south. As such, it produces lovely Chardonnay wines of better depth than its neighboring region to the north. Sézanne struggles to attain the same desired tart-fruit acidity that is much admired northward. Part of this is because it shares similar terroir to the Aube, with a bit more presence of chalk. The other reason is because there just isn’t as much capital flowing in here as the other regions with higher-end champagne houses that bolster the regions reputation. As such, you see fewer artisanal producers here as well. This is a great region to get a value-buy Champagne.
Montagne de Reims is the major Pinot Noir growing area in Champagne, and has extremely diverse soil types. Pol Roger is a famous house located here, and while their soils tend to have more chalk - some soils are more adept to greater influence of Pinot Noir. The driving factor that makes wines from Montagne de Reims so stunning is the northerly positioning of the area. It is the farthest north appellation in Champagne. This means chillier temperatures - coupled with the altitude, this truly is a special place for zippy and refreshing Champagne with boastful minerality.
Vallée de la Marne is located to the west just over the horizon of the town of Épernay. The leading grape here is Pinot Meunier, a clone of Pinot Noir - Essentially a type of Pinot Noir that is genetically slightly larger berried, blue colored, and more apt to show greater restraint in terms of fruit flavor and earthiness, which makes it more suitable for Champagne growing, and the acidity required to grow. This region also grows a lot of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well, but is mostly known for Pinot Meunier. The soils here are chalky, but due to a more southerly aspect, this region tends to produce wines of great elegance and perfume, with ample character of fruitiness.
You may be wondering why the production of red grapes is so common in Champagne, when any Champagne on the shelf is pale or rosé - this is because winemakers do not leave the skin in contact with the wines during the production. The skins of the Pinot grapes are removed immediately upon pressing. If you’ve ever looked at the inside of grape you will notice the grey fleshiness surrounded by purple skin. The skin harbors the anthocyanins, chemicals that make wines red. Without skin contact, all wine is yellow.
Each village in Champagne is classified based on wine quality, similar to Burgundy or Bordeaux, however, in this instance, Grand Cru classification is not awarded to vineyard, as in Burgundy, or even estate, as in Bordeaux, but entire villages. Villages such as Épernay, and Äy have the greatest prestige. Because of this, virtually all Champagnes are blends often called Cuvées.
There are seventeen Grands Crus, mostly located around the main city of Épernay, in the heart of Champagne. Ambonnay, Avize, Ay, Beaumont sur Vesle, Bouzy, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Louvois, Mailly Champagne, Oger, Oiry, Puisieux, Sillery, Tours sur Marne, Verzenay, and Verzy.
Äy is my personal favorite grand cru, because it is one of the more prestigious, and there are a lot of producers located here. Wines from here tend to be more fruit-driven and have a lovely touch of toasted nuts, boxwood, and brioche. To recommend an easily accessible and affordable wine, Lallier makes and incredibly pleasant Äy. You can expect yellow pear, and granny smith apple flavors followed by the creaminess of pistachio and vanilla, and of course, the bitter katana of lightning-swift acidity.
The standard Champagnes that you can find in the supermarket are usually the producers standard (NV) which means non-vintage. NV can be a vertical blend of different vintages all which are designed to make that Cuvée consistent year after year. Though they are called non-vintage, all wine used in production must be aged fifteen months including twelve on the lees, which give Champagne its bready-lager flavors. Lees are dead yeasts and sediment from fermentation.
Vintage Champagne is also produced. At least 95% of the grapes used in the cuvée must come from the year on the label. These bottles fetch higher prices, and are produced only in certain prestige years by some houses, and again, these are often blends of different plots sometimes from all over Champagne.
There are also some major distinctions between the various producers in Champagne. They are broken down into different classifications below. The most significant difference in producer size is the difference between what are colloquially called Grower’s Champagnes and House Champagnes. Essentially a grower Champagne is a small estate growing and bottling their own crop, whereas a house would be like if Louis Roederer payed growers to bottle their crop in a Cuvée. Let's take a look at a few major Champagne houses that you may have heard of, tasted or even seen on a wine menu.
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon was a benedictine monk who lived in the town of Hautvillers in Champagne during the late sixteen-hundreds. This famous house is named after him. He has often been credited with inventing méthod traditionelle, but this has since been disproven, as early record indicate that this practice was already in play during his time. He was however, the first to begin to blend wines into cuvée, and create better wines from different parcels and barrels. The house also was the first to produce white wines from the Pinot varieties. Today, the brand only produces vintage dated champagnes, which command high prices.
Their, “second plenitude,” (P2) is a prestige cuvée made up of all seventeen grands crus in champagnes well as Dom Pérignon’s famous premier cru vineyards in Hautvillers. After fifteen years of aging on the lees these vintages are released, where they express more supple, soft notes of praline, vanilla, boxwood and lemongrass. There is also a Dom Pérignon P3, but these these are aged even longer, with no set release date. They are few and far between. Dom Pérignon is always a blend of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot also has an incredible history as an innovator in Champagne and winemaking technology. The house was owned by a textile maker, Philippe Clicquot, who decided to marry off his son, François to the daughter of rival textile tycoon Nicolas Ponsardin, Barbe Nicole. Seven short years later, in 1805, François fell ill and died, leaving the estate to Barbe-Nicole. Barbe-Nicole took on an apprenticeship in winemaking and eventually was able to rescue the estate from liquidation. They were the first to sell vintage Champagne, and Madam Clicquot is credited as the inventor of the riddling table. She also was responsible for the first blended Rosé champagnes which are a staple of the region today. At that time, Champagne had a reputation for high quality sweet sparklers, much different from the bone-dry renditions we see today. Only nobles and the well-off could afford wines of this caliber, so the majority of clientelle were rich nobles. Russians nobility, in particular, who had both the inability to grow grapes, and an affinity for French culture, flocked to this house in droves. Today they are known for their orange-labeled NV wines, that are one of the most sold brands of champagne. They are exceptionally clean, and dry, exhibiting gold raisin flavor, baked brioche, and meyer lemon.
Pol Roger
Pol Roger is a family-owned major estate in Champagne. It is located in Épernay and was founded by a famous lawyer of the same name. This house is a later edition to the Champagne region, nonetheless produces consistently delectable wines, and retails a status of traditional significance all regionality considered. Their prestige cuvée is named for Sir Winston Churchill, as the late prime minister claimed he had been a fan of the brand since 1908. Pol Roger has been making this cuvée since 1985, the first vintage being 1974, and it is a replicant of the original wines enjoyed by Winston up until he passed away. It is made from sixty-percent Pinot Noir in most years, and forty-percent Chardonnay, though this varies vintage-to-vintage; as they are exclusively vintage dated. Pol Roger did away with their original prestige cuvée and now produces this one as their top-of-the-line. It presents subtle flavors of heavy cream, toasted almond, and ripe green apple on the palette.
Taittinger
Taittinger is one of the largest houses, headquartered in Reims. it was establised in 1734, by a wine consultant named Jacques Fourneaux, who worked closely with benedictine abbeys to refine his skills as a winemaker. Though unfounded, for a very long time it was assumed that he was the one who brought the Chardonnay grape to Champagne, however today we know it is more than likely native to Burgundy, as its cousin, Pinot Noir is. Originally this house was called Château de la Marquetterie, but it was renamed by the Taittinger family who purchased it in 1932. The prestige cuvée is called Comtes de Champagne. They are produced of one hundred percent Chardonnay, and are made up of as blends of all of the various grand cru landholdings of the Taittinger family. They give flavors of grapefruit, clove, and pear.
Smaller growers, due to the cold and often unpredictable nature of Champagne weather, can find it difficult some years to bottle a consistent crop, and sometimes suffer from massive vintage variation and often short supply. This can make work with a negotiate more attractive than bottling one’s own grapes. A lot of smaller houses choose to do both. The bottles, due to the commonality of cooperative growing in Champagne, must be labeled thus, to indicate to the consumer what sort of operation is producing the wine.
True Growers Champagne, is labeled Récoltant Manipulant or (RM): They are growers who bottle and market their own grapes from their own vineyards, with their own winery. They tend to be more affordable, but certain growers can command extreme prices, much like the major houses of Champagne.
Récoltant-coopérateu (RC): A grower who bottles cooperative-made wines, not from their own vineyards, or winery. These are generally fairly cheap, and not of much substance or comment, but some cuvée offer incredible value. Depends on the brand and vintage, often.
Coopérative de manipulation (CM): There are about one hundred Champagnification Cooperatives in France, and they often spotlight or highlight different members crop for different cuvée. This is one of the more insulated systems to protect Champagne growers vintage variation. This marketing methodology accounts for seven percent of all wines produced in Champagne.
Société de Recoltants (SR): A very uncommon methodology, but interesting nonetheless. This is a group of family members who bind their parcels together to create a cuvée labeled with their own label. This can be a group of families, or even just on family with different generational holdings coming together under a common label. Sometimes RM’s will choose to selectively bottle this way in poor years.
Negociante Distributeur (ND): This is a brand that buys grapes from a collective group of houses and bottles them under their own label. Some major champagne houses are labeled this way, others are actually RM.
Marque d’Acheteur (MA): This is a mass-market label for a supermarket of celebrity. Generally a negoçiante will purchase a brand and produce wines under the label using grapes from cooperatives, or select growers.
That's All,
~K
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