2012 Champagne Report

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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