Champagne Vinification

Pressing (Pressurage)

Hand picked whole clusters are gently pressed to release the highest quality grape juice. In this process, everything is done to avoid staining the juice.

By gradually increasing the pressure the juice is seperated into different qualities.

Coeur de Cuvée

In Champagne, juice extraction is limited to 2550 litres per 4.000 kg grapes.

The best quality juice is called "Coeur de Cuvée" (Heart of the Vintage).

Frase	Description	Usage
Coeur de Cuvée	The first 2050 litres High quality juice Rich in sugar and acidity	Top prestige cuvées are made from this
Taille de Cuvée	The next 500 litres Inferior to Coeur de Cuvée	Used in small quantity for fruity and low acid content
Rebêche	The rest	Not used Generally sent to be distilled

Belons

In Champagne the juice from the pressing is collected in tanks called "belons".

Sulphuring

Addition of sulfur dioxide (SO2) takes place immediately. The rate is from 6 to 10 g/hl depending on the health of the grapes and the must (cuvée or taille).

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Settling (Débourbage)

Débourbage (de-sludging) is the word for letting the freshly pressed juice settle before fermentation. This also allows for solids (skins and pips) to sink to the bottom for easy removal.

Chaptalisation

Chaptalisation is the process of adding sugar to the must to obtain 11% alcohol after the fermentation.

After settling, the juice is sendt to the winery for the first fermentation.

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First Fermentation

Alcoholic Fermentation

This first fermentation transforms the grape juice into wine. Yeasts transform sugar into alcohol. The fermentation process lasts for about two weeks.

Most producers ferment in thermostatically controlled stainless-steel vats (tanks) which gives the purest expression of fruit, while fermentation in oak (barriques) gives more softness and richness.

Malolactic Fermentation

Malolactic fermentation transforms malic acid into lactic acid. This fermentation takes place at the end of the alcoholic fermentation and takes about 4 to 5 weeks. Like all fermentations, it changes the aromas of the wine.

Separation

By pressing different grapes (different varieties, different terroir) separately and fermenting cuvee and taille separately, a whole taste palette of wines are available for the blending.

Clarification

Clarification is carried out either by filtration or centrifugation. Stripped of solids, these "clear wines", still listed by year, grape, and cru, are ready for blending.

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Blending (Assemblage)

The blending takes place in the winter/spring. Winemakers will taste different types of wine (Red and White) from different years, vineyards (or regions), trying to blend a perfect Champagne combination.

Blending is a foundational step in Champagne production, where base wines from different vineyards, grape varieties (typically Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier), vintages, and regions are combined. This process allows the winemaker to create a consistent style or develop specific characteristics for different Champagne types.

• Consistency and House Style
  For non-vintage Champagne, blending different vintages enables producers to maintain a consistent flavor profile year after year, which is especially important for large Champagne houses that rely on a recognizable house style.

• Complexity and Balance
  Blending wines from different grape varieties and regions adds complexity. For example, Chardonnay can contribute elegance and acidity, Pinot Noir can add structure and body, and Pinot Meunier can bring fruitiness. Together, these components create a balanced and layered Champagne.

• Adaptability
  Blending also allows winemakers to adapt to the unique characteristics of each harvest, balancing out any variations in acidity, ripeness, or structure to achieve a harmonious final product.

Varieties

Varieties blended in Champagne are:
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Chardonnay	Adds frechness Citrus and Floral notes
Pinot Noir	Adds body and aromas of Red Fruit
Pinot Meunier	Adds fruit an roundness

Non-vintage Champagne

Non-vintage Champagne can be a blend of wines from different years.

Vintage Champagne

Vintage Champagne must be a blend of wines from the same year.

Settling

After blending, the wine ist chilled for cold stabilisation (-4°C). This induces crystallisation of tartaric acid and prevents crystal formation in the product. It may be seeded with tartar crystals for a faster effect. The prosess last for 1 to 4 weeks and leaves the wine perfectly clear.

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Second Fermentation with Liqueur de Tirage

The second fermentation starts with the dry base wine from the first fermentation. This base wine, usually a blend of different vintages and varieties, is high in acidity and low in alcohol (10-11%).

The second fermentation takes place inside the bottle, hermetically sealed with a plastic stopper ("bidule") and a metal cap:

Liqueur de Tirage

The second fermentation is kick-started by adding a "liqueur de tirage". This is a blend of yeast, wine, sugar (20-24 grams/litre), and additives to assist future riddling.

The fermentation lasts from 6 to 8 weeks, while yeast consumes sugar, creates alcohol, and releases the carbon dioxide that create the bubbles.

Maturing on the Side ("Sur Lat")

With the waste and the dead yeast cells still in the bottle, another year of aging contributes to a more complex flavor profile.

The cellar has minimum light, hight humidity, and a constant temperature (12°C/54°F). Champagne wines must spend at least 15 months in the bottle before release, but most Champagne are cellared longer: 2-3 years (non-vintage), 4-10 years (vintage). The greatest Champagne wines can spend several decades maturing in the cellars.

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Aging on Lees and Autolysis

After the second fermentation in the bottle, yeasts form a seediment of dead yeast cells (lees) in the bottle. Over time, this sediment breaks down. This is called Autolysis.

Months or years in contact with the lees, increases the intenisty of the autolitic flavors and creates a richer texture.

This is crucial to developing complexity in the wine. The minimum legal aging requirement for non-vintage Champagne is 15 months, but many producers age their wines much longer.

• Enhanced Flavors and Aromas
  During lees aging, a process called autolysis occurs, where enzymes break down the yeast cells. This imparts bready, biscuity, and toasty notes to the wine, as well as complex aromas of nuts and brioche.

• Creamier Texture
  Extended lees aging also contributes to a richer, creamier mouthfeel, adding depth and weight to the wine. This creamy texture is a defining characteristic of traditional-method sparkling wines like Champagne.

• Increased Complexity
  Longer aging allows the wine to develop more complex secondary and tertiary characteristics, adding nuances beyond the fresh fruit flavors of young Champagne. Vintage Champagnes often benefit from extended aging, which produces wines with more developed flavors and intense complexity.

Autolytic flavors (secondary aromas) are: Bread, Dough, Toast, Biscuit, Brioch.

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Riddling (Remuage)

Riddling involves turning uptilted bottles very slowly to bring the sediments (dead yeast and waste) down to the bottom (to the cap).

Bottles stored on the side are slowly moved to an upside down position, allowing the sediment to slide gradually to the neck.

Traditionally riddling was done by hand, but today riddling is often automated with a machine (a gyropalette) twisting hundreds of bottles at a time.

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Disgorging (Dégorgement)

Disgorgement is about removing the sediment collected around the cork after riddling.

The neck of the bottle is placed in an ice cold solution (between -25 and -30°C), rapidly frozen and then brought upright to remove the cap.

When the cap (the bidole) is removed, the pressure in the bottle (six bars) ejects the frozen sediment out of the bottle.

Yeast and lees can oxygen for many decades (up to 50 years), holding the wine young and fresh. An aging process start after disgorgement. For this reason, the date of disgorgement is on the bottle.

The general rule is: A wine can be kept after disgorgement for as long as it was kept on the lees. The older, the creamier.

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Dosage (Liqueur d'Expedition)

Dosage refers to the addition of a "Liqueur d'Expedition" to the top of the bottle to regulate sweetness and profile.

Liqueur d'Expedition is a solution of base wine, sugar and sulfites (preservatives).

To garantee a consistent and recognisable taste, some famous Champagne houses have a secret recipe and they can add cognac, kirsch brandy, edelberry wine, raspberry wine, etc, to the dosage.

A sweeter dosage is necessary to balance the acidity. In colder climates, where grapes stuggle to ripen, the wine is very acidic. The dosage balances the acidity:

Regulation EC 607/2009	Sugar gram/litre	Calories /glass
Brut Nature (Brut Zero)	0-3	3
Extra Brut	0-6	5
Brut	0-12	7
Extra Dry (Extra Sec, Extra Seco)	12-17	10
Dry (Sec, Seco)	17-32	20
Demi (Semi)	32-50	30
Doux (Sweet, Dulce)	50+	30+

Dosage (Liqueur d'Expédition)

Dosage is the addition of a sugar solution (liqueur d’expédition) after disgorgement to balance the wine's acidity and define its sweetness level. The dosage determines the Champagne's final style, from Brut Nature (no added sugar) to Doux (sweet).

• Sweetness Level
  Dosage directly affects the sweetness of the Champagne. Lower levels (e.g., Brut or Extra Brut) result in a drier style, often highlighting the wine’s acidity and minerality. Higher levels (Demi-Sec or Doux) add sweetness, making the Champagne richer and rounder, and appealing for pairing with desserts or certain foods.

• Flavor Balance
  The dosage helps balance Champagne’s naturally high acidity, especially in cooler vintages, enhancing the perception of fruitiness and mouthfeel. A well-calibrated dosage can soften sharp acidity, making the wine more approachable and rounded.

• Customization of Style
  Producers can adjust the dosage to create different styles within the same label, allowing them to offer diverse options from a single wine base. For instance, zero-dosage or low-dosage Champagnes are popular for their more pronounced, crisp acidity, while higher dosage can highlight fruitiness and make the Champagne taste fuller.

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Resealing

To withstand the inside presure of 6 to 8 bars, Champagne bottles are thicker than normal bottles. In addition, they are corked with a mushroom shaped cork and a wire cage.

Special bottles have biblical names:

Size	Name
1.5 litre	Magnum
3 litre	Jeroboam (first king of Israel)
4.5 litre	Rehoboam (first king of Judah)
6 litre	Methuselah (died at age 969)
9 litre	Salmanazar (king of Assyria)
12 litre	Balthazar (one of the 3 Magi)
15 litre	Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon)

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Labelling

Champagne can be labelled "Premier Cru" and "Grand Cru" to refer to the most favourable terroir.

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Bottle Aging

Aging refers to the changes in the wine after bottling. The acidity goes down and the tertiary aromas develop (honey, peach, beeswax, mushroom, spice).

In Champagne, some regions have minimum bottle aging requirements.

Traditional Method Naming Rules

Méthode Champenoise is now reserved (by EU) for wines produced in Champagne:

Champagne Vinification

Champagne is fermented two times. Once in tanks. Once in the bottle.

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Sugal Levels in the Grapes

A producer of traditional method sparkling wines requires grapes with relatively low sugar levels because of the unique winemaking process and the desired characteristics of the final product:

Prevent Excessive Alcohol in the Base Wine

Grapes with low sugar levels yield base wines with low alcohol (9–11% ABV). This is important because additional sugar and yeast are added during the second fermentation (known as the tirage), which increases the alcohol level by about 1–2% ABV.

If the initial sugar content in the grapes were too high, the base wine would have higher alcohol levels, resulting in an overly alcoholic sparkling wine, which is undesirable for the light and refreshing style of traditional method sparkling wines.

Maintain High Acidity

Grapes harvested at lower sugar levels are typically less ripe and retain higher acidity. High acidity is crucial for providing structure, freshness, and balance in the wine.

This supports the aging process, as acidity acts as a natural preservative. Balancing the dosage (sugar added after disgorgement) and enhancing the perception of crispness in the finished wine.

Ensure a Dry Base Wine

The base wine used for sparkling wine production is typically fermented to dryness. Low sugar levels in the grapes prevent residual sugar from remaining in the base wine, which: Ensures a clean, neutral canvas for the secondary fermentation. Avoids complications with fermentation stability or sweetness imbalances.

Facilitate Controlled Secondary Fermentation

During the second fermentation in the bottle, a precise amount of sugar and yeast is added to create the sparkle (carbon dioxide). If the base wine already contains excess sugar, the fermentation could lead to over-carbonation or bottle explosions due to uncontrolled CO₂ production or result in undesirable sweetness if all the sugar is not consumed during fermentation.

Align with the Desired Style

Traditional method wines like Champagne emphasize finesse, freshness, and complexity over ripe or overly fruity characteristics.

Harvesting grapes at lower sugar levels helps achieve the lean, mineral-driven, and elegant profile that is characteristic of high-quality traditional method sparkling wines.

Minimize the Impact of Climate

Sparkling wine regions (e.g., Champagne, France) are often located in cooler climates, where grapes naturally ripen slowly and accumulate less sugar.

Producers replicate this approach in warmer regions by harvesting early to ensure grapes meet the required sugar and acidity levels for sparkling wine production.

By using grapes with relatively low sugar levels, producers ensure that the base wine and final sparkling wine have the ideal balance of alcohol, acidity, and freshness, which are critical for the style, structure, and longevity of traditional method sparkling wines.