Styles of Champagne

Champagne comes in various styles, each offering unique characteristics. The majority of Champagne is a white, fully sparkling, non-vintage Brut wine, crafted from a blend of the three primary grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. These wines typically feature medium-intensity aromas and flavors of apple and lemon, complemented by autolytic notes of brioche and biscuit. They exhibit high acidity and medium alcohol levels and are generally of good to outstanding quality, ranging from mid- to premium-priced. Vintage and prestige cuvée Champagnes command higher prices, often falling into the premium and super-premium categories.

Common Styles of Champagne

Non-Vintage (NV): This style is created by blending wines from multiple vintages to maintain a consistent house style. This blending process smooths out vintage variations, ensuring a uniform flavor profile each year.

Vintage: Made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year, vintage Champagne is produced only in the best years. These wines reflect the specific characteristics of the vintage while adhering to the house style. Notable vintage years include 2002 and 2008.

Rosé: Typically made by blending red wine with white wine (rosé d’assemblage), although it can also be produced by skin maceration of black grapes (rosé de saignée). This style offers a pink hue and distinct fruitiness.

Blanc de Blancs: Produced solely from white grapes, usually Chardonnay. These wines are often leaner and more austere in their youth but have exceptional aging potential.

Blanc de Noirs: Made exclusively from black grapes, such as Pinot Noir and Meunier. These wines tend to be fuller-bodied compared to Blanc de Blancs and may age more rapidly.

Quality Indicators

Grand Cru: Indicates that all grapes used were grown in Grand Cru vineyards, known for their superior quality.

Premier Cru: Denotes that the grapes were sourced from Premier Cru and/or Grand Cru vineyards, signifying high quality.

Prestige Cuvée: Represents the top wine in a producer’s range, made from the best grapes with meticulous winemaking techniques. Prestige cuvées can be either non-vintage or vintage.

Late Release/Recently Disgorged: These wines have undergone extended aging on lees and are disgorged shortly before release, offering a different flavor profile compared to those disgorged earlier. Examples include Bollinger’s R.D. and Dom Pérignon’s P2.

Still Wines from Champagne

In addition to sparkling wines, the Champagne region also produces still wines. These include:

AOC Rosé des Riceys: A rare appellation for still rosé wine made from Pinot Noir in the Côte des Bar.

AOC Coteaux Champenois: Covers still red, white, and rosé wines, though it primarily produces light-bodied, high-acidity Pinot Noir.

The Growing Environment and Grape Growing in Champagne

Location and Climate

Champagne is located in northeast France, just south of the 50th parallel and directly east of Paris. This large region spans 150 km from north to south and nearly 120 km from east to west. It comprises five subregions:

Montagne de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Côte des Blancs (all three around Epernay)
Côte de Sézanne (south of the Côte des Blancs)
Côte des Bar (100 km south and closer to Chablis than Epernay)

Champagne's climate is cool continental with some oceanic influence. Annual rainfall is about 700 mm, which is sufficient for grape growing. The region’s low average annual temperature of 11°C (52°F) is conducive to producing the low-alcohol, high-acidity base wines ideal for traditional method sparkling wine. Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year, but it can pose challenges during flowering, fruit set, and harvest, potentially reducing yields and increasing the risk of fungal disease and crop dilution. Over the past 30 years, warming climate trends have led to earlier harvest dates (by an average of 18 days), reduced acidity, and increased potential alcohol content by 0.7%, resulting in more consistently ripe grapes and fewer poor vintages.

Topography and Soils

The Champagne region sits on the chalky Paris Basin, a thick layer of ancient seabed. The chalky hillsides, particularly in the northern part, are ideal for growing high-quality grapes, especially Chardonnay. The region's predominant soil types are chalky soils with limestone subsoil and pure chalk, which are highly porous and retain water well, providing a steady supply of moisture even during dry periods. Most vineyards are located at elevations of 90-300 meters above sea level. The well-drained soils and slopes help avoid waterlogging, which is detrimental to vine health.

Five Main Production Subregions

Montagne de Reims: Known for its black grapes, especially in the grand cru villages of Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, and Bouzy. This area is more of a plateau than a mountain, with some top villages facing north, offering excellent cool-climate sites, although they are more frost-prone. Wines from this area tend to have high acidity and are austere in their youth. Chardonnay is also cultivated here. The Grand Crus have chalky soils, providing a balance between water retention and drainage.

Vallée de la Marne: West of Epernay, this area is primarily planted with Meunier on clay, marl, and sandy soils, producing fruity wines. Meunier's later bud break and earlier ripening make it well-suited to this frost-prone valley. Chardonnay is also grown and used in early-drinking blends. The Grand Cru village of Aÿ is located here.

Côte des Blancs: Running south from Epernay at right angles to the Vallée de la Marne, this subregion is almost exclusively devoted to white grapes, mainly Chardonnay. It has the purest chalk soils, offering excellent water retention and drainage. This area includes the grand cru villages of Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, known for producing wines of great intensity and longevity, though often austere in their youth.

Côte de Sézanne: A continuation of the Côte des Blancs, with mostly clay and clay-silt soils and some pockets of chalk. It is primarily planted with Chardonnay on warmer southeast-facing slopes, leading to fruitier, riper grapes. Generally, the quality of the grapes is considered lower than those from the more northern subregions.

Côte des Bar: A large area in the south of Champagne, with nearly a quarter of the vineyard area, mainly planted with Pinot Noir. The soils here are Kimmeridgian calcareous marls, similar to those found in Chablis and Sancerre. The steep slopes and stony limestone soils provide excellent drainage, aiding the ripening of Pinot Noir. This area is a crucial source of ripe, full-flavored Pinot Noir for non-vintage blends, and much of the wine is purchased by merchants from the northern part of Champagne.

Grape Varieties and Vineyard Management in Champagne

Grape Varieties

The three principal grape varieties—Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay—account for over 99% of the nearly 35,000 hectares of vineyards in the Champagne region. Pinot Noir (38%) and Meunier (32%) still dominate, but the planting of Chardonnay (30%) is on the rise due to increased demand from major Champagne houses. Chardonnay commands a slightly higher price per kilo for growers and yields larger crops.

Tiny amounts of other varieties, such as Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, and Fromenteau, are also cultivated. These are either blended into wines or used for niche cuvées, such as Champagne Laherte’s Les 7, which includes all seven permitted varieties.

Meunier

Meunier, often called Pinot Meunier, is a black grape variety and a mutation of Pinot Noir, characterized by white hairs on its leaves, giving them a "floury" appearance (Meunier means miller in French). Meunier buds later than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, making it less susceptible to spring frosts in the cool Vallée de la Marne. It thrives on heavier soils, such as clay, where other varieties might not succeed, and it ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, which is beneficial in seasons interrupted by rain. However, Meunier is particularly sensitive to botrytis infection.

Meunier reliably produces fruity wines and adds softness to Champagne blends, especially important for non-vintage wines, which are typically aged on lees for shorter periods and consumed soon after release. Although Meunier is less commonly used in wines intended for long aging, it has strong advocates among producers like Krug and Egly-Ouriet.

Vineyard Management

Training, Pruning, and Trellising

Vine training, pruning, and trellising in Champagne have been regulated since 1938, with four approved systems:

Taille Chablis: Best for Chardonnay, usually with 3-4 cordons (up to five maximum), each ending in a spur with up to five buds. This spur-pruning system retains a large amount of permanent wood, protecting against frosts. Spurs are trained to a maximum of 0.6 meters above the ground to benefit from solar energy reflected off the soil, especially on chalk.
Cordon du Royat: Used for Pinot Noir and Meunier, featuring a single cordon that is spur-pruned with vertically positioned shoots.
Guyot: A replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning, permitted in lesser-rated vineyards for all three varieties. Both single and double Guyot are allowed.
Vallée de la Marne: Similar to Guyot but with a higher number of buds, this method is used less frequently today.

The average number of fruiting buds per vine for all these systems must not exceed 18 per square meter.

Hazards, Pests, and Diseases

The main climatic dangers in Champagne include:

Winter Frost: Severe frost can kill vines or parts of vines.
Spring Frosts: Destroy new buds and reduce yields.
Cold and Rainy Weather in June: Disrupts flowering and fruit set, leading to reduced yields and uneven grape ripening.
Summer Storms and Hail: Damage grapes and vines.
Hot and Humid Weather: Especially after heavy rainfall, this can cause the rapid spread of botrytis.

These climatic challenges necessitate careful vineyard management to ensure the health and productivity of the vines.

Winemaking in Champagne

Grape Pressing

Champagne is crafted using the traditional method, historically known as the méthode champenoise. Whole bunches of grapes are pressed with gradually increasing pressure to ensure high juice quality, and low phenolics (to avoid extracting tannins from the skins and seeds), and to produce white wine from black Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes. Traditionally, 4,000 kilos of grapes, known as a marc, were loaded by hand into a basket press. While some wineries continue this practice, pneumatic and hydraulic horizontal presses are also commonly used.

The maximum yield is typically 79 hL/ha (hectolitres per hectare), but this can be increased to 98 hL/ha with approval from the Comité Champagne, with any surplus placed into reserve. Juice extraction is limited to two fractions: the cuvée and the taille. The cuvée, consisting of the first 2,050 liters (per 4,000 kilos of grapes), includes free-run juice and the first pressing. The taille, comprising 500 liters, follows. This separation protects wine quality by avoiding over-extraction of phenolics and preserving fruit flavors. The cuvée, rich in acids, produces wines with great finesse and aging potential. The taille, lower in acidity but richer in pigments and phenolics, is often used in non-vintage blends for wines that are more expressive in youth but lack long aging potential.

If the natural sugar levels in the juice are insufficient, chaptalization is permitted to achieve a minimum alcohol level of 11% ABV. According to EU wine law, the alcohol level of the final wine may not exceed 13% ABV.

Alcoholic Fermentation

Many producers ferment their wines in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. However, an increasing number of quality producers are reintroducing oak, particularly large oak foudres, for the first fermentation to enhance textural richness and mouthfeel. Fermentation temperatures and yeast selection vary, but many Champagne winemakers encourage malolactic conversion at this stage to soften the wine's acidity. Some choose to avoid malolactic conversion, believing it is unnecessary for their style of Champagne, while others use it selectively, especially in cooler years. With warmer harvests, the decision to undergo malolactic conversion is left to the producer's discretion.

Blending

Blending, or assemblage, aims to create a wine greater than the sum of its parts by combining wines from different vineyards, grape varieties, and vintages. This process relies on the expertise of the chef de cave (master blender) to predict a wine's development over time, even before the second fermentation and maturation begin. Blending is particularly crucial for non-vintage Champagnes, as the base wines must be combined to achieve a consistent house style, minimizing the vintage's influence. Larger houses can store a vast quantity of different reserve wines, often more than 100, allowing them to create complex and consistent blends.

Reserve wines, typically 10-15% from the last one or two vintages, are commonly used in large brands. Premium brands may use higher proportions of older reserve wines (30-40%) to add depth and complexity. Reserve wines stored reductively in stainless steel containers contribute to the complexity of the final blend. Some producers age reserve wines in old oak, adding mildly oxidative notes, while others use more unusual methods like aging reserve wines in magnums (e.g., Bollinger) or maintaining a perpetual reserve. In the perpetual reserve method, a portion of wine is drawn off each year for blending and replaced with young wine, creating a blend of younger and older wines to add complexity.

Rosé Champagne can also be blended at this stage. Most rosé Champagne is made by blending a small proportion of still, dry red wine (from locally grown Pinot Noir and/or Meunier) with the white base wines to achieve the desired color and flavor profile. A few rosé Champagnes are made by macerating the black grape skins (e.g., Laurent Perrier). Yeast absorbs color pigments during fermentation, so achieving the desired color in the finished sparkling wine requires experience and expertise.

Second Fermentation and Maturation

Champagne is produced using the traditional method, which involves adding liqueur de tirage (a mixture of wine, sugar, and yeast) to the base wine to initiate the second fermentation in the bottle. This process is crucial for developing the wine's characteristic bubbles and flavors.

Lees Aging

One of the most important stages in the traditional method of sparkling wine production is lees aging, where the wine is aged on its lees (the dead yeast cells from fermentation). During this period, yeast autolysis occurs, releasing compounds that create the brioche and biscuit flavors typical of Champagne. These flavors are often more pronounced in Champagne than in wines from warmer climates due to the lower intensity of primary fruit flavors.

Non-vintage Champagnes must spend at least 15 months maturing in the producer's cellar, with a minimum of 12 months on the lees. Vintage Champagnes also require a minimum of 12 months of lees aging, but they cannot be released until three years after tirage. In practice, most vintage Champagnes are aged much longer on the lees, often several years, to develop greater complexity. While lees aging can continue for many years, little additional change is thought to occur beyond a decade. However, keeping the wine in contact with its lees helps protect it from oxidative development and can lead to "late disgorged" wines that command higher prices.

The extended time on lees adds to the production cost and market price of Champagne.

Riddling and Disgorgement

For details on riddling (the process of gradually tilting and rotating the bottles to move the lees to the neck) and disgorgement (removing the lees from the bottle), refer to the Traditional Method section in Standard Options in Sparkling Winemaking.

Dosage and Liqueur d'Expédition

After disgorgement, the liqueur d'expédition (a mixture of wine and sugar) is added to adjust the sweetness of the Champagne. The amount of sugar in the liqueur d'expédition determines the final sweetness level of the Champagne, ranging from brut nature (no added sugar) to doux (sweet). The wine used in the liqueur d'expédition also plays a crucial role; it can be youthful base wines from the current vintage to impart fresh, light flavors, or aged reserve wines stored in casks, barrels, or magnums to add complex aromas of baked apple and dried fruit. In rosé Champagne production, the liqueur d'expédition can also be used to adjust color.

Final Bottling

The Champagne bottle is then sealed with a cork, which must display the name "Champagne" and, if applicable, the vintage year. This final step completes the production process, readying the Champagne for market.

3.3. Wine Law and Wine Business

Champagne, unlike most other large French wine regions, is a single appellation, similar in structure to Alsace but much larger. This unique aspect defines its wine laws and business practices.

Quality Hierarchy in Champagne

In the early 20th century, the échelle des crus system was established to standardize grape prices. This system rated 17 villages as grand cru (100%), 42 villages as premier cru (90-99%), and 257 villages at 80-89%. Historically, the Comité Champagne set fixed prices based on these ratings, with Grand Cruw villages receiving the highest prices. Although the EU pressured to end this fixed price system, the Grand Cru and premier cru designations persist, and grapes from Grand Cru vineyards remain the most expensive. Today, market forces determine prices, with Moët & Chandon, the largest buyer, setting market trends.

The grand cru and premier cru designations apply to entire villages rather than individual vineyards. If all grapes in a Champagne come from a Grand Cru village, the label may state the village name (e.g., "Grand Cru Cramant") or simply "Grand Cru" if the grapes come from multiple Grand Cru villages. This system has been controversial because it does not account for variations within villages due to differences in aspect, soil, and other factors. Additionally, some villages are much larger than others.

As a result, large Champagne houses often focus on blended wines and emphasize the quality of their vintage or prestige cuvées rather than promoting individual village or vineyard names, contrasting with practices in regions like Burgundy.

Business Practices in Champagne

Champagne's unique single appellation structure impacts its business practices. The large houses dominate the market, buying grapes from multiple villages to ensure consistent quality and sufficient quantity. This blending practice allows them to produce large volumes of wine while maintaining a recognizable house style.

The Comité Champagne plays a crucial role in regulating the industry, setting guidelines for production and marketing to protect the Champagne brand. This includes overseeing the quality hierarchy, maintaining standards for viticulture and winemaking, and ensuring compliance with appellation rules.

Additionally, Champagne producers face market pressures to innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences. This has led to a growing interest in sustainable viticulture, organic and biodynamic farming, and the production of single-vineyard or terroir-specific Champagnes to cater to niche markets.

In summary, the wine laws and business practices in Champagne are shaped by its unique appellation structure, historical quality hierarchy, and the need for large houses to blend wines from various villages. The region continues to balance tradition with innovation to maintain its reputation and meet market demands.

Structure of the Champagne Industry

The Champagne industry is a complex network comprising over 15,000 growers and approximately 360 Champagne houses. The growers, who own around 90% of the vineyards, are central to the industry's production. Most growers sell their grapes to Champagne houses or cooperatives, although some retain a portion of their harvest to produce their labels, known as grower Champagnes.

Cooperatives serve as intermediaries between the growers and the Champagne houses. They collect grapes from member growers and produce Champagne under their label. Meanwhile, brokers play a key role in sourcing wine for Champagne houses, acting as a crucial link in the supply chain.

Champagne bottles often feature codes that indicate the type of business responsible for the Champagne:

NM (Négociant Manipulant): These businesses, often referred to as ‘houses,’ purchase grapes, must, or wine to produce Champagne on their premises and market it under their label. Notable examples include Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, and Veuve Clicquot.
RM (Récoltant Manipulant): These are ‘growers’ who produce Champagne exclusively from grapes sourced from their vineyards and processed on their premises.
CM (Coopérative de Manipulation): These cooperatives market Champagne under their label, using grapes from member-growers.
RC (Récoltant Coopérateur): Similar to CM, but specifically refers to cooperatives where the grower-members produce and bottle Champagne under the cooperative’s label.

The Champagne industry is dominated by several major groupings, which collectively account for a significant share of the market:

LVMH: The largest grouping, which owns Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, and Krug.
Vranken Pommery Monopole: Includes brands such as Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsieck, Charles Lafitte, and Bissinger.

The top five groupings alone account for approximately two-thirds of all Champagne sales by value.

Supply and Demand

Influencing the Supply of Champagne

The Champagne region regulates supply through a system that sets maximum allowable grape yields per hectare for the production of Champagne. This system comprises two main components:

Base Wine Yields: The maximum grape yield that can be used to produce base wine for the upcoming harvest.
Reserve Allowance: An allocation for wines to be set aside in reserves.

Decisions on these yield limits are based on current stock levels, global demand, and seasonal progress, with final determinations made in late July. Over the past decade, the average yield has been around 10,500 kilos per hectare. Any significant deviation, such as a 10% increase or decrease, can greatly impact production levels.

Producers can also draw from their reserves to meet additional market demands. Additionally, the region is exploring the possibility of expanding vineyard areas around the periphery of the appellation to accommodate future production needs.

Demand

Domestic consumption of Champagne accounts for approximately half of all production. The average price per bottle in the domestic market is relatively low due to the prevalence of inexpensive Champagne sold in French supermarkets. However, there is a notable shift: the proportion of the least expensive wines (under €12) has decreased, while the share of wines priced over €20 has increased.

The main export markets for Champagne are, in order of volume, the UK, USA, Japan, Germany, and Belgium (as of 2018). The USA and Japan are the highest-value markets, commanding the highest prices per bottle, whereas the UK, while being the largest market by volume, has the lowest average bottle price among the top ten export destinations.

In response to the rise of mid-priced sparkling wines like Prosecco, Champagne producers are repositioning their focus towards higher price points. This shift is supported by the reduced use of chemical fertilizers and the imposition of lower maximum yields for environmental reasons. Although Champagne volume has decreased by 10% over the past decade, its value has increased by 25%, reflecting a trend towards premium pricing.

Cost of Production vs. Price Sought

Grape prices in Champagne are notably high, averaging €6.10 per kilo, with approximately 1.2 kilograms of grapes needed to produce a 75 cl bottle of Champagne. The cost is even higher for Grand Cru or premier cru grapes.

Vintage Champagne incurs higher production costs compared to non-vintage Champagne, primarily due to the use of more expensive grapes and the extended aging period of at least three years, which delays financial returns and can create cash flow challenges for new producers.

Rosé Champagne is slightly more expensive to produce due to the addition of red wine, which generally has lower yields and higher production costs compared to white base wine. Additionally, the use of oak barrels for primary fermentation or base-wine aging further increases production costs. All these factors contribute to the final price that producers seek for their Champagne.

Route to Market

Champagne houses invest heavily in marketing and advertising, with estimates suggesting this can account for up to 20% of the price of a bottle. The broad cost breakdown is as follows: grapes account for approximately 50%, total production costs make up around 30%, and commercialization expenses, including marketing and distribution, constitute about 20%.

Many large Champagne houses have established their distribution networks, often through dedicated companies in specific markets. This vertical integration allows them to maintain control over pricing and distribution, crucial for managing brand integrity and combating grey market trading, where products are sold outside authorized channels.

Some major Champagne brands are part of large conglomerates, which offer extensive distribution systems that can support multiple brands within the portfolio. This strategic consolidation enables better control over market pricing and distribution.

Conversely, some Champagne houses opt to use external agents for distribution. In these cases, the Champagne House typically allocates a marketing budget to support the promotion of their wines, while the agents handle the logistics and sales.

A smaller number of growers sell their Champagnes internationally, usually through specialized agents who promote these wines in niche markets such as boutique wine shops, private clients, and the hospitality sector. These agents often represent multiple growers and focus on leveraging personal relationships and targeted marketing to expand the growers' reach. Due to limited marketing budgets, growers frequently engage in direct visits to key markets to personally promote their wines.

Champagne (copia)