Champagne and the Traditional Method

This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on June 26, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.

The show aired just before the July Fourth weekend; a grand celebration of our country’s independence from tyranny. The Declaration of Independence is a unique document that articulates a people’s right to overthrow an unjust and tyrannical government, and applies to all peoples and their right to self-determination. The “rocket’s red glare” was not about fireworks as it is now, but as long as one uses fireworks safely, and understands the significance of July Fourth we can still be free of the tyranny of any government. So please drink and firework responsibly.

It was Madeira the founders drank in celebration of the signing, but Champagne and sparkling wines are more commonly chosen now. Sparkling wines have been with us for centuries, but they did not originate in Champagne. Nonetheless this is the sine qua non of sparkling wines, and that is where we turn today.

However, we have something else special to celebrate and that is my co-host Kevin’s birthday this Sunday. And boy do we have champagne to celebrate it! Armand de Brignoc Brut gold, aka; the Ace of Spades!

Champagne history

Dom Pérignon (1638–1715) is the celebrated monk who pioneered the concept of Champagne as we know it today. While he did not invent Champagne or sparkling wine – the so-called champagne method was documented before Dom Pérignon even entered the abbey at d’Hautvillers. He did introduce blending of grapes to improve the flavor and making white wine from red grapes. He was called upon to stop the bursting of bottles of white wine, which had caused physical injuries and loss of wine at the abbey. But what about his wine?

• Dom Pérignon is a type of champagne not a champagne house, made by Moet & Chandon, first released in the 1920s as a prestige cuvé
• The champagne is a premier cru, not a grand cru as some grapes of the original plot in Hautvillers are added, a premier cru grape, is added to the cuvé
• Dom Pérignon is always vintage champagne and not made every year. It is always a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 60/40 or 50/50 and aged 7 years.
• Each vintage is released three times after 9, 18 and 25 years and labeled P1, P2 and P3.

Champagne grapes: Pinot Meunier

The classic grapes in the Champagne region are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. While the first two grapes are widely known, that is not the case with Pinot Meunier.

Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is one of the most widely planted grapes in France but rarely mentioned on a wine label. The grape has been favored by vine growers in northern France due to its ability to bud and ripen more reliably than Pinot noir. The vine’s tendency to bud later in the growing season and ripen earlier makes it less susceptible to developing coulure; a metabolic reaction to cold, cloudy days that can prevent development after flowering.

Pinot Meunier is the most widely planted Champagne grape, at more than 40%. It is most prevalent in the cooler, north facing vineyards of the Vallee de la Marne. It is also widely grown in the Aube region in vineyards where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay don’t fully ripen.

Compared to Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier produces lighter colored wines with slightly higher acid levels but with similar sugar and alcohol levels. As part of a standard Champagne blend, Pinot Meunier contributes aromatics and fruity flavors to the wine.

Champagnes with a high proportion of Pinot Meunier tend to have less aging potential as Champagnes that are composed primarily of Chardonnay or Pinot noir. It is typically used for Champagnes consumed young, when the soft, plushy fruit of the Pinot Meunier is at its peak. A notable exception is the Champagne house of Krug which makes liberal use of Pinot Meunier in its long-lived prestige cuvees.

Pinot Meunier is also planted in the Loire Valley. In Germany, Pinot Meunier is used most often to make still red wines under its synonym Schwarzriesling. In California, some American sparkling wine producers began planting Pinot Meunier in the 1980s.

Today most of California’s plantings are located in the Carneros AVA. Bouchaine Vineyards, Mumm Napa and Domaine Chandon are a few of the wineries that still use Pinot Meunier. In Australia, the grape has had a longer history in Australian wine production than Pinot noir.

Types of Sparkling Wines

• Non-Vintage (NV): The most traditional of all sparkling styles. These are a blend of multiple varieties and vintages of wine. The goal is to blend a consistent wine every year. Minimum aging is 1.5 years in Champagne. Some producers call it multiple vintages.
• Vintage: In Champagne, there have been 46 years denoted as vintage years in the last 60 years. Vintage Champagnes are aged a minimum of 3 years prior to release. Other regions might not follow this pattern, but Gruet as one example does not make a vintage sparkler every year.
• Cuvée de prestige: The tête de cuvée or “Grande Cuvee” of a Champagne house–the very best wine a house produces. The term is used by other producers, many by Champagne houses located in California for example.
• Blanc de Blancs A sparkler made completely of white grapes like Chardonnay.
• Blanc de Noirs: A sparkler made completely with black grapes, such as Pinot Noir and less commonly, with Pinot Meunier.
• Rosé: In Champagne, typically a blend of white and red wine to create a pink wine prior to secondary fermentation. Other areas might do a conventional Rose method.

Champagne region

The Champagne region lies to the east of Paris and is comprised of several sub-regions. The two principal towns are Reims and Epernay and there is much to explore besides the wines in these famous cities of Champagne, such as Mark Chagall’s stained glass at Reims Cathedral. There are over 84,000 vineyard acres, making an average of one million bottles a day. That’s a lot of primo bubbly!

Map courtesy of Wine Folly

Montagne de Reims: Principally Pinot Noir, many tête de cuvée wines from major Champagne houses come from here.
Côte des Blancs: Principally Chardonnay. Chalk-based soils produce wine with higher acidity. Wines are elegant and racy. Area is south of Epernay.
Vallée de la Marne: Principally Pinot Meunier, a grape known for its fruity and unctuous flavors. The abbey d’Hautvilles is located here.
Côte des Sézanne: Principally Chardonnay with soils of both chalk and marl. Wines are aromatic with less acidity than Côte des Blancs.
Aube (O-bay): Also known as Côte des Bar: Principally Pinot Noir in marl soils, aromatic with less acidity

Champagne Trends

Many Champagne houses in France are making changes to their dosage, making the wines drier than ever before. That might require a bit of background. There are many ways to make sparkling wine, but only two methods offer a quality product. The one that yields the highest quality regarding mouthfeel and sight is the méthode champenoise or traditional method.

Using this method, a second fermentation is done in the bottle, thereby trapping an intense, small-bubble carbonation that contributes greatly to the mouthfeel of these wines. Along with the special yeast added, which is often a well-kept secret, a dosage that includes sugar is added to the wine.

Historically, this was necessary to balance the wine as the grapes were seldom fully-ripened and had high acidity, which was intensified by the carbonation. A whole series of styles were created by this technique which was copied by sparkling wine makers worldwide.

Details of Champagne Method

A second fermentation in the bottle can be done by happenstance, when native yeasts are in the environment in which the wine is bottled. This was the problem Dom Pérignon was asked to eliminate. Some wines have a natural partial fermentation, which became part of tradition, such as Vinho Verde wines from Portugal where part of the wine’s attraction is the prickle of partial secondary fermentation.

However, though it took a while to perfect the Champagne method, it was a way to deliberately induce a second fermentation.

• The liqueur di tirage is a mix of yeast, wine and sugar added to induce a second fermentation.
• The riddling process gradually tilts the bottle until it is nearly inverted and the sediment has moved into the bottle’s neck. It was developed by Madame Clicquot.
• The disgorgement removes the sediment by freezing the bottle neck before extracting the plug
• Finally a dosage or liqueur d’expedition of wine and sugar is added to top off the wine.

Early on the dosage could be up to 100 grams per liter, which is very sweet indeed.

• Brut Nature – no added sugar and under 3 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Extra-Brut – between 0 and 6 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Brut – less than 12 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Extra sec (or Extra Dry) – between 12 and 17 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Sec (or Dry) – between 17 and 32 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Demi-Sec – between 32 and 50 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Doux – more than 50 grams per liter of residual sugars

In Champagne, since the late 20^th century, early 21^st century the warming trend permitted a longer hang time, riper grapes, better farming techniques, and less reliance on sweeter dosage. While brut wines have been around for some time, we are now seeing Extra-brut, Zero Brut and Brut Nature wines.

What we are tasting: Armand de Brignac Gold Brut Prestige cuvée, ABV 12.5%, $300

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut Gold Champagne 75cl Non Vintage in the famous gold pewter bottle is marvelous, complex and full-bodied, with a bouquet that is both fresh and lively. It’s sumptuous, racy fruit character is perfectly integrated with the wine’s subtle brioche accents.

The first release from Armand de Brignac, the Brut Gold remains the most iconic cuvée in the range. Rich with the old world traditions of champagne blending, it is a trio of vintages from some of the most lauded terroir in the region, resulting in a prestige cuvée that expresses vibrant fresh fruit character, and layers of complexity.

Its texture is deliciously creamy and the palate has great depth and impact with a long and silky finish; a superb and singular example of a Prestige Champagne. Armand de Brignac was voted No.1 Champagne in the world at a blind tasting.

The Cattier family produces classic Champagne from family-owned vineyards in 1er Cru villages. The elegance of the package matches the perfection of the Champagne, filled with notes of toast, citrus and white flowers that blossom on the palate.

What we are tasting: De Margerie Grand Cru Brut, ABV 12.0%, $45 at Total Wines

This champagne comes from the lower part of Montagne de Reims in the town of Bouzy. And yes it is pronounced boozy. It is known not just for the grand cru vineyards, but the tradition of making a still wine from Pinot Noir. The inhabitants, all 937 souls are known as Bouzillons and Bouzillonnes respectively. Seriously, I’m not making this up.

• Bouzy vineyards: 373.8 hectares (923.7 acres),
• Grape varieties: 87% Pinot Noir, 12% Chardonnay, and 0.2% and Pinot Meunier.
• Classification: Grand cru (100%)

The vineyards consist of purely south-facing slopes on the Montagne de Reims, mostly with Pinot Noir. Thanks to these south-facing slopes, the vineyards of Bouzy, together with those of neighbor Ambonnay, are the source of some of the most powerful Pinot Noir wines of Champagne.

Champagne houses that control vineyards in the village include Bollinger, Duval-Leroy, Moët & Chandon, Mumm, Pol Roger, and Taittinger. That is  prestige lineup.

Bouzy Rouge

About two-thirds of the Champagne producers in the village also sell Bouzy Rouge, but the total production is small, about 45 000 bottles in a good year. This is still a very significant portion of the total production of Coteaux Champenois, which is just about 100 000 bottles per year.

“This wine was being served at royal coronations and savored at the table of Louis XIV long before Champagne acquired its worldwide fame,” says local winemaker Jean-René Brice. This is in a reference to the fact that many French kings were crowned in the cathedral at Reims, the capital of the Champagne region.

Beverage Dynamics-Champagne, France- “Simply gorgeous! A crisp, clean blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay from the famed Bouzy region. Pale gold in color, with a nose of red fruit followed by a lively palate filled with pin-point bubbles that caress the palate into a long, refreshing finish.” 94 points

Analysis

As soon as Kevin announced what Champagne he was bringing I thought, how do I compete with that? Well it had to be a Grand Cru, that was obvious and then when I learned about the town of Bouzy, I had to bring the De Margerie, which was also highly rated. How do you decide between a 94 and 98 point Champagne? Easy, you thoroughly enjoy both sparklers and we did. I would say at one sixth the price I’m leaning toward the De Margerie as this wine will please anyone.

So Kevin comes into our broadcast booth with a black cloth wrapped box, which reveals a gleaming ebony box. Inside the box he removes a gold pewter covered bottle of champagne. So if you are planning on really impressing your friends, by all means make it an Ace of Spades.