New Releases from Champagne

by Antonio Galloni

My November trip to Champagne was
fascinating, as I visited a number of properties and tasted an extraordinary
range of wines. Readers will find a dazzling variety of Champagnes on the
market, from outstanding non-vintage releases all the way up to the rarest,
most prized trophy wines and everything in between. In general, producers were
upbeat about the recently concluded 2008 harvest, although the slowdown in the
global economy was a subject of much discussion, especially given the proposed
expansion of the region to include a number of new villages. It remains to be
seen how much demand, and therefore prices, are affected by the current
synchronized global economic slowdown countries around the world are grappling
with.

New vintage releases include wines from all
of the years spanning 1996 through 2004. Most observers cite 2002 as the next
important top-flight vintage after the prized 1996, but ultimately readers will
be best served by focusing on specific producers rather than vintages as trying
to draw vintage generalizations of the kind that may be helpful in other
regions seems like an exercise in futility when it comes to Champagne. The
simple reality is that Champagne is by far the most manipulated wine in the
world. The region has long been home to specious vineyard practices that rely
on chemicals and fertilizers to maximize yields. The production of Champagne
often entails chaptalization (the addition of sugar) during the fermentation
stage to boost alcohol levels. The wines then receive a mixture of sugar and
yeast to induce the secondary fermentation when they are bottled and a further
addition of sugar once they are disgorged. Soil types, varietal composition,
aging on the lees and dosage vary tremendously from wine to wine. Lastly, not
all wines are made in all vintages. While lining up 100 wines from any vintage
in Burgundy or Bordeaux is feasible, trying to the same thing in Champagne is
possible only in the greatest of vintages, when all of the top wines are
produced. A comparison of vintages can be fascinating within the context of a
particular producer or for comparing wines from historic, collectible vintages,
but using a vintage’s reputation as a major factor in making purchasing
decisions is ultimately misguided when it comes to Champagne.

It is always a challenge to pick up coverage
of a region that hasn’t been reviewed in a few years as the pace of change is
incredibly fast. Readers should therefore view this article as a starting point
rather than an ending point. Going forward, subscribers can expect annual
coverage of new releases plus several online features throughout the year that
take a deeper look at specific producers and wines. Upcoming online articles
include a retrospective of the 1996 vintage and verticals of several iconic Champagnes.

Grands Marques and Grower Champagnes – Two
Different Interpretations of Champagne

Once largely ignored by all but a small
handful of savvy consumers, Champagne has exploded into prominence on a global
scale in a very big way. Prices for many of the most desirable wines have
skyrocketed to levels never seen before due to the demand that the region’s grands
marques (big brands) have created through slick marketing that promotes an
image of Champagne as a luxury good. Up until a few years ago Champagne
received little attention in the auction market, while today the wines have
become quite prominent in catalogs as prices, and the accompanying cachet of
owning the rarest wines, have soared, pre-recession, of course.

The grands marques often get a bad rap
for the massive quantity and industrial quality of their Champagnes. To be
sure, there are plenty of these wines on the market, yet the best grands
marques offer a combination of consistency throughout the range and wide
availability that is commendable. At the high end the finest wines can be
simply monumental bottles capable of offering rewarding drinking for many
years, and in some cases, decades. Sadly most of these wines are increasingly
priced out of the reach of mere mortals. In addition to their top wines, the
large producers have gotten quite good at making reliable non-vintage wines but
it is in the mid-range wines where so many grands marques struggle and
where quality is most quite variable.

Parallel to the flashy image of the grands
marques and their top luxury wines, also known as tête de cuvées, has been
the emergence of a group of small, artisan producers for whom Champagne is a
wine first, and Champagne second. The best “grower Champagnes” are made with a
significant emphasis on viticulture, something that has sorely been lacking in
a region where quantity and industrialization have often been the focus. Many
producers follow the principles of organic/biodynamic farming or one of the
variants such as lutte raisonée, an approach that seeks to reconcile the
ideals of organic and biodynamic farming while recognizing that a strict
adherence to these principles is not always feasible or desirable.

In reality the emergence of artisan estates
and small- production, domaine-bottled wines is the same trend that has already
taken place in other regions, but it has arrived relatively late in Champagne,
likely at least in part because the difference between the small, artisan
producers and the lavish grands marques is striking. While the grands
marques aim for consistency from vintage to vintage and seek to express a
“house style,” grower Champagnes give more importance to site, vintage and
grape variety, as expressed by the particular producer. Grower Champagnes may
not have the pedigree or perceived pedigree of the grands marques, but
they are priced liked wines, not luxury handbags. I found a number of superb
wines at both the grands marques and the growers, proving that size
alone is not correlated with quality.

Common Misconceptions about Champagne

Despite the huge growth in awareness about
the wines, Champagne suffers from a number of misconceptions. One of the
biggest of these is that Champagne is a wine reserved for special occasions. To
be sure the grands marques have succeeded in creating an image of luxury
that naturally lends itself to the idea that Champagne is indeed a celebratory
wine. Lost in all of the glossy websites with haute couture images and lavishly
packed bottles is the reality that Champagne is first and foremost a wine that
at its best can reflect everything that all the world’s other great wines
offer; namely a unique expression of microclimate, vintage and grape variety.

Another commonly held view is that Champagne
is a wine meant to be enjoyed as an aperitif before the more ‘serious’ wines
are served at the table. Nothing could be further from the truth. Drinking
Champagne throughout a meal can be one of the most sensual drinking experiences
on planet earth. The incredible depth and variety of wines available today
makes for a wide range of choices when considering food pairings, one of
Champagne’s undeniable strong suits. The finest Champagnes are also capable of
significant development in the glass but sadly few people spend enough time
with the wines to follow them over the course of several hours. Lastly, the
best Champagnes are capable of extraordinary evolution in bottle over many
years, something the world’s top collectors have known for quite some time.

Disgorging

Reviewing the wines of Champagne is no easy
task. One of the biggest challenges is the general lack of information
available about the wines. Every year millions of bottles of non vintage wine
flood the market about which little is known with regards to variety, vineyard
source, vintage composition, dosage, and perhaps most importantly of all, how
the vineyards themselves are farmed.

It is not uncommon for many wines to have
multiple disgorgements, but only a handful of domaines follow the practice of
labeling their wines with the disgorgement date. Often producers lower dosage
with subsequent disgorgements of the same wine, as the wines will have acquired
more richness on their own through extended contact with the lees and therefore
require less sugar. Let me give an example consisting of two bottles of the
same wine. Bottle #1 is bottled with 10 grams of dosage, and then six months
later Bottle #2 is bottled with 9 grams of dosage. Both wines will eventually
appear on the market labeled as the same wine, but they are in reality
different wines, whose unique qualities will emerge over the coming months and
years. In short, Champagne’s producers routinely ask consumers to tolerate a
level of bottle variation that is simply unacceptable in any other wine. One
importer I tasted with showed me a number of Champagnes that were different
bottlings from those he had sampled at the wineries and purchased for his
business, not just with regards to disgorgement dates, but also varietal blend,
vintage and other variables. In other words, he was tasting many of these wines
himself for the very first time! How can this possibly be a good thing for
anyone? Furthermore, importers can make special requests for their cuvées, such
as asking for the wines to have no dosage at all, which means that the same
wine in different markets will be, you guessed it, different wines. 

The large producers will say that what counts
is the consistency of the “house style” and that disgorgement dates are not
really all that important. Those who are more candid freely admit that they are
essentially disgorging wines every day and that it is a logistical nightmare to
label each and every batch. Admittedly, this is a fair point. Still, indicating
at the very least the month of disgorgement should be a viable solution. How
ironic it is that a $1 quart of milk provides the consumer with more
information than some of the big tête de cuvée bottlings that sell for
triple-digit sums.

In general, the artisan producers are much
more open with providing not just disgorgement dates, but in many cases
detailed information on the composition of wines at the NV level, dosage
levels, vineyard sources and a host of other details which allows consumers to
build their own knowledge base and gain a better appreciation for the wines,
all of which are clearly positives. In that regard, grower Champagnes are much
more user-friendly and deserve to be recognized for their transparency. I have
tried to include as much information on disgorgement dates as possible. Some
producers clearly indicate the date of disgorgement on their back labels,
others have codes on their foil wrappers, corks and/or labels that can be
traced back to a disgorgement date by the winery. Trying to make sense of this
information is a painstaking task that can only be defined as a labor of love,
and if I have succeeded in some small way in deciphering this maze for
consumers, I will be immensely pleased.

How to Buy, Cellar and Serve Champagne

Champagne is arguably the wine most
susceptible to the vagaries of poor storage, so insuring excellent provenance is
especially critical. Readers will be best served by seeking merchants who have
a large turnover. A few extra dollars spent per bottle is generally a very good
investment when it comes to these wines. Proper cellar conditions, preferably
on the cold side, are essential for storing and aging fine Champagne. It is by
now well understood that wines age more gracefully and slowly in large formats,
and nowhere is that more evident than Champagne, where magnums and other large
bottles can remain extraordinarily fresh, even after many years and decades of
cellaring. The half-bottle is sometimes a necessary evil, but I have never
found this format to be appealing.

When serving Champagne I generally avoid the
standard flutes as I think that shape traps many of the complexities the best
wines have to offer, so I prefer standard white wine glasses. Of course, as
much as larger glasses amplify a wine’s positive qualities they can also
magnify deficiencies, so the larger glasses will be most helpful with higher
quality wines. If I must use a flute I look for a glass with a larger bowl.

In general NV Champagnes are ready to drink
upon purchase as the customary addition of reserve wines gives the best NVs a
level of complexity and nuance that lends them to immediate consumption. Some
bottlings may develop even greater complexity with an additional few years in
bottle, but they are the exception, rather than the rule. That said, one good
reason to give a NV wine some additional time on the cork is if the wine has
been very recently disgorged, but by the time wines appear on the market that
is rarely an issue. On the other hand, vintage Champagnes and other tête de
cuvée bottling are often capable of extended development in the cellar.
Historically consumers in different countries have had varying interest in
aging Champagne, but the reality is that the best bottles can age for decades,
assuming of course, one enjoys the qualities that wines acquire with bottle
age.

A Few Final Thoughts

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank a few
people who have had a profound impact on my appreciation of the wines of
Champagne. First and foremost I am grateful to my lovely wife Marzia, who
introduced me to a number of small grower Champagnes and taught me that the
best Champagnes are serious wines that are phenomenal not just as an aperitif,
but at the dinner table as well. I am also deeply indebted to my New York
tasting group, with whom I have had the privilege of tasting and drinking many
of the region’s legendary, icon wines.

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social