The Ultimate Champagne Flavor Map [Infographic]
Wineries of all types strive to develop an estate identity through their liquid, but nowhere is that brand recognition as important as it is in Champagne. The flagship product for most Champagne maisons is the “house style,” a proprietary blend of grapes from assorted plots and vintages. No two non-vintage recipes are the same.
Beyond the stipulation that a wine must be produced in Champagne to be labeled as such, the méthode Champenoise offers winemakers some leeway when developing their unique flavors and textures. The three grapes permitted in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. A Chardonnay-dominant blend will lean more mineral in flavor and be light and elegant in texture, similar to the still Chardonnays from neighboring regions with similar climates like Burgundy. Blends heavy in Pinot Noir, however, will yield a richer body and a more fruit-forward flavor.
When making Champagne, the liquid goes through two fermentations. The first occurs in large vats and alcoholizes the juice into wine; the second happens in individual bottles and produces the bubbles. Whereas most wines’ aging occurs in barrel, Champagnes mature in bottle. The second fermentation yields dead yeast cells (lees) onto which winemakers allow the liquid to age, developing flavors of brioche and almond.
While the méthode Champenoise dictates aging on the lees for a minimum of 12 months, winemakers can decide how much longer the liquid ages with the yeast cells, another step in the process that can distinguish the house style’s profile. A longer lees aging produces bready, buttery flavors and a creamy texture, in turn giving the wine a fuller body. Winemakers decide to stop lees aging at the disgorgement stage, when each bottle’s temporary crown cap is removed to extract the dead yeast cells.
Below, we’ve compared some of the most famous Champagne houses by flavor and texture. We plotted their tastes between mineral and creamy and mouthfeels between light- and full-bodied. Consider this the ultimate guide for the next time you buy a bottle of bubbly.
*Image retrieved from Alexander Naglestad via unsplash.com
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