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CHAMPAGNE
– STYLES –
Cédric Thiébault, cellar master for Champagne Besserat de Bellefon
The house’s signature style also involves not deliberately
aiming for malolactic fermentation. It may occasionally
occur in the bottle, but nothing is added to the wine to
promote it, allowing it to stay fresher. This is a tack taken
by increasing numbers of winegrowers, as pointed out by
the cellar master.
Here too, dosage is decreasing. Whereas 15-20 years
ago, 11 to 12g of sugar were added before the bottle
was permanently closed, that amount is now nearer
to 8g. Customers are increasingly knowledgeable and
Besserat de Bellefon targets a specific audience of
educated connoisseurs which it reaches out to via topend
restaurants and wine merchants.
The non-vintage Brut, named ‘Bleu Brut’, is matured for
three years and contains 50% reserve wine and the three
classic grape varieties. But unlike many companies, at
Besserat de Bellefon it only represents 50% of sales. The
Elegance line, which comprises a Blanc de Blancs made
from Grand Cru village wine, accounts for a quarter
of sales. The house has kept an entire range, including
16 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE