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EDITORIAL
– SYLVAIN PATARD –
Editor in Chief
CHAMPAGNE: A MATTER OF STYLE
Above all else, Champagne is wine. The presence of bubbles, however
appealing, sometimes seems to dull our ability to think. So, if you don’t mind,
perhaps we should go back to basics, and investigate. Most of the grapes harvested
in Champagne are Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, which are then
crushed and settled – as white wines – then placed into tanks or barrels to
ferment, again like white wines! Afterwards, the wines are blended to define their
style. Batches of wines from that year’s harvest and different growths are carefully
combined with reserve wines from previous vintages, shaping the profile of the
wine to reflect the house style. There’s the first real clue! They are then placed
into bottles – well, well – to promote a secondary fermentation which produces
the bubbles. After disgorgement – which prepares them for marketing – the
bottles are adorned with a label, a neck band and a cork stopper topped with a
foil capsule and a wire cage. The secret’s out, all the clues point to one thing –
Champagne is indeed a wine, and an incredible one at that.
By drawing on the appellation area’s extensive 34,300-hectare vineyard, its
identity can take on myriad aspects. But there is one hard and fast rule that
cannot be broken, and that is the consistency of style encapsulated by its brand.
This is the essence of this legendary wine which has long travelled the globe, and
is also the topic of our major feature report in this issue.
6 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE