Champagne expert

• The Champagne Appellation

• The brand or name of the Champagne House

• The dosage (sugar) i.e. Brut or Demi-Sec

• Champagne descriptors i.e.Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noirs, Rose, Vintage etc.

Read ‘About Champagne’ for more info on the descriptors, but here’s a quick guide:

Brut NV (Non-vintage) A blend of wines from several years and a number of crus.

Vintage: Produced exclusively from the wines of a single harvest, a vintage is only declared in exceptional years.

Rosé: Produced by macerating the skins of black grapes or by adding locally produced red wine.

Special Cuvées: Made from the finest, most complex wines. Can be Vintage or Non-Vintage.

Demi-Sec: More sugar is added during dosage (than Brut) so the palate is sweet.

Blanc de Blancs: A white Champagne made exclusively from white grapes (Chardonnay).

Blanc de Noirs: A white Champagne made exclusively from black grapes (Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier).

The label on the back of the bottle - will give you some additional information, such as which grapes have been blended, the aging period, a description of the aromas and suggestions of which food the Champagne is suited to.

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Which Champagne is right for you?

Each Champagne has its own distinct flavour, personality and characteristics. Each wine maker is a true artist, creating his own ‘assemblage’. This is his own, distinct Champagne made from a blend of the three grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – and of the vintages. This is referred to as a cuvee, and it’s this skilful combination that gives Champagne its unique and distinct flavour.

But how do you know which cuvee will suit your palette?

Well the only real way to know which Champagne is suited to your taste is to try them all, but with so many available this could prove impossible! Therefore, here’s a quick and handy guide to give you some tips:

Wines made predominantly, sometimes only...

with black grapes - Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are powerful and intense. You will recognise this wine for its overtones of spicy and red fruit. Wines made with black grapes only are referred to as Blanc de Noir and tend to be fruity and full bodied in flavour.

with white grapes -If you prefer lighter wines, then those made predominantly with white grapes - Chardonnay - will suit your palette. These wines can be recognised for a citrus aroma and light bubbles.

Wines which are made only with white grapes are referred to as "Blanc de Blanc" and are much more delicate and floral than Champagnes made with a blend of white and black, or black only, grapes.

Frenchbubbles is pround to offer 2 "blanc de blanc" Champagne one is a Premier Cru and the second is a Grand Cru which means those wine are made from the best grappes of Champagne.

• Brut Blanc de Blanc Premier Cru Blanche de Castille by Champagne Colin offers you finesse and freshness. Its nose is sharp and aerial, it's mouth has vanilla aromas and subtle yellow fruit tastes.

• La Grande Réserve Grand Cru by Pertois-Moriset Champagne is very fine and its smoothness remarkable.

Champagne with smooth honey tones is dominated by Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and can be Rose or Demi-Sec.

Finally, there are more complex Champagnes which are often prestige cuvees and exclusive vintages.

Amber in colour and with fine bubbles, these Champagnes should be enjoyed with food as fine as the Champagne. Vintages tend to have a much more complex and mature flavour

Special Blend Champagnes, or ‘cuvees’, that we recommend also at French Bubbles include

Cuvée Alliance Brut Tradition by Champagne Colin since 1829. Made from a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30 % Pinot Meunier, this light yellow coloured wine with fine and bright bubbles offers a honey taste with complex spices. Its generosity will fascinate all Champagne's lovers.

Cuvée selection by Champagne Pertois-Moriset. Elaborated from pinot noir and chardonnay collected on the southern slopes going towards Sézanne, this balanced champagne, combines freshness and smoothness.

Whichever Cuvee is suited to you, you can be sure that it has been made with the skill, care and attention it deserves.

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Storing

Champagne wines have already reached maturity in the cellars under the careful scrutiny of the produces. Yet Champagnes can be stored for several years in your own home, provided that they are stored in a cool, dark place.

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Chilling

Champagne wines should be enjoyed chilled but not too cold. The younger and livelier the Champagne, the cooler it should be served (8ºC). A mature or vintage Champagne will be perfect at 10ºC. Do not chill in the freezer as over-chilling will mean that the wine is too cold to release its aromas and flavours

In the refrigerator lie the bottle down on the bottom shelf for three or four hours before serving; you can leave it there even longer, provided that the temperature remains constant.

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Opening

To open your Champagne, cut the foil and undo the wire cage known as the muselet. Grasp the cork in one hand and turn the bottle with the other, holding it at the bottom. The cork will then easily come out of its own accord.

Contrary to popular belief a silver spoon placed in the neck of the bottle does nothing to preserve the wine’s effervescence. Only a proper Champagne stopper will stop the wine losing its sparkle and a stopped wine should be consumed within 24hrs of opening.

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Serving

Champagne must always be served chilled in a glass with the volume and height large enough to allow the bubbles space to form and rise to the surface.

Ideally, a glass with a tulip shape should be used to avoid too much of the aroma and bubbles to be lost to the air.

The bubbles can dance around freely and the aroma can be expressed. Before using, rinse the glass in warm water without using soap and dry upturned rather than with a drying cloth, as this can affect the aroma and flavour.

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Tasting

To truly appreciate Champagne, you must learn to use your imagination to describe the characteristics of particular wines and how to let your emotions express what you discover.

To taste Champagne, make sure your glass is spotlessly clean and free of any traces of detergent. Fill a clean tulip-shaped glass to half full. This will make it easier to swirl the wine around the glass releasing the aromas.

First, look at the wine you are about to taste, is it bright and shiny or dull. It should be bright as a dull wine is often faulty. Look at the colour, as a general rule the older the wine the more golden it becomes. To bring out the colour of the wine, place a sheet of white paper behind the glass.

Once the effervescence has subsided, bring the glass to your nose. Inhale slowly and then inhale again. Take a sip and roll it around in your mouth, sensing not only its taste but also its texture and weight (mouthfeel). As you swallow, try to remember the imprint of the wine on your palate. The aftertaste (finish) is an indication of quality – the longer the finish the better the wine.

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Food and Drink

With Champagne seen as very much a celebratory drink to be enjoyed with canapés, people don’t often consider the many dishes that can be enhanced by its flavour. It’s a very versatile ‘food wine’ an in fact, some varieties of Champagne are too rich and aromatic to be really enjoyed without food.

Non-Vintage Champagne Wines are the most widely produced of Champagnes and a blend of various grapes, regions and vintages. These are best served as an aperitif and work very well with caviar.

Blanc de Blancs Champagne, made from Chardonnay grapes also make an excellent aperitif and is perfect with oysters, shellfish and white fish. Slightly older Champagne in this variety is lovely served with creamy sauces and spiced dishes including Indian foods.

Blanc de Noirs Champagne made with Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes are heavier wines and are best served with food, this includes poultry, veal and pork. Older Champagnes are perfect with more flavoursome meats such as venison and kidney.

Vintage Champagnes are exceptional and are produced from a single harvest. Young vintage Champagnes can be served with fish with rich sauces, poultry, light meats and a variety of cheeses. More mature Champagne works well with Japanese dishes, smoked foods, hard mature cheeses and truffles.

Non-Vintage Rosé Champagne makes a lovely fresh aperitif, but are also good with prawns, lobster and other seafood. Vintage Rose Champagne have a rich character that work well with rich red meat and can be served with strong herbs and spices.

Demi-Sec Champagne is much sweeter and is a perfect accompaniment to foie gras and fatty meats and dishes with a fruit element. It also works well with non sugary desserts.

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The sparkle

Champagne would not be Champagne without the magical presence of the bubbles which rise to decorate your glass in sparkling light, releasing the wine’s fruity and floral aromas. It is these bubbles which release the flavour and aroma of Champagne, making the act of drinking Champagne an uplifting and delightful and refreshing experience.
In times past the natural fermentation of the wines began in the autumn, and slowed down with the onset of the winter in the cellars. The wines retained a proportion of their sugar, triggering a new fermentation with the return of warmer weather in the spring. When this second fermentation happened inside the closed bottles, the wines natural sparkle remained imprisoned until the opening of the bottle.

The little bubbles in French Bubbles Champagne pick up the flavor and aroma molecules during their celebrated ascent, pulling them along until the bubbles literally explode onto the surface of the liquid, creating the sensory fireworks that are generally associated with a good tasting, refreshing champagne.
The Champenois’ stroke of genius was to learn to control this natural phenomenon in order to achieve extremely fine bubbles and long lasting aromas, and at French Bubbles this is reflected in our Champagnes today.

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