The blending (assemblage) of base wines is a long process which usually begins in January. The cellar master or mistress together with a committee/team of experts will gather often daily to taste dozens of wines in a process than can take months to complete before the right combination is finally agreed upon.
Blending Characteristics
The blend of base wine or vins clairs, can come from:
- Grape varieties
- Different regions (Montagne de Reims, Marne Valley, Côte des Blancs, Côte des Bar)
- Vineyards and or cru (villages)
- Base wine from the current harvest add freshness to the blend
- Reserve base wines from previous harvests are critical in achieving a consistent house style. They add depth, and length to the blend
Blending Process
The person in charge of the blending process is the cellar master or mistress and they guide the blending process by drawing upon:
- Experience
- Sensory recollection
- Brand/House expertise – learned under the tutorship of previous cellar master(s)
The cellar master and committee judge the base wines in a standard way recording all their impressions at each meeting. For each base and reserve wine they note the fruit and floral characteristics and the length of the wine on the palette.
Maintaining a consistency in champagne style is critical because the reputation of the producer or house depends upon the successful blending of the base wines. There is a reason why Moet & Chandon N/V Brut Imperial is the best-selling champagne in the world.
At last, once the final blend has been agreed by the cellar master and the committee, the mixing of the agreed percentages of each base wine begins in large mixing vats.
Blending Elements
Reserve wines are wines from previous vintages (years), these wines are specially kept for blending. Many champagne houses store vintage wines in oak barrels. Reserve wines add a softness to the blend, they mellow the younger wines in the blend in order to produce a consistent taste.
Below, you will find some of the main types of blending . There are multiple permutations for each type, and the winemaker or champagne house has a massive range of options to express their house style and creativity.
Non-Vintage
- Reserve wine from potentially several different years – different crus and grape varieties
- They must be kept for a minimum of 3 years in the bottle before being sold
Vintage
- Different cru and grape varieties
- They must be kept for a minimum of 3 years in the bottle before being sold
Single Cru
- Current years wine from 1 cru – one or more grape varieties
- Reserve wine from the same cru – one or more grape varieties
Single Cru Vintage
- Current years wine from 1 cru selected for excellence of the year – one or more grape varieties
- They must be kept for a minimum of 3 years in the bottle before being sold
Single Variety (e.g. Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir – can be a blend or 100% from either variety)
- Current years wine(s) – 1 or more cru but single grape variety
- Reserve wine from potentially several different years & different crus but 1 grape variety
Cold Stabilization
Once the mixing of the champagne has completed it is critical that the harmonized wine is chilled and filtered using a process called cold stabilization.
Blended wine needs to be cooled to prevent potential cloudiness and to prevent the potential formation of crystals of Potassium Bitartrate (KC4H5O6) in the bottle after secondary fermentation.
There are several methods of cold stabilization but they all basically involve seeding the mixed blend with tartrate crystals and then rapidly chilling the blend to near zero degrees Celsius. The processes of stabilization differ in the speed of chilling and the type of equipment used.
Once stabilization has completed, the blended wine is filtered to remove any tartrate crystals, thus preparing it for the next stage in the process secondary fermentation.