Tom Stevenson’s Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide 2003 ‘An authority acknowledged even by the Champenois…’ The Sunday Times Voted Best Wine Guide by World Food Media Awards Contents • Foreword • Sparkling Wine - How it is made • Storing and Serving Sparkling Wine • Sparkling wine styles • This Year's Tastings • The Guide's 100-point Scoring System • Comparative performance tables • A-Z of tasting notes • Glossary Foreword This is the final edition of my fizz guide and to tell the truth it’s a relief to know that I don’t have to put myself through this particular treadmill again. A combination of logistical, personal and work problems in the one year when I was supposed to be updating my Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine delayed both that book and this one. When I eventually finished this fizz guide, it was far too late for me to contemplate selling it. How could I ask money for a buyer’s guide that would be 12 months late? I couldn’t, but it was no one else’s fault, and not only did I feel a debt to those who had submitted their wines in good faith, but I also did not want to let down my readers, who expected another edition. The only honourable course was to strip away the prices, update the notes with wines I had tasted in the meantime, and offer my last edition as a free download. The contents have not gone through the traditional system of copy editing, so there might be even more typos than usual! Tom Stevenson August 2003 Sparkling Wine - How it is made The theory behind sparkling wine is simple. Fermentation converts sugar into alcohol and carbonic gas - if the gas is set free the wine is still, if not, it is sparkling. To capture the gas, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in a sealed container. The gas gushes out in the form of tiny bubbles when the container is opened. According to research carried out by Moët & Chandon there are on average 250 million bubbles in a bottle of sparkling wine. The internal pressure in a bottle of sparkling wine is equivalent to the pressure of a double-decker bus tyre. The Grapes Various are used, but Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are best for premium quality sparkling wine - they are relatively neutral, with a good balance of sugar and acidity when ripe. Cuve Close Method Most cheap fizz is produced by cuve close (or "Charmat" or "tank" method). Both fermentations take place in large vats, then the wine is bottled under pressure. As cuve close is a bulk- production method it attracts low-calibre base wines, but the speed and minimum yeast contact makes it perfect for sweet, aromatic fizz such as Asti. Méthode champenoise The greatest brut-style (dry) sparkling wines are made by méthode champenoise. As in cuve close, the first fermentation takes place en masse, sometimes in oak barriques, but the second takes place in the actual bottle in which the wine is sold. Méthode champenoise terms In the European Union the term méthode champenoise is reserved for Champagne. However, the terms below are all synonymous with it. English-Language Spain Germany Countries Método tradicional Flaschengärung nach dem Traditionellen Traditional Method "Cava" appellation Verfahren Klassische Flaschengärung France Italy Traditionelle Flaschengärung Méthode Traditionnelle Metodo Classico Méthode Classique Metodo Tradizionale South Africa "Crémant" appellations “Talento” Cap Classique Malolactic Conversion Most fizz undergoes "malolactic", a natural process of fermentation that converts hard malic acid into soft lactic acid and adds creaminess to the wine. Of the few producers who prevent the malolactic, Bollinger, Alfred Gratien, Krug and Lanson are the most famous. In the New World the malolactic is often overworked because grapes are picked early, and have higher levels of malic acid. Blending and the Prise de Mousse The blending (assemblage) of the base wine is undertaken after the first fermentation. The champenois are the masters of this, and may create a non-vintage cuvée from as many as 70 base wines. Sugar, selected yeasts, yeast nutrients and a clarifying agent are then added to induce the mousse. The second fermentation is often referred to as the prise de mousse, or "capturing the sparkle", and it can take months to complete. In contract to the first fermentation, which should be relatively fast and warm, the second is slow and cool. Autolysis When the second fermentation is complete, the yeast cells undergo an enzymatic breakdown called autolysis, which is epitomized by an acacia-like flowery freshness. Good autolysis adds complexity and ensures finesse. Remuage and Disgorgement In méthode champenoise only, the yeast deposit created during the second fermentation is encouraged down the neck of the inverted bottle into a small plastic pot held in place by a crown- cap. Remuage (or riddling), as this is called, takes eight weeks by hand, or eight days by machine. The sediment is removed (disgorged) by immersing the bottle in freezing brine, and ejecting the semi-frozen pot without losing too much wine or gas. The Dosage Before corking, the liqueur d'expédition is added. In all cases except extra brut (very dry), this will include some sugar. The younger the wine, the greater the dosage of sugar required. Storing and Serving Sparkling Wine Most fizz is best drunk within a year or so. Only a few cuvées are capable of developing truly complex aromas and flavours after disgorgement. Why Store? Typically, Chardonnay turns "toasty" and Pinot Noir "biscuity", although the reverse in possible and even a whiff of clean sulphur can in time contribute to the toastiness of a wine. Some first- class Chardonnays develop specific, complex aromas such as flowery hazelnuts, creamy brazil nuts and mellow walnuts. The greatest Champagnes can age gracefully for decades, to create rich nuances of macaroons, coconut, cocoa and coffee. How to Store Fizz is more sensitive to temperature and light than other wines, but there should be no problem keeping it for a year or two at any fairly constant temperature between 12 and 18oC (40-60oF). Higher temperatures increase the rate of oxidation; erratic temperatures can seriously damage the wine. If you do not have a cellar, keep it in a cool place inside a box. Very long-term storage should be at 9-11oC (48-52oF) in total darkness. There is no reason why bottles should be stored horizontally apart from to save space: the CO2 in the bottle neck keeps the cork moist and swollen even when upright. Some Champagnes have retained their sparkle for a century under ideal conditions. Some Champagnes, such as Roederer Cristal, are shipped with a yellow, anti-UV wrapping, which you should leave on while storing. Brown-glass bottles offer better protection against ultra-violet than green-glass, and dead-leaf or dark green is better than light or bright green. Chilling Temperature determines the rate at which bubbles in a sparkling wine are released. Bubbly should not be opened at room temperature - the wine will quickly froth up and go flat. Chill it, ideally down to 4.5-7oC (40-45oF), the lower temperature for parties and receptions where the room temperature is likely to rise. It is okay to chill wine in a refrigerator for a couple of hours, but try not to leave it longer than a day because the cork might stick or shrink. Emergency chilling of a sparkling wine by putting it in the coldest part of a deep-freeze for 15 minutes is fine. A bucket of ice and water (never just ice, the water is essential for transferring temperatures) is still one of the best and quickest ways to chill a bottle of fizz, but faster still are the gel-filled jackets that are kept in the deep freeze and slip over the bottle for about six minutes. A useful tip when using either ice-buckets or gel-filled jackets is to invert the bottle gently two or three times before opening. This prevents the wine in the neck being significantly warmer than the rest of the bottle, which reduces the chance of the wine gushing like a fountain when the bottle, not to mention ensuring that the first will be as chilled as the last. Opening Remember that the secret of success is to try and prevent the cork from actually coming out. Remove the foil to begin, or simply score around the base of the wire cage. Then gently untwist the wire and loosen the bottom of the cage, but don't remove it. Hold the bottle with a cloth if you are a novice, and completely enclose the cork and cage in one hand (the right, if you are right-handed). Holding the base of the bottle with your other hand, twist both ends slowly in opposite directions, backwards and forwards. As soon as you feel pressure forcing the cork out, actually try to push it back in whilst continuing the twisting operation ever more gently until the cork is released from the bottle with a sigh, not a bang. Pouring A good tip is to pour only a little into each glass so that by the time you return to the first glass its foam will already have settled. The alternative is to wait ages for each one to settle as you are pouring. Top up each glass to between two-thirds and three-quarters of the vessel - no more. Do not tilt the glass and pour gently down the inside, it is not lager! Glasses A flute or a tulip-shaped glass is ideal and almost any vessel other than a coupe will suffice.