ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHAMPAGNE METHOD

The Birth of Bubbles or the Champagne Method

The Champagne Method, a true symbol of French excellence, refers to the process of making champagne, and more specifically, to the method by which fine bubbles are created. The term « Champagne Method » was long used for sparkling wines other than Champagne. However, in the early 1990s, the Champagne industry, which fervently protects its appellation, made it impossible to use this designation for wines outside the Champagne region. To avoid any potential confusion, the term « traditional method » was adopted for all other sparkling wines that use the same production technique. Whether it’s the Champagne method or the traditional method, the principle remains the same: it involves a second fermentation in the bottle, also known as the « prise de mousse, » which, a few weeks after bottling, gives rise to the bubbles. This moment is crucial for the quality of the future wine; if the process is too fast, it will result in coarse bubbles that lack persistence. The fermentation must take place slowly and at the right temperature.

Why is the Champagne Method (or Traditional Method) the Most Qualitative?

The Champagne Method is indeed a reference point in the world of sparkling wines, and you will understand why by comparing it to other possible techniques. In all cases, we start with a still wine (without bubbles). Several methods can be used to create bubbles depending on the wine’s appellation.

Three of these methods involve the creation of bubbles within the bottle:

1. The Traditional Method (or Champagne Method)
As previously explained, this method involves adding a mixture of sugar and yeast called « liqueur de tirage » to the still wine, which ferments in the bottle, creating CO2 (this is the famous « prise de mousse »). This method is characterized by the subsequent steps of riddling, disgorging, and, most importantly, aging on the lees, which adds complexity to the final product.

2. The Transfer Method
This method begins similarly to the Traditional Method: a mixture of sugar and yeast is added to the still wine, fermenting in the bottle to create CO2. However, at this point, the method diverges from the Champagne Method because the wine is transferred to a tank. A dosage liqueur is added before the wine is re-bottled. The significant difference here is that by transferring the wine to a tank—hence the name « transfer method »—one avoids the labor-intensive but crucial steps of the Champagne Method, such as riddling, disgorging, and aging on the lees, which contribute significantly to the product’s final complexity.

3. The Rural Method (or Ancestral Method)
Starting again with still wine, the cellar master cools the wine in a tank before it finishes its fermentation. The wine is then immediately bottled without any addition of « liqueur de tirage »; the yeasts resume their fermentation work, and the « prise de mousse » occurs in the bottle. Once again, neither riddling nor disgorging is required, unlike in the Champagne or Traditional Method.

Two other methods involve the creation of bubbles directly in a tank rather than in the bottle:

1. The Closed Tank Method (or Charmat Method, named after the inventor)
In this method, the process is even quicker by adding the « liqueur de tirage » (a mixture of sugar and yeast) directly into a closed tank. The « prise de mousse » thus takes place in the tank rather than in the bottle, and only once it is effective does the wine get bottled.

2. The Carbonation Method
In this last method, there is no fermentation at all, neither in the bottle nor in a tank. Instead, CO2 is simply added to the still wine.

In summary, the Champagne Method is considered the most qualitative because it involves steps like aging on the lees, riddling, and disgorging, which add complexity, finesse, and longevity to the wine. Other methods, while quicker or simpler, often result in less complexity and depth in the final product.

Les Champagne Gremillet, a Recognized Quality.

The 5 Steps of Winemaking.

First step : LE PRESSING.

When the grapes are ripe at the end of summer, it’s time to harvest! The harvesters gather the beautiful clusters, which are immediately taken to the pressing center. The press operators work quickly on the freshly picked grapes. It’s one of the best times of the year, offering wonderful moments of sharing with our team in the heart of the vineyards. From harvesting to transferring the grapes to the tanks, only a few hours are needed. This quick response is a key factor in the success of winemaking and champagne production, as we must avoid oxidation and maceration of the grapes at all costs. Indeed, we mainly vinify black-skinned grapes, and if the wait were too long, we would risk obtaining stained juice instead of clear juice. Upon arrival at the press, the grapes are weighed in batches of 4,000 kilos. According to appellation rules, we will extract 2,500 liters of juice. At Gremillet, we only keep the first 2,050 liters, called the « Cuvée, » which is the highest quality and will allow us to produce wines with better aging potential. The rest of the pressed juice simply goes to the distillery. Once the juice is in the tank, alcoholic fermentation begins (the transformation of sugar into alcohol)! During fermentation, the wine clarifies, and then it’s time for racking, where we separate the clear wine and its precious aromas from the sediment at the bottom of the tank. This marks the beginning of another important stage in champagne production.

Second Step: BLENDING

From autumn until the heart of winter, the wine slowly clarifies. Jean-Christophe GREMILLET, along with his team, filters it multiple times. By the time January arrives, the wines are finally clear. It is now time to taste them before blending. Blending is a crucial and decisive moment for the future quality of the Champagne and its consistency from year to year. Blending is an art that requires marrying, in varying proportions each year, wines from different grape varieties, terroirs, and vintages. To do this, a tasting committee composed of oenologists, winemaker friends, and close members of the Gremillet family meets several times between January and April to refine the choices. Together, and in keeping with tradition, they strive to maintain the Gremillet style and flavor from one year to the next.

In the spring following the harvest, it’s time for bottling. Bottling involves the process of placing the clear, blended wines into bottles. During this phase of champagne production, we add a « liqueur de tirage » composed of sugar and yeast to our wines. This liqueur triggers a second fermentation in the bottle, known as the « prise de mousse. » This is the very essence of the Champagne method. In just a few weeks, the first bubbles of champagne will begin to form.

Fourth Step: RIDDLING and AGING

Doubling the fermentation and initiating the « prise de mousse » marks the moment of truth for the Champagne method (or traditional method). Afterward, patience is required as the wines need to rest. In Champagne, a minimum of 15 months of aging is required, and even 3 years for vintage champagnes. The bottles are stored lying down, allowing the wine to rest on its lees, where it develops all its complexity and aromas. Gradually, the bottles are moved from a horizontal to a vertical position, ending up upside down, where the lees concentrate into a deposit. While this process was once done manually using riddling racks, it is now done mechanically with the invaluable assistance of gyropalettes.

Fifth Step: DISGORGING

The final step in the production of champagne involves removing the sediment formed by the lees and adding a dosage liqueur. After riddling, the bottles are positioned upside down (« sur pointes »). Their necks are then dipped into a freezing solution to trap the sediment in an ice plug. The bottle is then uncapped, and the pressure ejects the ice plug without losing much wine. Next, the dosage liqueur (or shipping liqueur) is added. Our house recipe is composed of cane sugar and champagne wine; the amount of this liqueur will determine the nature of the champagne—whether it is brut nature, brut, or demi-sec. The bottle is then sealed with a cork and secured with a wire cage to contain the pressure, which exceeds 5 bars per bottle. Only when the wine and its liqueur are intimately blended, which takes between 3 and 6 months after disgorging (with the disgorging date indicated on the bottles), do they leave the cellars of Balnot-sur-Laignes. The dosage liqueur, known as the shipping liqueur, is quickly added, marking the end of the disgorging process and the completion of the long journey of champagne production.