Between harvesting and bottling

Blending

Assemblage de vins clairs en Champagne

A subtle art that is a hallmark of Champagne wines

After clarification, the wines are ready for blending. What is distinctive about the Champagne vineyards is that they are particularly "fragmented". A patchwork of plots, grape varieties, soils and sub-soils, some of which are more than 80 miles apart, which will each endow the wines with uniquely defining features. Features which also vary from one year to the next, influenced by climatic variations – levels of sunshine, rainfall, etc. Such wide-ranging possibilities and characteristics give winemakers an incredible choice of options for creating their own signature Champagne.

The art of Champagne-making has always been about blending. A bit like a "nose" or expert perfumer creates a fragrance from a thousand possible essences, so the cellar master is going to look for complementary aromas, balance and personality. One or more grape varieties, one or more crus, or a blend of wines from the same year to capture the excellence of a particularly special vintage. Each Champagne will showcase a signature style, the reflection of the teams who work daily to produce the world’s most prestigious wine.

 Composing with a palette of a thousand and one nuances...  Composing with a palette of a thousand and one nuances...