Disgorgement

A crucial moment for the wine

By the end of the riddling stage, any sediment will have slid down to the bottle neck, ready for disgorgement. The bottle neck is plunged in a solution at approximately -27°C. This causes a frozen plug to form of all the sediment gathered there. To remove it, the bottle is quickly opened, which expels the plug thanks to the pressure built up inside the bottle.

This is a crucial stage for the wine, since it is also the first time in months that the wine will once again come into contact with outside air. The oxygen that penetrates the bottle at this stage will help to further enhance the wine’s aromatic personality. Large bottles and certain particularly remarkable cuvées are still disgorged by hand ("à la volée").

When the bottle is opened, a small amount of wine is forced out, taking the sediment with it. During the next stage, dosage, the bottle is topped up with a mixture of cane sugar and wine.