A\nfew months ago I was invited by Gaetano Gulli, who, with his company Relais e\nTerroirs srl, based in Lucca (www.relaisterroirs.com), also imports and\ndistributes Maison Boulard Bauquaire champagnes in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gaetano\nasked me to hold a seminar on champagne dosage, tasting three champagnes with\ndifferent dosages. The event would take place in Lucca, at the Real Collegio di\nLucca, as part of the GC Show event organized by GeD Food and Beverage, a\ndistributor of products from various food and beverage companies. The tasting\nwould also be attended by the owner of the Maison, Christophe Boulard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nMaison is part of the Recoltant Manipulant category. Located in Cormicy, 20 km\nfrom Reims, it covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 8 hectares and cultivates\nthree grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier). The Maison\nproduces approximately 80,000 bottles annually in the Massif de Sainte Thierry,\nMontagne d\u00e8 Reims, and Vall\u00e9e de la Marne areas. This Maison has existed for\neight generations; these passionate and independent winemakers oversee all\nstages of production, respecting the Champagne tradition and the environment.\nRecoltant Manipulant (RM) identifies small producers who, in addition to owning\nand cultivating their own vineyards, oversee all stages of the production\nprocess, from cultivation to harvest, bottling, and marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2021, the Maison has\nbeen producing a limited number of bottles of “Les Fervins” vintage\nchampagne on a “Lieu-dit” parcel in Verzy Grand Cru. This cuv\u00e9e is\ncomposed of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, with a dosage of 0.8g\/l.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The House produces 9\ndifferent types of champagne: Tradition, Nature, Grande Reserve, Ros\u00e9, Carte\nNoir, Vieilles Vignes, Ros\u00e9 de Saign\u00e9e Coeur de Pinot, Cuv\u00e9e Melanie and Les\nFervins – Vintage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, before talking about\nthe dosage, let’s briefly talk about the stages of champagne production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PRESSING: occurs\nimmediately after harvesting with whole bunches and is carried out in a slow and fragmented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DECANTATION: clarification\nof the juices by sedimentation and then racking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FERMENTATION:\na) alcoholic, i.e. the transformation of sugars into alcohol;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
b) Malolactic (it is optional, not all maisons implement it) which is the transformation of malic acid into lactic acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BLENDING:\nwith different crus, different grape varieties, different vintages and reserve\nwines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TIRAGGIO: bottling of the blend which takes place from the 1st of January of the following year at the harvest. Normally tirage liqueur is added (sugar, yeast and riddling agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FOAMING AND MATURATION: it is the second alcoholic fermentation that taking place in a closed bottle, it allows the carbon dioxide produced during the process refermentative to remain in the wine, determining the typical foam. The pressure is 6 bar at 20\u00b0C. Autolysis of the yeasts occurs and provides the aromas. Maturation occurs subsequently in the cellars which is different between the vintages and the not vintage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
REMUAGE: is the rotation of the bottles which are upside down, a procedure which takes place in Manual or mechanical. The lees concentrate in the neck of the bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DEGORGEMENT: the neck of the bottles is immersed manually or mechanically in an ice-cold solution at a temperature ranging between 20 and 30\u00b0C degrees below zero, to freeze the sedimented yeasts, creating a block of ice that traps them. The crown cap is removed thanks to the internal pressure of the bottle. All this guarantees clarity and the final effervescence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DOSAGE: is the addition of dosage syrup to give the champagne its note recognition. There are those who do not make this addition but simply add the usual wine (dosage 0). The liqueur d’expedition is essentially made up of must rectified concentrate or wine (vin clair de champagne), sugar (cane or of beetroot), rarely also a distillate, often aged wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French were certainly the first to use the term more markedly. residual sugar according to customer tastes. We were talking about Russian taste (350gl), English taste (between 20 and 50g\/l), American taste (between 100 and 160g\/l), German taste (between 250 and 300 g\/l).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CORKING AND CAGEING: the cork stopper is placed, the capsule of the cage and the cage. Rarely in place of the metal cage is the string that the French they call it “a l’ancienne”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HABILLAGE:\nthis is the last phase, the capsule (aluminium or tin cap), the label and the\nback label are added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s\nget back to dosage, talking about residual sugar. This is the unfermented sugar\nremaining in the wine at the end of fermentation, measured in grams per liter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pas\ndos\u00e8 and Brut Nature is less than 3g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extra\nBurt from\n0 to 6 g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brut\n from\n6 to 12 g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extra\ndry from\n12 to 17 g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sec,\nsecco of dry from\n17 to 32 g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demi-sec\nor sweet from 32 to 50 g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweet\nor Doux major at 50\ng\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nchampagnes at the tasting were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brut\nNature, with 0 g\/l residual sugar<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brut\nTradition, with residual sugar 7g\/l<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demi\nSec, with residual sugar content of 26g\/l <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHAMPAGNE BOULARD – BAUQUAIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n BRUT NAURE SA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (blend:\n40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier, 50% reserve wine.\nResidual sugar content 0g\/l)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nhas a golden yellow color with gray hues while the bubbles are quite fine and\nnumerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A\nbouquet of toasted bread, flint, ripe rennet apple, vanilla, boiled chestnut\nskin, and iodine, finishing with sweet notes reminiscent of the outside of a\nsugared almond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate it has a medium body, quite sufficient, fine and pleasant bubbles\nand is savoury and mineral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nfreshness completely envelops the alcohol content. Its palate has a fairly long\nfinish. This is a Champagne that extends more in breadth than in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (89\/100) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CHAMPAGNE BOULARD – BAUQUAIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n BRUT TRADITION IN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (blend:\n40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier, 50% reserve wine.\nResidual sugar content 7g\/l)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fairly\nintense and bright golden yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbubbles are fine and quite numerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nolfactory baggage evokes intense aromas of green banana peel, followed by rust,\nKaiser pear, red apple and chalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\ntasting, the bubbles are very fine and the wine has a medium body and is\nsavoury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nalcohol and freshness balance is in perfect harmony. Its intense aromatic\npersistence is long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tradition\nhas more structure and persistence than Nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (90\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CHAMPAGNE BOULARD – BAUQUAIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DEMI-SEC SA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (blend:\n40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, 50% vin de r\u00e9serve.\nResidual sugar 26g\/l)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nhas a bright golden yellow colour and the bubbles are very fine and numerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nolfactory casket opens with scents of rennet apple, candied pineapple, candied\nginger, pear, green banana peel, ending with puffs of starch (spray starch for\nironing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\npalate is caressed by fine bubbles, a medium body, and a sweet, vanilla flavor.\nA well-balanced wine with freshness dominating the alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its\ntaste has a long persistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (90\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The dosage amount is a\nmatter of personal taste. Some people prefer a dosage of “0” and\nothers prefer a fairly high dosage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me it would be\nunthinkable to drink a champagne with a high dosage as was done in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a pleasant and\nconstructive experience in which we understood the olfactory and gustatory\ndiversity of the typologies, depending on the different dosages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A few months ago I was invited by Gaetano Gulli, who, with his company Relais e Terroirs srl, based in Lucca (www.relaisterroirs.com), also imports and distributes Maison Boulard Bauquaire champagnes in Italy. Gaetano asked me to hold a seminar on champagne dosage, tasting three champagnes with different dosages. The event would take place in Lucca, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[754,137],"class_list":["post-16526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","tag-dosage","tag-paolo-baracchino","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG-20250604-WA0072.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pav13q-4iy","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16526"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16698,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16526\/revisions\/16698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}