Champagne Dosage

Champagne dosage can vary the taste of the champagne dramatically.

Champagne dosage refers to the amount of sugar (or sweetening) dosage in the liqueur d’expedition*, which is a blend of sugar and wine added to the wine just before bottling.

While each house has a standard dosage for its different styles (non-vintage, vintage, cuvee de prestige, rosé, blanc de blancs, or blanc de noirs) they may also specifically make a wine that is extra dry or extra sweet.

A guide to champagne dosage

Brut Nature or zéro dosage – 0-2 grams per litre 

• This is as dry as it gets.
• The first time you taste a zéro dosage you will remember it. Whether you like it or not, you will not be able to help but notice that dosage makes a difference to champagne.
• Zéro dosage champagnes have a distinct and quite intense chalkiness and minerality to them to the point that they are almost salty.
• This style won’t be to many people’s taste. I have found it hard to ever have more than one glass and this style can make a good palate cleanser between courses… just like a sorbet.
• These champagnes may also be called Sans-sucre, Brut Zero,  Brut Integral, Ultra Brut, Brut Sauvage

If you want to try zero dosage style… 

• You can’t go past trying the Louis Roederer Brut Nature … I enjoyed this more than any other I have tried. The minimalist philosophy and story behind the Philippe Stark collaboration (as told by Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon) is really rather magical and I  swear it makes the champs taste better.
• Philoppannat Royale Reserve Non Dosé… I tried this wine at the house in Champagne but you may find it hard to get your hands on a bottle. The blend is 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier. High pinot – so of course I like it! – which is a strong signature of the house, as is lower dosage particularly in all their vintage champagnes. The best word I can think of is…bold! Unadorned, perhaps quite primal.

Extra Brut: 0-6g/l

• Still quite dry so you will notice the chalk/ saltiness
• Again, Philoppannat vintage champagnes all sit in this dosage range
• Jacquesson’srange of champagnes all sit in this low dosage range

Brut: 0-12g/l

• Most champagnes you drink and enjoy will sit in this range, mostly within 8-11g/l
• In 2009, the Brut classification was lowered from 15 to 12g/l. Houses whose style sits on the dryer end of this spectrum are Piper Heidsieck, Louis Roederer, Charles Heidsieck… all around 11g/l. I couldn’t think of (or find) a brut champagne higher than this

Extra Dry: 12-20g/l

• There are several champagnes in this category but I can’t “recommend” one… because sweet champagnes are not my style so I don’t really enjoy them
• if you want to try one, give the Taittinger Nocturne a go. At 17g/l it is borderline sec champagne

Sec: 17-35g/l

• Try Taittinger Nocturne (at 17g/l) and Piper Heidsieck’s Cuvee Sublime (35g/l) which I included above but also fall into the Sec category.

Demi-sec: 33-50g/l

I haven’t tried any of these but if you like it sweet, options include:

• Pol Roger’s Rich Demi Sec (34g/l), Piper Heidsieck’s Cuvee Sublime (35g/l), Louis Roederer’s Carte Blanc is demi-sec (38g/l),  Mumm’s demi-sec (40g/l), Laurent Perrier  (40g/l), Canard Duchene offers a demi-sec (42g/l), and Moet and Chandon’s Moët Ice Impérial (45g/l) and  Billacart Salmon demi-sec.

Doux: 50 + g/l

I haven’t tried the Veuve Cliquot Rich and Rich Rose which are both 60g/l !!!!!

*Liqueur d’expedition trivia

• The wine added with the sugar will be the same wine as in the bottle for vintages but for non-vintages it will be a selection of reserve wines

Make sure you post a pic and tag @bubbleandflute #Champagneschool to let me know you’re doing your homework and what you think!