appellation
Champagne
Le Champagne
The Champagnes selected for their value for money, the finesse of the effervescence and the intensity of the aromas.
Champagne 100% Producer, Harvester, Handler
A set of rules to follow
An AOC also sets out all the production conditions that define the identity of this product:
- Planting rules
- Rules of viticulture
- Harvest rules
- Pressing rules
- rules at each stage of the development process
- Dressing rules
The rules of the AOC Champagne are very strict
The main rules of the AOC Champagne are:
- A strictly demarcated area.
- Authorized grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane, Petit Meslier
- Pruning of the vines: Royat, Chablis, Guyot, Marne Valley.
- Limitation of the yield of grapes per hectare.
- Pressing yield.
- Minimum degree of alcohol in potency, at harvest.
- Second fermentation in bottles and maturation on lees for a minimum of 15 months for non-vintages, 3 years for vintages.
These rules are continuously optimized
Further steps have been taken to further improve quality, including:
- 1978: Height, spacing and density of the plantings (high density of 8,000 vines/ha resulting in a low load of grapes per plant, guarantee of optimal quality), management method and pruning system.
- 1,984: Ban on bottling wines before 1 January following the harvest.
- 1991: Compulsory approval of pressing centres.
- 1993: Pressing yield of 160 kilos per 102 litres (instead of 150 kilos previously)
Source: champagne.fr