Cork Ageing

CORK AGEING IS SIMPLY WHEN THE CHAMPAGNE IS GIVEN TIME TO GAIN EXTRA MATURITY AFTER IT IS FULLY DISGORGED AND LABELLED. THE WINE COMPLETES THIS AGEING ON ITS CORK. IT IS DESCRIBED IN THIS MANNER TO DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM WHEN THE CHAMPAGNE IS AGED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD ON ITS LEES, PRIOR TO DISGORGING.

WORDS KEN GARGETT

AS AN EXAMPLE, BOLLINGER WILL release, say, their 1990 vintage in the usual course of things. It will have spent a period on lees before disgorgement, labelling, resting and sale. Shall we say eight years, which is a lengthy period but certainly not unknown for the top Houses. Anyone buying this wine will have a fantastic Champagne, which will drink beautifully from the moment the customer purchases it. It will, if cellared, continue to develop, gaining maturity and complexity. The customer may prefer mature Champagnes of this style and so decides to put the bottle away in their cellars for a decade or possibly more. This is an example of cork ageing and will provide a wonderful and complex Champagne when it is eventually opened.

Meanwhile, Bollinger will have retained stocks of their 1990 vintage in their cellars, which are still on lees. They may leave it on lees for another decade, possibly longer, and then disgorge and release it to the market. This will be as their “RD” (Récemment Dégorgé or «recently disgorged»). Please refer to the section on ‘Late Disgorged Champagnes’ for a more thorough discussion of this style.

Our customer could then purchase the 1990 RD. if he does so, he will then have what was once the same wine but has now diverged and is a different creature altogether. There will be two distinct styles, even if the wine started out as one. It all comes down to personal preference, though it is important to note that if the customer does not have proper cellaring conditions, he would be wise not to try and age his own wine. This will mean that these two wines reach their ‘peak’ at different times. Of course, one man’s peak…

While on lees, the Champagne is undergoing the process of autolysis. This is effectively where the dead yeasts contribute flavours and characters to the wine – think warm bread, toast and fungal notes (in the most positive way). It also helps to prevent oxidation. While still in contact with the lees, any ageing is a very slow process. Remember also that a late disgorged wine will eventually require a lower, or perhaps no, dosage at the time of disgorgement, as it is better balanced and more mature.

The late disgorged wines will have a certain freshness that may not be present in the “standard” release, but it seems likely that it will then continue maturing at a much quicker rate. It is believed that this happens as the ‘older’ wine is more fragile and more delicate and that this allows oxidation to proceed at a faster rate. Opinions differ on this and some believe it makes no difference. With certain wines, the “standard” release will have developed wonderfully complex notes, often truffly and nutty – there can be an extraordinary array of tertiary flavours.

Part of the period where the wine is ageing on cork is the rest period after its disgorgement and prior to sale. Some in Champagne feel that there should be a mandatory period for a wine to rest before it can be offered to the market. Others believe it is a decision best left to individual Houses, who will know just how long their wines should sit. This period of time can vary between a few months to a couple of years.

Champagne is an extraordinary wine and one which can reach new dimensions when given extra ageing, whether on cork, on lees or a combination of both. If your experience with Champagne is only of fresh, newly released wines, then it is time to broaden your horizons. ❧