Champagne storage
Since sparkling wines have completed their basic development after disgorgement, it is generally not advisable to purchase such wines for long storage. When a Champagne leaves the winery, it has often already reached its optimum maturity. A champagne without vintage designation spends at least 15 months (more often 3 years and more) in the cellar of the manufacturer after the second fermentation. A vintage champagne spends at least 3 years stored in the cellar before it is delivered. However, even inexpensive champagnes can be stored without further ado for two to three more years (properly!).
With some top champagnes, it is quite possible that longer cellar storage can result in additional quality nuances (see also vintage champagnes). However, this is rather the exception. However, some renowned connoisseurs are firmly convinced that, for example, some Blanc de Blancs sometimes only develop optimally after ten years (and more) of additional storage. Special Vintages are known, which after more than thirty years have often lost some of their bubbles, but still present themselves (often in their now deep golden color) as excellent champagnes.
Champagne, in particular, does not like it if it is stored at more than 15 degrees or if it is not stored in the dark. He feels most comfortable at about 10 degrees. Champagne (as well as other wines) also develops differently at about 10°-15°C constant, dark and deep in the chalk shafts of the Champagne than in the usual cellar at home, where temperature fluctuations of 10°-25°C, variably determined by the season, are often unfortunately unavoidable. A wine will generally 'develop' much faster at 20°C, for example, than at 10°C (it is rumored that the wine could sometimes 'develop' three to four times faster per 10°C). Thus, a champagne (or any other wine) after ten years of storage from the cool gallery of a winemaker should have different flavors than the same champagne, which was exposed to significant temperature fluctuations in the cellar at home - especially if significant temperature fluctuations played out daily blatant (10 ° C to 20 ° C) instead of the seasonal rather gentle with slight fluctuations. The wine at home could already be spoiled long ago, while the same wine from the cool gallery of the winegrower could still taste wonderful.
It is therefore understandable that some wine lovers who cannot offer their (sometimes very precious) champagnes and burgundies optimal storage conditions at home, either compensate for the climatically unfavorable circumstances with an air conditioner or purchase a wine climate control cabinet, which ensures an optimal temperature and humidity (see also wine climate control cabinet).
Cellars with glaring neon light illumination are also very unfavorable. The ultraviolet content of sunlight and neon light can negatively affect the taste of a beautiful champagne in a few days! It develops a harsh and 'unclean' taste. However, champagne stored in this way can often recover with proper storage over time.
Sparkling wines of all types should be stored horizontally so that the natural cork does not dry out! Over the years, sparkling wine corks unfortunately lose some of their original elasticity and increasingly adapt to the diameter of the bottle neck (see also cork). The constant wetting with wine expands the cork base somewhat and thus ensures a better seal in the long term. Sparkling wines are also always under considerable pressure by nature. The trapped carbonic acid is virtually invited to the best 'escape route' in a bottle stored upright. You also do not prevent the 'ominous cork devil' (TCA) with standing storage, because the champagne (or any other wine) may have already been stored lying down for more or less time either at the manufacturer's, during shipping and/or at the retailer's before your purchase. A 'cork taint' or 'wine affected with TCA' cannot be subsequently 'undone' by standing storage. Cork taint is rather rare among champagnes anyway.
More tips:
*Vibrations
Vibrations are to be avoided! Especially in city locations, this is often not easy. A washing machine, for example, as a neighbor of the champagne is taboo!
*Vegetables and fruit as neighbors prohibited! The precious corks of your wines should in no case become the new home of the mold.
*Smells
Paints, solvents, fuel oil or other sources of strong odors will harm your wine in the long run. Even if the wine was not directly affected, these odors imprinted on the bottle, cap and label. The trained nose of a connoisseur is likely to notice these odors of the bottle unpleasant even before tasting the wine.
*Humidity
In storage, humidity of about 70 % is ideal for the corks.
*Broken bottles
Opened bottles can be stored in the refrigerator for two days with a special cap On the other hand, long-term "reserve storage" of sparkling wines in the refrigerator is not recommended! This could make the wine stale and boring (if you must, store it in the lower compartment).
*Silver spoon in the throat?
The trick with the spoon in the neck of an opened champagne bottle to keep it alive longer does little or nothing. The spoon only serves as a short-term heat conductor when the bottle is immediately placed in the refrigerator. Thus, the champagne cools a little faster, and a little less carbon dioxide escapes in the short term. After a few days in the refrigerator, the champagne with the silver spoon will be just as flat as the champagne without the silver spoon. Rely more on neat closures like the ones pictured here.
*Old and young
Old champagnes are to be understood from the storage sometimes somewhat differently than other wines. The reason lies in the fact that winegrowers temporarily deliver a precious, older vintage from their cellars to dealers, which, however, was disgorged only shortly before. There can be, for example, a bottle of fine champagne vintage 71, which has rested for over 30 years 'on the yeast' under ideal climatic conditions in the cellar of the winemaker, but only recently was disgorged, then received its proper dosage and was finally corked. Likewise, there will still be a 71, which at the time may have rested only six years 'on the yeast' and was then delivered to distributors. Many connoisseurs agree that the one 71 and the other 71 - both under proper storage conditions - will have a considerably different taste and aroma today.
*Bottle size
A magnum bottle is considered the preferred bottle size for storage. Secondary a normal bottle (see also bottle sizes).
*Vintages for storage
Enthusiasts like to store the following vintages: 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1983, 1971, 1969 (see also Champagne vintage)
*Old champagne found at grandma's! Still edible?
Similar questions like this you hear more often. Of course, such questions can not simply be answered (without tasting the champagne). If the bottle has slumbered in the dark, cool cellar and, for example, on top of that turns out to be a vintage champagne 1971, then there is much to suggest that the champagne could still be very good. If it is a champagne without vintage that has rested there for twenty or thirty years, then it is completely uncertain whether the champagne is still possibly edible or (rather) not. If both champagnes were found in the climatically unsuitable garage instead of in the cool cellar, then it is to be assumed that both champagnes are of little or no use.
While the discovery of an old, worthy champagne is always a pleasing event, the purchase, however, is sometimes fraught with risk. Although buying from a reputable dealer (or even from the winemaker himself) should generally also suggest proper storage, many old champagnes are now also offered online at public auctions by private individuals, but the previous storage conditions are often completely unknown.
*Are old vintage champagnes precious?
Depends on the vintage, name of the house and storage. Special bottles (see champagne art) are also sought after.
Some old champagnes are very precious. For example, at the famous auction house Christie's, just before the end of the last millennium, six magnum bottles of Veuve Clicquot Brut 1949 sold for US $ 9,200. Three bottles of Dom Pérignon 1964 brought US $1,139. A bottle of Heidsieck Monopole Goût Américain 1907, which was recovered from the wreck of a Swedish ship (sunk in 1916), brought US $4,068. This champagne was stored at a depth of 61m on the seabed at a constant temperature of about 4.5°C for over 80 years and was apparently still very digestible. However, these auction prices were achieved before the year 2000 and thus may have been predictably spurred by the excitement before the arrival of the new millennium. Except for the bottle from the wreck, the champagnes apparently came directly from the wineries.
In the meantime, champagne prices have fallen back to a realistic level. However, three-digit sums for very special champagnes generally remain the rule.
The cellar book
The cellar book is a book in which you record the following data:
* the total number of bottles
* the number of bottles per variety
* the date and place of purchase of the respective variety
* the purchase price and the possible selling price
* the total price of all the bottles in your cellar
* when you have tasted it
* the impressions you have of the corresponding variety
* with which friends you drank which variety
* the shelf life (in years) of the respective variety
* which rack (shelf) contains which variety
A cellar book therefore helps to maintain order and clarity in your champagne cellar.
Anyone who wants to manage the champagne cellar professionally should therefore record the most important data in the cellar book so that they can access it at any time.
The last thing to note is that the cellar book should always be kept in the same place, so that it is quickly at hand when you need it. In addition, not everyone should be allowed to see the cellar book, as it often contains very confidential and private entries and notes.