Dosage

The wine and sugar solution that is added to the champagne before the final corking is called dosage

Sometimes a dash of top-quality light-coloured brandy is also added. The brandy prevents the added sugar from fermenting later. The formula for this dosage or shipping solution (liqueur d'expédition) is not subject to any standard and is determined differently by the cellar masters of the various houses (often secret mixtures!).

After disgorging, there is also slightly too little liquid in the bottle. This dosage, i.e. the mixture of wine and - depending on the desired flavour - more or less sugar, compensates for the disgorgement loss. If no dosage with sugar is required (e.g. for Ultra Brut Champagne), wine from other bottles with the same content is used to top up. Depending on the strength of the sugar solution in the dosage, the following terms are labelled on the bottle:

* Brut integral, Ultra brut:
Without the addition of any dosage with sugar.

* Extra Brut:
Dosage with 0 to 6 g/l residual sugar in the wine

* Brood:
Dosage with max. 15 g/l residual sugar in the wine.

* Extra-Dry:
Dosage with max. 20 g/l residual sugar in the wine.

* Sec:
Dosage with max. 35 g/l residual sugar in the wine.

* Demi-sec:
Dosage with max. 50 g/l residual sugar in the wine.

* Doux:
Dosage with more than 50 g/l residual sugar in the wine (rare among champagnes).

The bottles are shaken after (final) corking to ensure that this solution is well mixed with the champagne.

Historically, the qualified addition of a dosage was particularly important in the 19th century. At this time, the export market was flourishing. The exporting houses in Champagne learnt to adapt to the 'sweetness' popular in certain countries. Historian Francois Bonal notes that the sugar content was carefully adjusted at the time: Russian customers loved their Champagne very sweet (275-300g/bottle). Americans, on the other hand, preferred 110-165g/bottle. In England, on the other hand, 21-66g/bottle was just right. In the French domestic market, however, the added sugar was kept between 165 and 200g/bottle (i.e. 15 to 20 times more sugar than we are used to in a typical Brut today).

The reason for different dosages was that champagne was enjoyed differently in different countries at the time. In 1835, for example, Thomas Walker noted in his book 'The Original' that champagne should be offered right at the beginning of a meal and placed on the table so that each guest could help themselves as they wished. As today, the sweetness of champagne in England at the time was such that it was an ideal accompaniment throughout the meal. In France, however, champagne was more popular as a dessert wine and its sweetness was adapted accordingly. It was only after the First World War that brut finally established itself internationally in its current, more natural form ('dry style').

Remark:

The general term dosage can sometimes also refer to the filling dosage (liqueur de tirage) of wine, yeast and sugar, which is added to the wine blend (cuvée) to ensure, among other things, that the correct carbon dioxide content of the end product is achieved. To a certain extent, this dosage is the 'starting signal' for the second fermentation (in the bottle).

 

 

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