Champagne bottles

Champagne bottles come in different shapes and colours, the following classification into three categories is an attempt to provide some clarity about this great variety

Normal champagne bottle shape

It is the most commonly used shape of champagne bottle today.
It replaced the classic champagne bottle shape (please refer to paragraph 2).
All sizes from 0.20 l to 15 l are available in the 3 glass colours white, green and brown.
The bottles made of white glass are most commonly used for rosé Champagne while the green and brown ones are more suitable for Brut Champagne.

Classic champagne bottle shape

It is the original shape of the champagne bottle.
Good vintage champagnes and special cuvées are still bottled in the classic champagne bottle and delivered in this way.
The classic champagne bottle shape is available in 750ml and 1.5 litre bottles. On individual request, the manufacturers also provide larger bottles.
The brown glass colour is predominantly used, with the exception of green.

Own classic champagne bottle mould

These bottle shapes are all different, as they have a different belly and neck depending on the manufacturer.
What most of them have in common, however, is that they bear the maker's mark on the belly or neck, or a reference to the inventor or the biggest buyer at the time. These shapes are reserved for good vintage champagnes and special cuvées, they are usually only available in the normal size, i.e. as 750 ml bottles, rarely as 1.5 litre bottles. As with the classic shape, the brown glass colour is predominant.

Bottle sizes

In addition to volume, bottle sizes are important for shelf life and quality. The smaller the empty space under the cork in relation to the volume, the better the quality of the champagne. Many connoisseurs therefore prefer the magnum bottle size (instead of 1/1 bottle).

Overview:

Piccolo
1/4 bottle / 0.187 litre
Ideal for two glasses

Fillette
1½bottle / 0.375 L

Ideal for a small occasion with two people e.g.

Imperial
1/1 bottle / 0.75 litre
Six to eight glasses

Magnum
2 x 1/1 bottle volume

Jeroboam, Jéroboam (double magnum)
4 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after the son of Nebat, Jeroboam. Jeroboam is considered the first king of the ten tribes of Israel.

Rehoboam
6 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after King Rehoboam (Rehabeam), son and successor of King Solomon (Solomon).

Methuselah
8 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after Methuselah (Methuselah, Mathusala, Mathusale). Said to have lived 696 years. He was the grandfather of Noah.

Salmanasar
12 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after an Assyrian king.

Balthazar
16 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after the son of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (Nabuchodonosor).

Nebuchadnezzar
20 x 1/1 bottle volume. Named after the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (Nabuchodonosor).

The normal commercial sizes are the 1/4 bottle to the double magnum bottle.

All champagne bottles and their sizes

0.20l ¼ Piccolo/Quart
0.375l ½ half bottle, demi/fillette
0,75l 1 normal/whole bottle, Imperial
1,50l 2 Magnum
3,00l 4 double magnum, Jeroboam (1st king of the northern kingdom of Israel, ancient kingdom, in the north of today's Israel)
4.50l 6 Rehoboam (Rehabeam, Hebrew, 1st king of the kingdom of Judah)
6.00l 8 Methuselah (a forefather before the Flood and grandfather of Noah)
9.00l 12 Salmanazar (King of the Assyrian Empire, 726 to 721 BC)
12,00l 16 Balthazar (one of the three holy kings)
15.00l 20 Nebuchadnezzar (Neo-Babylonian king, 605 to 562 BC)
18.00l 24 Melchior (one of the three kings)
26.25l 35 Sovereign / Souverain (produced by Taittinger in 1987, on the occasion of the christening of the MS Sovereign (Sovereign of the Seas))
27,00l 36 Primat
30.00l 40 Melchisedech (Hebrew, king of justice)

 

 

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