- What is a Brut Nature Champagne?
Champagne in its purest form
A Champagne Brut Nature is a non-dosed Champagne, meaning that no dosage liqueur has been added before corking the bottle. A Brut Nature Champagne therefore contains less than 3 grams of sugar per liter. This quantity corresponds to the sugars naturally present in the grapes. This absence of dosage allows the wine to express itself without artifice.
- How and when did they appear?
All tastes are in nature
During the 19th century, Champagne producers varied the dosage of their wines to match the culinary habits and traditions of the foreign markets they supplied.
Until the Revolution of 1917, Russians only consumed "sweet" Champagne (more than 50 grams of sugar per liter). For their part, until Prohibition, Americans swore by "dry" Champagne (between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per liter), while the English showed a clear preference for "Extra Dry" Champagne (between 12 and 17 grams of sugar per liter) and "Brut" (less than 12 grams of sugar per liter).
It wasn't until the 20th century that a worldwide distrust of sugar developed, and not until the 21st century that reducing sugar intake in the diet became a public health priority.Over time, consumer tastes have evolved, and the popularity of non-dosed Champagnes has soared.
At Laurent-Perrier, a Brut Nature Champagne had already been developed at the end of the 19th century, before being relaunched in 1981 to accompany "Nouvelle Cuisine", a culinary movement advocating lighter cooking and refocusing on the original flavors of selected products.
- How are they prepared?
In praise of risk
Winemaking Brut Nature requires great expertise. It begins in the vineyard, with a harvest that favors phenolic maturity. The winemaker seeks to harvest ripe berries that allow the fruit to express itself fully.
The grapes are then sorted and isolated by origin. Alcoholic fermentation is generally carried out at low temperature to bring finesse to the Cuvées, and malolactic fermentation is often blocked to preserve freshness, minerality and vivacity.
The wines are then aged for several months in barrels or stainless steel tanks. This period of ageing, coupled with the re-suspension of the lees, brings structure and substance to the wine. Long maturation reveals a beautiful aromatic amplitude and complexity.
As you can see, Brut Nature vinification leaves no room for error or improvisation. Perhaps that's why most winegrowers and/or Houses only have one such Cuvée in their range.
- What does it taste like?
The right dosage is when you're not talking about it
Brut Nature Champagnes express their terroir as closely as possible. They reveal a beautiful minerality. These non-dosed Champagnes are wines of great freshness, purity and liveliness on the palate.
- What's the perfect match for this type of Champagne?
These wines go wonderfully well with grilled fish, seafood, sushi, sea urchins, caviar, mature pata negra ham, fresh cheeses such as goat's cheese or young Parmesan.
- Would you like to try this unique wine? Discover the selection of Brut Nature Champagnes by Envie de Champ' => https://www.enviedechamp.com/fr/134-champagne-brut-nature
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