Brut, extra-brut, no dosage? We'll help you sort it out

Publié par Julia Bouchet - 18/08/2020 - Champagne World

The sugar content, or dosage, or "liqueur d'expédition" is the final touch added to Champagne before the bottle is finally corked. The natural acidity of the wine and the carbonic gas being high, it is sometimes necessary to add a small quantity of dosage liqueur, most often composed of cane sugar dissolved in reserve wine at least two years old, in variable quantities depending on whether you wish to obtain an "extra-brut", "brut nature", "brut", "extra-dry", "sec", "demi-sec", or "doux" wine. This dosage is one of the compulsory indications on the label of a bottle of Champagne, enabling consumers to identify the wine they have chosen.

How is the dosage incorporated into the bottle?

Once done manually, today the disgorging and dosage chain is automated. The dosage is carried out using an automatic or semi-automatic machine called a "dosage machine". The first step is to freeze the deposit in the champagne bottle near the cork. Once frozen, the cork is opened along with the deposit. Under pressure, this deposit is expelled with a little champagne. To make up for the champagne lost during expulsion, liqueur is quickly added. Once the bottle is level, it is corked again with a cork stopper and the metal wire that holds it in place.

methode-traditionnelle-etapes_levinpasapas

A specific dosage liqueur adapted to each cuvée

You'll find examples of Champagnes with more or less dosage on our Envie de Champ website

Doux More than 50 grams of sugar per liter. Generally enjoyed with dessert.
Demi-sec between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per liter. The cuvée Demi-Sec from the prestigious Maison Billecart-Salmon is a good example. This champagne strikes the perfect balance between sugar, alcohol and acidity. It goes well with foie gras or chocolate cake.
Dry between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per liter.

Dry, semi-dry or sweet champagnes are perfect with desserts.

Extra dry between 12 and 17 grams of sugar per liter.
Brut less than 12 grams of sugar per liter. A good example is Maison Soutiran's Grand Cru. This 2012 vintage is an exceptional cuvée, combining finesse and complexity, which goes very well with meat dishes. A non-vintage brut cuvée from Maison H. Blin is equally representative, and will be perfect from start to finish of the meal.
Extra brut between 3 and 6 grams of sugar per liter. These are great champagnes to be savored for sheer pleasure, and are much appreciated by connoisseurs of the genre, such as the pure, extra-brut cuvée from Besserat de Bellefon, or Maison Laherte's "Les empreintes". A Champagne that is rich and powerful, yet fine and fresh.
If the wine contains less than 3 grams of sugar, and no sugar has been added, it may be labelled"brut nature", "non dosé" or "dosage zéro". These champagnes can be enjoyed as aperitifs or with iodized foods. AR Lenoble's Brut Nature Dosage Zéro MAG 15 is a very ripe, fruity champagne that needed no sugar added at disgorgement. Just like the "Oenophile" cuvée, very racy. A 1er Cru from the 2010 vintage by Maison Pierre Gimmonet & Fils is a complex, perfectly mature champagne. It needs nothing but itself!