Disgorging is an essential step in the production of champagne. It consists of removing the deposit that the riddling has concentrated in the neck of the bottle. Formerly carried out by hand, it has evolved over time but remains no less astonishing. Explanation of this crucial manipulation.
The art of disgorging
After spending years in the heart of the champagne cellars, the bottles have had plenty of time to develop their effervescence, what is called "prise de mousse". They have also undergone riddling, this movement which consists of regularly turning them in quarters, always upside down. But this long rest time and this handling cause the deposit to slide... yeast deposit which naturally forms on the neck. To preserve all the qualities of the wine, it is necessary to eliminate these lees and deposits, this is the famous disgorging stage. This method consists of placing the neck of the bottle in a cooling bath at around -25° for 10 to 15 minutes. An ice cube forms and traps the deposit. When opening the bottle, the natural internal pressure expels the ice cube and evacuates all the deposits with it.
Bottle opened, what's next?
The disgorging stage causes a slight loss of wine that we will fill with the liqueur d'expédition or dosage liqueur. It is mainly composed of old reserve wines and very pure sugar. The dosage liqueur is adapted to each vintage with a specific sugar concentration for each of them, from Extra brut, the least sweet, to Doux champagne, the highest in sugar (50 grams of sugar per liter). The bottle is then corked and muzzled.
On the importance of the date
The slow aging of champagne on the fermentation lees for many years before disgorging influences the freshness and complexity of the aromas which move to more jammy notes of dried fruits. These great champagnes for laying down offer an assumed contrast between a very complex nose and a great freshness in the mouth.
How do I know when my champagne has been disgorged?
Disgorging is sometimes (but not always) the subject of a special mention on the back label. If it is vintage, this additional mention allows the champagne lover to know how long the champagne has spent aging on lees, i.e. the time elapsed between the beginning and the end of the champagne-making process. An important mention to better understand the intrinsic quality of a good bottle.
“On the fly” method versus “on the ice” method
Traditionally, disgorging was carried out "on the fly" by the winemaker who learned to quickly pull the cork. The pressure caused the sediment to be evacuated, and all he had to do was check the clarity of the wine. This trick has given way to a more efficient and less risky "ice" disgorging. However, some traditional houses still cultivate this ancient method, often for the disgorging of exceptional vintages.
After this stage, the bottles are then rested in the cellar before being flown to new destinations where they will be served all over the world.
