How to Store Champagne?

HOW TO STORE A CHAMPAGNE: GOOD PRECAUTIONS

Champagne is sold at maturity to be drunk immediately after purchase. If you like the vinosity and patina notes of mature sparkling wines, you can keep it for a few years in the cellar. Particularly sensitive, it should be kept in the best conditions: a low and constant temperature, high humidity, a storage sheltered from light, noise and vibrations.

Our tips for storing Champagne:

The storage area:

It should be cool and at a constant temperature of between 10 and 12°C, regardless of the time of year. Ideally, the humidity should be between 60 and 70% (atmospheric humidity). Thermal shocks and high temperatures (20°C and above) should be avoided as they accelerate the ageing process and affect the quality of the wine. Cold temperatures slow down the development of the wine and prevent it from gaining complexity. If you have a cellar, this is the ideal location!

The light:

Whether it is natural or artificial, light should be avoided, otherwise the taste will be distorted and you will get that dreaded light taste. Champagne is a wine that is particularly sensitive to strong light. It can become old and stale before its time, and unpleasant flavours can develop if it is kept for long periods in natural sunlight or artificial light. Clear glass bottles should be especially well protected. It is therefore recommended to store your Champagnes in the dark.

The positioning of the bottle:

To prevent the cork from drying out and the gas from escaping, Champagne bottles should be stored lying down.

If you don't have a cellar, you can store Champagne in a box, horizontally, in a cool place or in a bottle rack, away from light and in the coolest place in your home.

THE SHELF LIFE OF CHAMPAGNE

Champagne develops in the bottle and evolves over time. In addition to the storage conditions which have a direct impact on the quality of the wine and how it develops, the blend and the size of the bottle also determine the development of the Champagne as time goes by. The time spent in the cellar is greater for vintage Champagnes, which can be opened 7 to 10 years after purchase, sometimes even later.

Brut Champagnes without vintage are to be drunk quickly

The bottles sold are mainly unaged Champagnes, intended to be consumed quickly. These cuvées are a blend of wines from several different years and tend to offer a continuity of taste at each bottling, they are a signature of the style of each House. However the effervescence and freshness do not last indefinitely in the bottle. With time, after 5 to 10 years in bottle, the bubbles become more refined, the floral and fruity notes of the first years become more complex and evolve towards the aromas of the more vinous wines.

Vintage Champagnes are made over time and to last

Vintage Champagnes are the most suitable for cellaring. The elaboration of these cuvées is longer. The ageing on lathes, the stage of the second fermentation in the bottle which allows the bubbles to set, is a minimum of 36 months for the vintage cuvées against 15 months for the brut non vintage. In the great houses, this ageing is even longer, the Champagnes can easily be kept for 20 to 30 years after bottling, the style will simply evolve towards more vinosity and toasted notes.

Grandes Cuvées and large formats

The Grandes Cuvées of the great Houses reveal an immense capacity for conservation and the large formats of Champagne actually offer better conservation conditions. By limiting the ratio between the area of contact with the oxygen in the air and the volume of liquid, magnums and jeroboams guarantee a slower evolution thus longer shelf life.