So I'm absolutely no expert on wines or champagnes, but even I got surprised by Veuve's Grande Dame, having only vaguely known their yellow label stuff. I was really surprised by the intense wood-y scent and flavour it had. I wouldn't be inclined to splash out on it but it was definitely noticeably stronger in every way.
Does the woodiness mean it's cask-aged, or is that from something else in the process? I thought all of them were aged in bottles but could be wrong.
by Nymphea7
2 Comments
To the best of my knowledge, La Grande Dame does not age in oak. But just as Champagne is fermented twice, it is also aged twice. After the primary fermentation is complete, the wine is aged — typically in stainless steel (INOX) pr glass-lined tanks, glass carboys, or oak casks. Rarely are barriques used, and rarely is the oak new.
Then the cuvée is assembled, bottled, fermented a second time, and aged in the bottle(s) *en tirage* until the wine is ready for *dégorgement*. I believe what you are calling “oak” might be the yeasty notes the wine takes on from autolysis.
Bollinger is an example of a house that ages its reserve wines in older oak casks.
I only drink champagne from burgundy glasses.