Clear wines are a concept that is little known to the general public; they are “still wines” from Champagne that have completed their alcoholic and malolactic fermentation if applicable but have not yet been blended. In order for them to be considered a finished champagne, they must still go through several stages, including blending.
The tastes of clear wines play a major role in the blending of Champagne vintages. Magalie Maréchal, the Assistant Cellar Master at Maison Mumm, is well placed to explain their tastes. In fact, she tastes between 500 and 1000 clear wines per year for the House, including just over a hundred for RSRV.
The tastes of clear wines are determined by the characteristics of the harvest and are generally dominated by primary aromas called varietals linked to the grape variety. Primary as in “first fruits”, these are wines whose taste can recall exotic fruits or citrus fruits. For the specific example of Cramant Chardonnay, the expert palate of the Assistant Cellar Master detects subtle notes of lemon, pear, or even more specific: fresh Granny Smith apple.
Clear Chardonnay wine is more acidic and cloudy than Champagne wine, and is also free of residual sugars. Its alcohol content is also lower: around 11°. When tasting a clear wine, Magalie Maréchal seeks to isolate certain taste characteristics that she wishes to find in the RSRV vintages. Thus, for the RSRV Blanc de Blancs vintage, she will pay particular attention to the mineral notes, freshness and elegance of the clear wines tasted. Each of these clear wines brings its own specificity that it will express during the blending.
In the RSRV 4.5 cuvée, the primary aromas of fresh fruit, the secondary aromas of stewed fruit and fresh butter from the fermentations are combined. There are also some tertiary aromas of vanilla and toast brought by the aging of the reserve wines (notably in tuns and barrels). The elegance of the Chardonnay brings a touch of subtlety to the structure and roundness of the Pinot Noir. It is therefore the blend of clear wines from the current year and the previous year that make this cuvée complex.
After blending, the wine thus obtained is bottled and begins its second fermentation, during which it “takes foam” and becomes effervescent thanks to the addition of yeasts and sugars.
