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Champagne at Gauntleys
Champagne is truly an iconic wine-producing area, with a long history of crafting delectable masterpieces.
Famed for producing the first sparkling wine to reach global success, renowned for its unique characteristics - such as a deep golden hue, luxurious taste, and unmistakable aroma, for many, Champagne is an integral part of life's most cherished moments.
For centuries, winemakers in this region have worked diligently to perfect their craft, resulting in some of the most coveted and sought-after sparkling wines in existence. There are few things on earth, so completely associated with the finer things in life, than Champagne.
Styles of Champagne
A variety of different styles of Champagne are produced, there is a style of champagne for every taste, so why not find one that suits you! Non-Vintage Champagne is the most popular and is a blend of vintages that houses use to maintain a signature 'house style'. Vintage Champagnes, on the other hand, are only made in exceptional years and reflect the grape's quality of that season, and can often be left to age for up to a decade or more.
Rosé Champagnes are also popular, produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time (known as saigneé), or by adding a small amount of Pinot Noir red wine to the sparkling wine cuvée. Rich Demi-Sec styles are also crafted with varying levels of residual sugar, often ranging from medium-dry to medium-sweet sweetness levels.
Champagne Doux (sweet) is the classification when a Champagne has more than 50g dosage (residual sugar). Finally, Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are made from Chardonnay grapes alone and Blanc de Noirs are exclusively produced from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
Although 'Brut' is by far the most common sweetness level of Champagne due to consumer demand, depending on the style sought after by each individual grower, Champagne sweetness levels vary from:
Brut Nature/Brut Zéro - Fewer than 3 grams of sugar per litre
Extra Brut - Fewer than 6g/l
Brut - fewer than 15g/l
Extra Sec/Extra Dry - 12-20g/l
Sec - 17-35g/l
Demi-sec - 33-50g/l
Doux - more than 50g/l
Vilmart & Co
Vilmart, established in 1890 by Désiré Vilmart, undoubtedly remains one of the brightest jewels in Gauntleys portfolio.
With a meticulous perfection and a fine-tuned intuition for his craft, Laurent Champs, the 5th generation of this distinguished house, continues to re-invent the meaning of the term, 'perfection'. 'My heart and mind are the soul of my wine' is inscribed inside the foil capsule of every bottle of Laurent's Champagne.
It is because he brings this wealth of knowledge and passion for his craft and inheritance to the table, that he has overseen Vilmart's transformation, from a small local independent winery to a world-renowned powerhouse on the Champagne stage. It widely regarded as the single, finest grower Champagne.
Shop Gauntleys Vilmart selection here
Gauntleys
4 High Street
The Exchange
Nottingham
NG1 2ET
T: 0115 911 0555
www.gauntleys.com
