terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 TOWARDS THE SHELF-LIFE PREDICTION OF OLD CHAMPAGNE VINTAGES DEPENDING ON THE BOTTLE CAPACITY

TOWARDS THE SHELF-LIFE PREDICTION OF OLD CHAMPAGNE VINTAGES DEPENDING ON THE BOTTLE CAPACITY

Abstract

Today, nearly one billion bottles of different sizes and capacities are aging in Champagne cellars while waiting to be put on the market. Among them, several tens of thousands of prestigious cuvees elaborated prior the 2000s are potentially concerned by prolonged aging on lees. However, when it comes to champagne tasting, dissolved CO₂ is a key compound responsible for the very much sought-after effervescence in glasses [1]. Yet, the slow decrease of dissolved CO₂ during prolonged aging of the most pres-tigious cuvees raises the issue of how long a champagne can age before it becomes unable to form CO₂ bubbles during tasting [2].

Measurements of dissolved CO₂ concentrations were done on a collection of 13 successive champagne vintages, stored in standard 75 cL bottles and 150 cL magnums, showing prolonged aging on lees ranging from 25 to 47 years. The vintages elaborated in magnums were found to retain their dissolved CO₂ much more efficiently during prolonged aging than the same vintages elaborated in standard bottles. A multi-variable exponential decay-type model was proposed for the theoretical time-dependent concentration of dissolved CO₂ and the subsequent CO₂ pressure in the sealed bottles during champagne aging. The CO₂ mass transfer coefficients through the crown caps used to seal champagne bottle prior the 2000s was thus approached in situ, with a global average value m3 s-1 [3]. Moreover, the shelf-life of a champagne bottle was examined in view of its ability to still produce CO₂ bubbles in a tasting glass. A formula was proposed to estimate the shelf-life of a bottle having experienced prolonged aging on lees, which combines the various relevant parameters at play, including the geometric parameters of the bottle [3]. Increasing the bottle size is found to tremendously increase its capacity to preserve dissolved CO₂ and therefore the bubbling capacity of champagne during tasting.

 

1. G. Liger-Belair, Effervescence in champagne and sparkling wines: From grape harvest to bubble rise. Eur. Phys. J Special Topics, 226, 3-116, 2017
2. G. Liger-Belair, D. Carvajal-Pérez, C. Cilindre, J. Facque, M. Brevot, F. Litoux-Desrues, V. Chaperon, R. Geoffroy, Evidence for moderate losses of dissolved CO₂ during aging on lees of a champagne prestige cuvee. J. Food Engineering, 233, 40-48, 2018
3. G. Liger-Belair, C. Khenniche, C. Poteau, C. Bailleul, V. Thollin, C. Cilindre, Losses of yeast-fermented carbon dioxide during prolonged champagne aging: Yes, the bottle size does matter! submitted, 2023

DOI:

Publication date: February 9, 2024

Issue: OENO Macrowine 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Gérard Liger-Belair¹, Chloé Khenniche1,2, Clara Poteau², Carine Bailleul², Virginie Thollin³, Clara Cilindre¹

1. GSMA, UMR CNRS 7331, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51697 Reims, France
2. Champagne Castelnau – 5, Rue Gosset, 51100 Reims, France
3. PE.DI France – 2, Avenue de New York, 51530 Pierry, France

Contact the author*

Keywords

Carbone dioxide, Champagne, Aging on lees, Effervescence

Tags

IVES Conference Series | oeno macrowine 2023 | oeno-macrowine

Citation

Related articles…

IMPACT OF HARVEST DATE ON THE FINE MOLECULAR COMPOSITION OF MUST AND BORDEAUX RED WINE (VAR. MERLOT, CABERNET SAUVIGNON). FOCUS ON ACIDITY AND SENSORY IMPACT AFTER FIVE YEARS OF AGING

Climate change has brought several impacts that are becoming increasingly intense during the last few years and put at risk the quality of the berries or even the plant’s sustainability. Such extreme climatic events impact the composition of the wine while modulating its quality and the consumer preferences (Tempère et al., 2019). The three most important changes that take place in the must are: 1) decrease acidity, 2) increase of the concentration of sugar, hence increase of alcohol in the wine, and 3) modification
of the sensory balance and the development for example of cooked fruit aromas.

Read More

TARTARIC STABILIZATION MAY AFFECT THE COLOR AND POLYPHENOLIC COMPOSITION OF TANNAT RED WINES FROM URUGUAY

Tartrate precipitation affects the properties of wines, due to the formation of crystals that cause turbidity, even after being bottled. The forced tartaric stabilization is carried out frequently for young wines, through various physicochemical procedures. The traditional treatment for tartaric stabilization is refrigeration, but it can have a negative effect on wine’s sensory properties, and particularly on the color of red wines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different tartaric stabilization options on the color and phenolic composition of Tannat red wines from Uruguay.

Read More

A NEW STRATEGY AND METHODOLOGY FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPHENOLS IN FINING PRECIPITATE

Polyphenols are secondary metabolite widely distributed in plant kingdom such as in fruits, in grapes and in wine. During the winemaking process, polyphenols are extract from the skin and seed of the berries. Fining is an important winemaking step just before bottling which has an impact on wine stabilization and clarification. Most the time, fining agent are animal or vegetal protein while some of them can be synthetic polymer like PVPP or natural origin like bentonite.

Read More

A synthesis approach on the impact of elevated CO2 on berry physiology and yield of Vitis vinifera

Besides the increase in global mean temperature the second main challenge of a changing climate is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in relation to physiology and yield performance of grapevines. The benefits of increasing CO2 levels under greenhouse environment or open field studies have been well investigated for various annual crops. Research under free carbon dioxide enrichment on field-grown perennial plants such as grapevines is limited to a few studies. Further, chamber and greenhouse experiments have been conducted mostly on potted vines under eCO2 conditions.

Read More

Beyond liking scores: the importance of the drinking experience to understand our consumers

The presentation will approach the understanding of wine consumers´ perception based on the experiential model suggested by Warell (2008). In this framework, wine consumption gives rise to a
variety of experiences related to the perception, understanding, and judgment of the product. These
multidimensional facets of the drinking experience can be explored by measuring affective, cognitive,
and sensory responses of consumers, which are shown to be stable regardless of the social context.

Read More