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If you’ve ever examined a Champagne label, you’ve likely noticed the prominent word “Brut.” This term isn’t a brand or village name; rather, it indicates the style of the Champagne, and is linked to its level of sweetness after dosage. A Brut Champagne has a dry profile. While less common, you might also encounter sweeter versions labeled “Demi-Sec” or “Doux.”
Brut Champagne
Brut is the most popular style of Champagne, favored for its dry profile. It typically has a refreshing taste, with a subtle hint of sweetness on the finish. This sweetness is achieved by adding a small amount of sugar and wine, known as liqueur d’expédition or liqueur de dosage, after disgorgement.
At Lallier, we believe that balance is the key to creating exceptional Champagne. The harmonious interplay of sweetness and acidity, along with a well-defined structure, is what makes our Brut Champagnes so versatile. They enhance any culinary experience, pairing beautifully with a wide range of dishes, from delicate seafood to richer fare. Yet, they are equally enjoyable on their own, offering a moment of pure indulgence with every effervescent sip.
Champagne Lallier’s Réflexion Collection exemplifies this versatility, offering fresh, citrus-forward Brut expressions and a vibrant Rosé with notes of blood orange and red fruits. Despite their varied profiles, all Réflexion expressions excel as aperitifs and complement a variety of seafood dishes, including langoustine and lobster.
Champagne Dosage: is Brut Champagne very dry?
One of the final steps of Champagne production is the addition of a liqueur de dosage, a mixture of wine and sugar, just before the bottle has its final cork applied and is capped. The amount of sugar in this dosage determines whether the Champagne will be classified as Brut or another sweetness level.
Dosage
Liqueur de dosage, or liqueur d’expédition, is a mixture of wine and sugar that helps to define the final flavor profile of the Champagne.
The sugar balances the natural acidity of the wine. Meanwhile, the still wine used as the base to deliver the sugar—which can be from a previous vintage or the current one—can further enhance the complexity of the finished Champagne.
The sugar content of the dosage is determined by the winemaker, who carefully considers the desired style of Champagne and the best sweetness/acidity balance in the wine.
Dry to Sweet: the Champagne Categories
The sweetness level of Champagne, ranging from very dry to sweet, is determined by the total sugar content per liter in the finished product. This total sugar encompasses both the dosage (added sugar) and any residual sugar remaining after fermentation.
When there is no addition of sugar during the dosage stage of Champagne production, the result is a very dry Champagne wine known as Brut Nature, No Dosage or Zero Dosage. However, this doesn’t mean it’s completely sugar-free, as there can still be up to three grams of residual sugar (naturally occurring grape sugar) per liter of wine.
At the opposite end of the sweetness spectrum is the Doux category, containing over fifty grams of sugar per liter.
Between the dry Brut Nature and the sweet Doux lie several other categories:
- Extra Brut: 0-6g of sugar per liter
- Brut: 0-12g of sugar per liter
- Extra Dry: 12-17g of sugar per liter
- Sec: 17-32 grams of sugar per liter
- Demi-Sec: 32-50g of sugar per liter
Most winemakers opt for Brut, the third driest category of Champagne. The slight sweetness adds balance to the mouthwatering acidity but doesn’t overpower the flavors of the wine.
In Champagne Lallier’s case, the dosage is tailored according to each Champagne, but generally leans towards the lower end of the sweetness spectrum to allow the qualities of the wine to shine through as much as possible. The Lallier Réflexion Collection, for example, has just seven to eight grams per liter of dosage, depending on the cuvée. Our range consists of Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Brut cuvées.
Explore the Champagne Lallier collection here
