Decanter World Wine AwardsDemarville of Veuve Clicquot to experiment with super-sweet Champagne style
- Wednesday 9 March 2011
The Demi-sec: currently Clicquot's sweetest style
The wine could have around 100 grams per litre of residual sugar, Demarville told Decanter.com.
The Doux style – carrying more than 50g/l of residual sugar – is rare in the UK. Demi-sec, between 32 and 50g/l, is the sweetest style readily available.
Demarville said he would ‘start experimenting with the style this year. Sweeter wines for younger people is something we should explore.’
However, small-format bottles aimed at the 18-plus market were ‘not in line with our philosophy’, he said, adding that Veuve Clicquot stopped producing the Non-Vintage in 200ml bottles in 2007.
The most popular style of Champagne in the UK, according the the Champagne Bureau, is Brut (less than 12g/l residual sugar), accounting for more than 87% of sales.
UK importer Bibendum carries the Veuve Clicquot White Label Demi-sec, although the style is ‘incredibly niche,’ Champagne buyer Iain Muggoch said, and usually a ‘hand sell’. Veuve Clicquot also produces the Vintage Rich, with 28g/l residual sugar - classed as Sec.
Muggoch added, ‘We’re always open to any sort of experimentation with styles and new wines.’
Have your say!
Erades
March 12 18:28
Would be great to taste a wine produced in the style when Mme Clicquot-Ponsardin was alive her champagnes contained sometimes over 200g/l of residual sugar.
Thumbs up for Demarville!
David Marra
March 11 11:37
Nothing wrong w/ ultra-sweet sparklers - look at the Canadians and their sparkling Icewines!
Joel Butler MW
March 11 04:41
Bravo to Dominique! This is a story of back to the future! In the later 19th C. before Brut styles came into vogue, Champagne was sweet, mostly, and 100 g/l Rs was not uncommon, especially in some markets like Russia. The real question for me is: will Demarville use really top quality fruit and/or reserve wine to make it, or take the easy way out and use baser quality vins clair, knowing that the RS will cover up a multitude of sins!
I applaud his returning to an interesting champagne "heritage" style, and look forward to tasting it.
Tommy Goff
March 11 01:03
I'd try it once but it's the yellow label for me.