Both are sparkling wine production methods. Here are the characteristics, similarities and differences of the charmat and champenoise methods.
Charmat and Champenoise methods: here are the differences
The sparkling process, i.e. the process that leads to the transformation of wine into sparkling wine by means of a second fermentation on yeasts, is complex and articulated. The characteristics of the sparkling wine are influenced not only by the quality of the starting cuvée and the exact composition of the liqueur de tirage, but also by the method used to induce refermentation. Depending on the technique used to induce the second fermentation, one distinguishes between the Charmat Method and the Champenoise Method.
The difference between the Charmat and Champenoise methods mainly concerns the second fermentation: this takes place in stainless steel barrels in the first case and in bottles in the second. However, the subsequent steps also differ in certain aspects, as does the final product:
- Charmat Method sparkling wines are fragrant, aromatic and have a rich, penetrating perlage;
- Champenoise Method (or Classical Method) sparkling wines are delicate and fresh, very balanced and with a very fine perlage.
The peculiarities of the two types of sparkling wine are easily identified during a guided tasting, such as those organised at L'Enoteca di Castello Banfi Wine Resort, which include the tasting of some of the best Banfi wines accompanied by typical Tuscan products.
The Champenoise Method
Il Metodo Champenoise deve il suo nome alla regione francese Champagne da cui provengono i migliori spumanti francesi. Tale processo di spumantizzazione è conosciuto anche con l’espressione di “Metodo Classico”. Gli spumanti Metodo Classico italiani, realizzati con cuvée a base di Chardonnay o Pinot nero sono estremamente freschi ed eleganti.
Origins of the Champenoise Method
The origins of this sparkling wine method are very old and date back to the late 17th century. Sources attribute the invention of sparkling wine (initially only made with the Classic Method) to Abbot Pierre Pérignon.
The latter is said to have discovered the possibility of a second fermentation of wine in the bottle through the addition of sugar and the subsequent formation of bubbles.
How the Champenoise Method Works
As with all sparkling wines, the choice of the base cuvée is crucial: early harvest still wines with good acidity are preferred. Subsequently, the cuvée is bottled together with the so-called liqueur de tirage, a solution of sugars and selected yeasts that activates the second fermentation. This phase can last several years, during which the sparkling wine acquires the complexity of aromas and fragrances that will characterise it in its final stage.
The subsequent steps in the production of Metodo Classico sparkling wine are characterised by the perfect synergy between new technologies and traditional manual practices, such as remuage or degorgement, two techniques used respectively to separate the lees from the sparkling wine by rotation and to remove the crown cap where these lees have settled.
The Charmat Method
The difference between the Charmat Method and the Champenoise Method concerns, as mentioned above, the place where the second fermentation takes place: in the case of the Charmat Method, temperature-controlled stainless steel barrels called 'autoclaves' are used.
Origins of the Charmat Method
The Charmat Method owes its name to Eugène Charmat, a French oenologist who patented a new method and innovative technology for refermenting sparkling wine in the early 20th century.
However, the first to devise this method was the artisan oenologist Federico Martinotti. His new technique was aimed at reducing the cost and production time of sparkling wine by introducing mass fermentation of the traditional cuvée inside stainless steel barrels under pressure (the autoclaves). Charmat is credited with improving this technique and acquiring the patent, some fifteen years after Martinotti's first uses, which is why this procedure is known as both the Charmat Method and the Martinotti Method.
How the Charmat Method Works
The starting point for producing Charmat Method sparkling wine is a cuvée of base wines with an intense aromatic background. This technique, in fact, is the one that best preserves the olfactory characteristics of the grape variety itself, enclosing them within the bottle and expanding them thanks to the bubbles.
The cuvée is introduced into stainless steel barrels under pressure for between 30 and 80 days. During this period, the wine undergoes rapid fermentation, thanks to the introduction of sugars and selected yeasts, until it takes on foam. The stay on the yeasts allows the aromas to develop and evolve into a fresh, fragrant sparkling wine with a complex olfactory profile.
The differences between the Charmat and Champenoise Methods do not only concern fermentation but also the subsequent stages of sparkling wine-making. Indeed, in order to preserve the variegated, intense aroma and broader-grained perlage that characterise Charmat Method sparkling wines, the remaining stages of the sparkling process (racking, refrigeration, filtration and bottling) take place under isobaric conditions (i.e. under pressure) so as not to disperse the carbon dioxide created and to bring a bottle with an exuberant, complex taste to the table.