Glossary
Dosage
A small addition of liqueur d'expédition — typically a mixture of reserve wine and cane sugar — added after disgorgement to adjust the final sweetness of a champagne.
Dosage is the final sweetening step in the traditional method. After disgorgement removes the yeast sediment from the bottle, a small volume of liqueur d’expédition is added before the cork goes on.
The quantity, expressed in grams of sugar per litre, determines the bottle’s official category:
- Brut Nature / Zéro Dosage — 0 to 3 g/L, no added sugar
- Extra Brut — 0 to 6 g/L
- Brut — 0 to 12 g/L
- Extra Sec — 12 to 17 g/L
- Sec — 17 to 32 g/L
- Demi-Sec — 32 to 50 g/L
- Doux — 50 g/L or more
Modern style in champagne has trended toward lower dosage as fruit ripeness has increased.
Related terms