Glossary
Millésimé
A champagne produced exclusively from grapes harvested in a single declared year. Typically released only in years considered exceptional by the producer.
A millésimé (vintage) champagne is made entirely from grapes of one declared harvest year. Regulations require that the wine be aged at least three years on the lees before release, though most houses age their vintage wines considerably longer.
Because vintage release decisions are made selectively — often after extended cellar trials — millésimé cuvées are considered flagship statements of a house’s style in a given year. Non-vintage champagnes, by contrast, are designed to express the house style rather than a single-year expression.
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