2009 Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut Cuvee Paradis

2009 Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut Cuvee Paradis

2009 Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut Cuvee Paradis

Champagne Brut is dry, sparkling wine from the Champagne region of northern France. Champagne of any color can be brut, both the standard sparkling and Rose. It is made from the classic Champagne Blend (typically Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) but in theory can also include the four lesser-known Champagne varieties: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane.

The French word brut translates roughly as “raw”, and in this sense it indicates a wine sold without a significant addition of sweetness (dosage). In practice, almost all brut Champagnes do receive a small addition of sweetness at the disgorgement stage. Nowadays, the terms “Brut Nature” and “Zero Dosage” are used to indicate Champagnes with no dosage at all. Even these may not be bone dry.
As well as both colors, Brut wines can be non-vintage or vintage Champagne, Blanc de Noirs or Blanc de Blancs. In all cases Brut versions are the most common by far.

The laws governing Champagne wine labels define brut wine as “containing less than 15 grams per liter of sugar”. This same definition is reflected in E.U. law, and applies to sparkling wines from all European countries. In non-sparkling wines, which lack Champagne’s sparkle and high acidity, this much sugar would leave the wine perceptibly sweet.

The brut style was pioneered by top-end Champagne house Perrier-Jou?t in the mid-19th Century, originally for their extensive market in England. The 1846 vintage marked the beginning of a new era; in that year Perrier-Jou?t took the brave decision not to add any sugar to their wines destined for the English market.

Prior to this, Champagne had always been sweetened, but the drier, unsweetened style soon gained in popularity. Technically speaking, what Perrier-Jou?t created would now be defined as Brut Nature.
In the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, dry, white, brut Champagne has become the default. It is now vastly more popular than sweeter styles such as Sec, Demi-Sec and Doux.