Aging Non-Vintage Champagne
Filed from VFTC #111 (May-June 2024), pages 17–46. Based on a series of three tasting group sessions with aged NV Champagnes. Author: John Gilman.
The Central Thesis
Non-vintage Champagne ages beautifully — far better than is generally recognized — and deserves space in the cellar just as top villages Burgundy does. Most NV bottlings improve markedly with 5–15 years of cellaring after purchase. The analogy Gilman makes: just as he once drank villages Burgundy too young while saving premier crus, most collectors drink NV Champagne too young while only cellaring vintage and prestige cuvées.
Why NV Champagnes Often Benefit from Cellaring
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Low dosage trend: Over the past decade, dosage has fallen dramatically at most houses. At low dosage (5–8g/L), the unbuffered acidity of young NV Champagne can be austere and sharp. Cellaring allows the acids to relax and the wine to integrate. Pol Roger NV base year 2010 was finished at 11g/L (now 8g/L) — already generous, but wines at today’s lower levels need even more time.
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Smaller vineyard base: Grower Champagnes are typically made from fewer vineyard sources than the Grandes Marques once used. A wider mosaic of vineyards = more forward, blendable NV wines; fewer sources = wines that need cellaring to soften.
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Shorter lees aging at smaller estates: Small growers can’t afford to age wines as long sur latte as large houses. They need cash flow. Result: wines released with less lees-softening time than the old Grande Marque norm.
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Great value: In a world where villages Burgundy from top producers costs $80–150/bottle, NV Champagne from serious estates is still relatively accessible and represents excellent value for cellaring.
Practical Guidance
- Minimum cellaring: 3–5 years after purchase before opening
- Ideal range: 7–12 years after base year disgorgement for most NV cuvées
- Long-range cellars: 15–20+ years possible for the finest (Krug Grande Cuvée, Fallet-Prévostat, Champagne Tarlant, Corbon Brut d’Autrefois)
- Back-label info: Always write the date you cellar a bottle; producers that print disgorgement/base year (Bruno Paillard, Champagne Louis Roederer Collection Series) are the most trustworthy
Notable Aged NV Champagnes Tasted (VFTC #111)
All scored in VFTC tasting sessions:
| Producer | Cuvée | Base Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallet-Prévostat | Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut | 2011 | 94+ |
| Champagne Tarlant | ”BAM” Brut Nature | 2008 | 94 |
| Champagne Corbon | ”Brut d’Autrefois” | 2012 | 94 |
| Champagne Corbon | ”Brut d’Autrefois” | 2010 | 94 |
| Billecart-Salmon | Blanc de Blancs Brut | 2014 | 93 |
| David Léclapart | ”l’Artiste” Pas Dosé | 2011 | 93 |
| Lilbert-Fils | ”Perle” Extra Brut | 2015 | 93 |
| Bruno Paillard | Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut | 2010 | 93 |
| Bernard Brémont | ”Cuvée Prestige” | 2007/08 | 93 |
| Bérêche Père et Fils | ”Brut Réserve” | 2015 | 92 |
| Chartogne-Taillet | ”Cuvée Sainte Anne” | 2012 | (see below) |
| Henriot | Blanc de Blancs Brut | 2007 | 92 |
| José Dhondt | Blanc de Blancs Brut | 2010 | 91 |
| Camille Savès | ”le Mont des Tours” BdB | 2014 | 90 |
| Agrapart et Fils | ”Terroirs” Extra Brut | 2017 | 88 |
| Pierre Péters | ”Cuvée de Réserve” | 2007 | 88 |
Krug Grande Cuvée (technically Tête de Cuvée but non-vintage): included as a reference point; emphatically improves with extended cellaring; Krug now ages this even longer sur latte before release.
Champagne Louis Roederer Collection Series: the benchmark for transparency; each release labeled with base year, disgorgement date, and dosage. Gilman was sent a vertical of Editions 242 and 243 plus four unreleased trial base years — the best argument for what the rest of the Grandes Marques should be doing.
Key Producers Mentioned with Context
- Bruno Paillard: printing disgorgement dates and base years for decades; far ahead of peers
- Charles Heidsieck: historically good about back-label info (note: no longer sends Gilman samples)
- Champagne Tarlant (Oeuilly, Vallée de la Marne): ages wines 3–5 years on lees; a grower able to afford longer lees aging because they’ve built up a head start; “BAM” uses Petit Meslier + Pinot Blanc + Arbanne
- Sébastien Mouzon (Mouzon-Leroux, Verzy): wines nearly undrinkable upon release — needs 4–5 years cellaring; low dosage + cool-climate Verzy acidity = austere youth
- Vincent Laval (Cumières): “sun basket” warm village; naturally ripe fruit allows lower dosage to work in young wines; others shouldn’t automatically copy his approach
Connection to Existing Cellar
This concept validates the cellar strategy for Vilmart et Cie, Ployez-Jacquemart, and Billecart-Salmon — all three of which are cellared with aging in mind. The Ployez “Liesse d’Harbonville” with 15–18 years sur latte is the extreme end of this aging philosophy.
Sources
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC May-June 2024 #111.txt— Full essay and tasting notes, pages 17–46