Women Drinking Wine

How to taste Champagne like a Sommelier

ByJB | CIVC, CAWE Hours Last uncorked on

The Process

Champagne. Just the word makes you feel like you’re in luxury and celebration. But how do you taste and evaluate champagne like a sommelier? It’s a skill that seems daunting but is achievable with some knowledge and practice. Here are the secrets of champagne tasting. Follow along with each step to learn how to appreciate this fancy drink like a pro. Soon, you’ll be able to assess the subtleties of your favorite bubbly and wow your friends at your next party.

The Champagne Tasting Environment

First, set the scene. Find a quiet, well-lit area with no strong smells that might interfere with the aromas of the champagne. Champagne should be served chilled. According to Club Jeroboam’s Champagne Tasting Guide, the ideal serving temperature for tasting champagne is between 46.4°F and 50°F. Above this, the alcohol overpowers. Below this, the flavors are muted.

What Glass to Use

The shape of your champagne glass matters. While some look fancy, they don’t deliver the best-tasting experience. A wide, shallow bowl allows the bubbles to dissipate quickly and the aromas to escape. With its broad surface area, a coupe can mellow out the taste but isn’t ideal for preserving bubbles and aromas.

The best is a tulip glass. The narrower opening concentrates the aromas, and the wider bowl allows the bubbles to develop. The flute is elegant, but some sommeliers find that the narrow shape limits the wine’s oxygen contact and the development of complex aromas. Crystal glasses, being high-quality craftsmanship, can add to the experience by giving clarity and brilliance to the champagne.

The Four Steps of Champagne Tasting

Now, the fun part is the tasting. Champagne is a sensory experience that engages all of your senses. To appreciate its qualities, you must follow specific steps to taste champagne. Here are the four steps to taste champagne.

Step 1: Look – The Appearance

Hold the glass by the stem and tilt it against a white background. According to most pros, a white background helps you see the color and clarity of the champagne. This step answers the question: How to taste champagne like a sommelier?

Color: What Does it Mean

Is the champagne pale straw yellow and young or golden and old? The color can tell you the age of the champagne, the grape variety, and the winemaking methods.

Clarity: A Glimpse of Craftsmanship

Next, look at the clarity. Is it crystal clear or slightly hazy? Maybe it’s been through malolactic fermentation, and that’s why it’s a bit cloudy. These details start to tell the story of the champagne.

Bubbles: Tiny Bubbles

Champagne wouldn’t be champagne without its bubbles. The bubbles, scientifically called perlage, deliver the aromas and enhance the overall sensory experience.

Tiny, persistent bubbles sticking to the glass's side are a sign of quality. Larger bubbles that dissipate quickly indicate a younger, less complex champagne. According to the experts at Laurent-Perrier, a famous Champagne House, refined persistent bubbles are associated with high-quality champagnes.

Step 2: Smell: Uncover the Aromas

Smell is the most important sense in wine tasting, and champagne is no exception. You must smell different aromas, including fruit, to fully appreciate the wine. For champagne tasting, swirling is generally discouraged as it accelerates the loss of bubbles. Swirling can also mute the subtle details.

Primary Aromas: Hints of Origin

Primary aromas are directly related to the grape varieties used in the champagne. The aroma of young champagnes can be citrus, green apple, and pear. Since most champagnes blend Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, it’s helpful to know the aromas of each grape. For example, Laurent-Perrier says Chardonnay brings fresh citrus, white flowers, and green apples. Pinot Noir brings red fruit aromas like cherry and raspberry. The terroir where the grapes were grown can add more details to these aromas.

Secondary Aromas: Winemaking Tales

Secondary aromas develop during the champagne-making process, especially during the second fermentation. These can include yeasty, brioche-like aromas from the autolysis of yeast cells and toast, nuts, and spices. The presence and intensity of these aromas will tell you about the champagne's complexity and aging potential.

Tertiary Aromas: The Sign of Age

As champagne ages, tertiary aromas develop. These complex scents are often described as honeyed, nutty, or mushroomy. It signifies a well-aged champagne that has developed an interesting complexity.

Step 3: Taste: Taste the Flavours

Now for the best part: drinking champagne and experiencing the sensory pleasure. Take small sips to let the flavors unfold gradually on your palate.

Sweetness Levels: Brut Champagne

The amount of sugar added to champagne, called dosage, determines the sweetness level. Terms like Brut Nature, Brut (dry), Extra Dry (slightly sweet), and Demi-Sec (sweet) describe the sugar content of the champagne.

Most sommeliers prefer champagnes with low dosage, as they allow the wine to express itself. In his tasting notes, wine expert David Rosengarten stresses the importance of low dosage and likes champagnes that are dry and steely.

Acidity: The Backbone of Champagne

Acidity is champagne's refreshing backbone, balancing sweetness and contributing to its aging potential. Taste the acidity on your tongue. Is it subtle and integrated or sharp and dominant? High-acidity champagnes are usually crisper and more refreshing and are great with seafood and light food.

Cooler climate regions like Champagne produce grapes with higher acidity. This higher acidity influences the immediate tasting experience and a wine’s long-term aging ability.

Body and Texture: The Mouthfeel

How does the champagne feel in your mouth? Is it light and silky or full and velvety? The body and texture of the champagne will tell you about its complexity and style. A richer, creamier texture means a longer aging process. The grapes influence the sensations used and the time the wine ages. Vintage champagne and prestige cuvées have a richer texture with longer aging.

Rosengarten, for example, describes this mouthfeel as “mousse” in his champagne-tasting notes. He says the feel shouldn’t be like soda, instead he likes champagnes with a creamy mousse that adds to their elegance.

Finish: The Aftertaste

Finally, taste the aftertaste or “finish.” Does the flavour linger and evolve pleasantly, or does it disappear quickly? A long, complex finish is the hallmark of a well-made champagne.

Step 4: Listen

Although this may sound strange consider the auditory part of the champagne as part of your sensory evaluation. What sounds does the champagne make? When you open the bottle, listen to the sound of the cork.

Sound: Cork

The quiet hiss of the cork means your champagne has been stored well, not the loud “pop” you see on TV. According to JJ Buckley Fine Wines, listening to the cork will tell you how fizzy the bottle will be. When you open a bottle of champagne, listen to how the gas escapes and hear the “whispering” of the bubbles.

Sound: Effervescence

As the champagne is poured, the delicate sounds of the bubbles will add to the pleasure and give you clues about the quality. Pay attention to how the champagne sounds, and you will complete the sensory experience of tasting.

Champagne Tasting: Beyond the Basics

Now that you know the 4 steps, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of tasting and evaluating champagne like a sommelier. Take your time and taste and experience the champagne through sight, smell, and taste, and let the flavors evolve in your mouth. This will turn you into a true champagne connoisseur. You’ll be able to appreciate and analyze different styles in more depth.

Balance: Balance in every sip

The secret to champagne is balance. Balance is the intersection of sweetness, acidity, flavor intensity, and length. Every element should work together to create a whole. Well-balanced champagnes are like well-oiled machines – each part working in balance to create a blend.

Complexity: Unfolding Flavours

Complexity refers to the depth and variety of flavors in champagne. High-quality, often aged champagnes will have a range of flavors that unfold and change over time in the glass. A sommelier will pay attention to how these flavors unfold, which is how they will recognize great champagne.

Aromatic Length

This refers to how long the aromas linger on the palate after swallowing. It’s a sign of the champagne's overall quality and concentration. A long aromatic length further confirms the quality and craftsmanship of the bottle.

How to taste and evaluate champagne like a sommelier – FAQs

How to do a proper champagne tasting?

Do a champagne tasting like a sommelier using the 5 senses of sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch. Ensure the bottle is chilled to the right temperature, between 46°F and 50°F. Use a tulip or white wine glass, not a flute. By looking at the color, clarity, and perlage (bubbles) and listening to the bubbles and the cork, you start your tasting journey. Move on to the aroma by gently nosing the champagne, taking in the intensity, primary aromas (floral, fruity), and any secondary aromas from winemaking (nutty, yeasty, or toasted notes) it reveals. Take a sip – consider the acidity and sweetness (brut, sec), the mouthfeel or “mousse,” and the finish – that lasting flavor experience. As your palate develops with practice, your champagne appreciation will too.

How to judge

Using sight, smell, taste, and even hearing to judge champagne. Look at the clarity (clearer is younger), color (pale to gold hues indicate age and grape varieties used), and bubble size. Look at the champagne and determine the intensity and hue and if it’s transparent. Next, smell the champagne; sniff gently to assess the intensity. Is it a fruity aroma like apple, citrus, or tropical fruit? Can you sense a floral aroma like honeysuckle, orange blossom, or acacia? The final sense is to take a sip to judge sweetness, acidity, flavor, body, texture, and finish. Remember a long finish (flavour that lingers on the palate after swallowing) is usually a sign of a high quality champagne. For the hearing part of the evaluation, as strange as it may sound, consider what the champagne sounds like when you pour it into the glass. You can also listen to the cork when you open the bottle.

What are the 5 S’s of wine tasting?

The 5 S’s of wine tasting are see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. See – look at the wine. Swirl – swirl your glass so the aromas are released. Sniff – Take a sniff, take note of the intensity, is it strong, weak? Take a few more sniffs to see what aroma notes it reveals. Sip – Sip enough wine so you coat your entire mouth for a full flavor impact, about one teaspoon. Finally, savor – consider how long the flavor lingers and the aftertaste or finish.

The Final Pour

While champagne can be complex to master, knowing the basics puts the fun in your hands. With some knowledge and practice, you’ll be tasting champagne like a pro in no time.

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