What are the minimum ageing requirements on lees for non-vintage and vintage Champagne?

• A. Non vintage 2 years; Vintage 4 years
• B. Non vintage 1 year; Vintage 3 years
• C. Non vintage 1 year; Vintage 2 years
• D. Non vintage 3 years; Vintage 5 years

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is the minimum time Champagne must stay on the lees before disgorgement. This lees aging, or sur lie aging, lets autolytic flavors develop, contributing biscuit, brioche, and creamy textures that define the style.

For non-vintage Champagne, the minimum is one year on the lees. For vintage Champagne, the minimum extends to three years on the lees. The longer lees contact for vintage wines allows more complex autolytic character to integrate with a wine that represents a single year's conditions, while non-vintage blends, drawn from multiple years, meet the lower minimum and still achieve desirable autolysis.

Other suggested minimums don’t align with the official requirements, either proposing shorter or longer periods than the regulatory minimums.