The word “cuvée” (/kyve/) has a few different meanings within the world of wine. Outside of Champagne, cuvée simply refers to a blended wine made from multiple grape varieties. However, in Champagne, cuvée is used in two, different, distinct ways.
Champagne pressing
In Champagne, cuvée refers specifically to the first juices that are extracted during the pressing stage. These cuvée juices are the purest part of the pulp and tend to have a higher level of acidity, which results in both freshness and finesse. Subsequent pressing results in the taille, juices with stronger aromas and flavors. This fragmented pressing process is one of the key elements of the Champagne-making process.
A traditional wine press holds 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds, or just over four tons), and this is the unit of measurement used for a press-load of grapes, known as a marc. According to French law the cuvée portion of that first pressed juice would be only the first 2,050 liters, or 542 gallons.
Both the cuvée and taille juices are most commonly vinified separately, with Champagne producers electing to use one or both during the blending stage, depending on the cuvée—to use the more general sense of the word—that they want to achieve.
Champagne Expressions
The second meaning for the word “cuvée” in Champagne refers to the final wine, with each producer having several cuvées in their range. For example, Champagne Lallier’s range consists of nine different cuvées in total: and each offers a unique expression and personality, all the while showcasing our unique terroir, craftsmanship and Lallier style, embodied by the four atmospheres of Purity, Freshness, Intensity and Depth.
Réflexion, for example, strikes the perfect balance between these four atmospheres and the personality of the base year, while Lallier Blanc de Blancs is an interpretation of Chardonnay that expresses Purity through the Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, with Intensity provided by Chardonnay from Aÿ.
“At Lallier, we have no pre-set recipe,” says Sarah Durand, Lallier’s global brand ambassador. “Each year we identify the vineyards’ strengths. Then we use all our winemaking experience and techniques to create our cuvées, in order for them to faithfully express our terroir, but also our savoir-faire and signature style,” she says.
Réflexions: An Innovative Approach
Lallier’s Réflexions collection, a series of signature cuvées, first launched in 2014 with R.010, a reflection of the 2010 harvest. This exceptional collection showcases the brand’s commitment to its terroir and craftsmanship, offering a truly unparalleled non-vintage Champagne experience. Each Réflexion is made of a minimum of 70% of a single year’s grapes to create a non-vintage cuvée that will reflect the singularity of this year, with a maximum of 30% of reserve wines from previous years’ harvests to stay true to Lallier’s signature style.
“Réflexions fully embodies our winemaking philosophy,” explains Camille de Billy, at Lallier. “We firmly believe that Champagne should be a mirror of its terroir. Our cuvées are a manifestation of the soil and climate they come from, capturing the essence of each year’s quality and character. “
Lallier stands among the winemaking pioneers and those few who departed from the traditional principles of Brut non-vintage Champagne by prioritizing the expression of the base year over the consistency of a specific House flavor profile. This approach embodies a pure pursuit of excellence in our craft and an authentic embrace of how our terroir expresses itself from year to year.
“We chose to create a non-vintage cuvée that highlights the unique personality of each harvest, while offering a perfect balance of Purity, Freshness, Intensity and Depth,” says Sarah Durand, Champagne Lallier’s global brand ambassador. This distinctive philosophy allows each year’s cuvée to express the specific nuances and flavors of that season’s grapes.
Whether you opt for the Brut or Rosé cuvée, Lallier’s Réflexions Collection promises a captivating journey through the vineyards of Champagne, revealing the true essence of terroir in each sip.
Discover more of Champagne Lallier’s collection here.