The Réserve perpétuelle in Champagne

The Réserve perpétuelle, RP, in Champagne, is inspired by the Spanish Solera technique. A millesime, which serves as the base, is isolated, and then each year the wine of the harvest is added to compensate for the wine taken from the reserve.

ORIGINS OF SOLERA

Traditionally used in Spain, this winemaking technique involves stacking barrels on several levels.

A first level of barrels is placed on the ground: this is the Solera. 

Other barrels of newer vintages are placed on the first row in the shape of a pyramid, sometimes reaching up to 8 levels.

The wines placed higher up are the most recent.

This is a so-called oxidative aging system, which means that the barrels are never full, to leave a fairly significant surface area of wine in contact with the air. 

The wine is taken from the Solera barrels that contain the oldest wine, without ever completely emptying the barrels.

The wine taken from the Solera is then replaced by the wine from the top row, the Criadera, the first Criadera by the wine from the second Criadera, and so on...

The last Criadera receives every year the year's vintage.

In each barrel, therefore, there is an assemblage of different vintages. A Solera that has been in place for half a century will always contain a small amount of... a 50-year-old wine!

THE PRINCIPLE OF RÉSERVE PERPETUELLE IN CHAMPAGNE 

The reserve wines used in Champagne by the Vignerons to make their non-vintage Cuvées resemble the Solera method. 

But the Réserve perpétuelle (RP) goes further, tracing the principles of Solera but without the oxidative aspect. 

In Champagne, there is no overlapping of barrels: the blending of the vintages takes place in a single container (barrels or stainless steel vats) and consists of adding wines from the vintage of each year to offset the wine tapped in exactly the same proportions.

This method allows the older wine to educate the younger one, as the Vignerons are used to say. 

The meeting of impetus and wisdom...

Champagnes that are born through this method are of great complexity and richness. 

Rare cuvées of great character that combine maturity and freshness and invite us to travel back in time, to retrace the countless vintages that make them up.

And now that you know all about Réserve Perpétuelle, go discover our Boutique to choose your Cuvées and taste the fruit of so much passion!

Cheers et à votre santé!