Reserve wine

Designation for a very long-stored (20 to 50 years and longer) and high-quality wine used in the production of champagne, usually from a single vintage. It is partly stored in large magnum bottles, stainless steel tanks or also in barrels. At the Champagne house Bollinger, for example, it is stored in magnum bottles to which a tiny amount of sugar and yeasts have been added to create effervescence (pétillance = bubbles). It gives the champagne the unmistakable character of a house. It is or can be added at three points during production, namely during the assemblage (the blending of different wines or vintages) as well as during the two types of dosage (filling dosage and shipping dosage).

Actually, a reserve wine definition should only be included in vintageless Champagnes, but it is also added to the vintage versions by various Champagne houses. According to Champagne regulations, the latter must consist of 100% of the vintage, but only 85% according to EU standards. The amount varies depending on the producer and the year. For basic wines of a "good" vintage, less is added accordingly. The term reserve wine, however, is also used in the production of port, sherry and wines produced in a similar way, and here, too, it refers to an older and very high-quality wine. The quality term reserve has a completely different meaning.

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Reserve wine

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