GG_N54_FR-web

EDITORIAL
PHILIPPE GAILLARD - EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
CHAMPAGNE REVERTS BACK TO
THE FUNDAMENTALS
The time when Champagne production was limited to
the basic range staples that are ‘brut’, ‘demi-sec’ and
rosé is long gone. The era when Champagne rode the crest
of robust economic success – more or less in the second
half of the 20th century – stoked by a constant growth
in production and penetration of new export markets,
is over. This was a time when a bottle of Champagne was
mainly viewed as a symbol of celebration, newfound
freedom and as something aspirational. Champagne as a
‘product’ became the companion of unwavering economic
growth and consumers cared little about the exact provenance
of the wine, how it was made, its home village or
its vineyard site.
But that was then. Over the past ten or fifteen years, this
has radically changed. Consumer and producer aspirations
have now converged and Champagne has finally
emerged as a wine in its own right, with a history, people
– increasingly women – and a process. Today’s product
portfolio is virtually endless, and the blends of yesteryear
have almost fallen into oblivion. There are multiple
levels of interpretation, ranging from the village to the
vineyard block, the use or not of malolactic fermentation
and a whole host of maturation styles – even solera! – or
sometimes barrel fermentation. This stylistic revolution
has laid the groundwork for an incredible exploration of
a region which, ultimately, is as classic as it is timeless.
WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
5