8. Some better Champagnes don't have a vintage, and some of the best are actually blends made from several years.
I think if I had to impersonate a Champagne sommelier, I would say (in a nondescript, vaguely European accent) something like, “Oh yes, this is a brilliant 2005,” but I wouldn’t be fooling anyone. Just like there are great years, there are also not-so-great-years (2005 being one of them), but Champagne houses still need to release a Champagne that tasted like last year’s Champagne. To do this, expert Champagne makers create blends from the sometimes hundreds of vineyards and vintages they have access to, then only release the aforementioned vintages when the year allows them to.
For history buffs—and those paying attention—German winemaker-turned-Champagne-maker named Joseph Krug was the first to practice this philosophy of moving away from the vintages employed by winemakers and setting forth to make the best wine every year, by borrowing from past years.
[Photo via @domperignonofficial]
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