Why size matters for Champagne Palmer

Champagne Palmer & Co has been a pioneer of the use of large bottles, from 1.5-litre magnums all the way up to 15-litre nebuchadnezzars.

Champagne Palmer & Co was founded in 1947 by seven Montagne de Reims grower families with prized premier cru and grand cru vineyards. In the intervening 75 years, the house has become a symbol of the elegance and sophistication of Champagne.

While it is impossible to make great Champagne without great grapes, the cellar, 18 metres below ground in Palmer & Co’s case, is instrumental to the creation of the house’s distinctive style.

Today, Palmer & Co is one of the few houses to carry out the secondary fermentation that gives this traditional method sparkling wine its fizz within the larger bottles, up to nebuchadnezzars (15 litres), without transferring it.

It’s a process that takes time; patience is a virtue that all vignerons must exercise, after all. Ten years of ageing allows the wine to mature into something complex and captivating. Only the most exceptional vintages or specific blends are worthy of these large formats – wines with the potential to benefit from decades of maturation.

Given the ‘wow factor’ that comes with bigger formats, they are well-suited to special occasions, and best shared with friends and family, although they also make for showstopping gifts. Demand for such bottles is incredibly high, and the only way to secure one is to get an allocation. However, beyond the appeal of popping open a big bottle to celebrate with a crowd, larger formats can also be highly beneficial to the wine inside.

The bottles may appear to be resting, but a series of reactions is taking place inside that will create characterful, iconic wines once they are released. The higher volume of wine within the bottle decreases the ratio of wine that is in contact with oxygen. The reduced rate of oxidation results in both the preservation of freshness, even after a long stretch in the cellar, and slower development. Though it seems counterintuitive, big bottles can create more elegant wines.

Another key benefit of bigger bottles is the way in which lees ageing takes place within them. The biscuit, brioche and pastry aromas often found in Champagne come about through the process of autolysis, the gradual breakdown of yeast cells. When bottles contain a larger volume of wine, this process tends to take longer than it would in smaller bottles, resulting in the Champagne possessing greater aromatic complexity, and an even greater ageing potential after release.

Graceful maturation is also, of course, made possible thanks to the blend. While Chardonnay provides a scalpel-like freshness, Pinot Noir adds power and Meunier lends fullness.

Champagne Palmer & Co cellar master Xavier Berdin also took the decision to re- introduce tirage-liège, meaning that the wines are ageing under cork, rather than crown cap. It might only be a small change but, like so much in winemaking, it can make a big difference.

To find out more about Champagne Palmer, click here.