Our best extra brut champagnes

At parties and other occasions, champagne is often a must. If you want to enjoy it at the start of a meal, remember to choose champagnes designated "extra brut" or "brut nature". We explain why, and present a selection of Gault&Millau's 6 favorites.

Just before marketing their bottles, champagne houses have the option of adding sugar through liqueur de dosage. Various terms regulated by the European Union define dosage. Limits are expressed in terms of grams of sugar to be added per liter of wine (with some ranges overlapping). A non-dosed champagne can be labelled brut (less than 12g sugar/liter) or extra brut (less than 6g). The terms "brut nature", "non dosé" or "dosage zéro" are used when no sugar is added and the wine has a natural sugar content of less than 3g.

These terms are becoming increasingly common on champagne labels.

Why is champagne measured?

As all the sugars have been transformed during the second fermentation, the wine is usually very dry, with high acidity. Sugar, as a flavor enhancer, reveals and enhances the aromas and flavors of champagne.

From 1830 onwards, winemakers began to systematically dose sugar. They also adapted the dosage liqueur and sugar content to suit the market and customer tastes. for export markets, the term "Russian taste" was used for sweet champagnes, and "American taste" or "English taste" for extra-dry and brut champagnes.
Extra-brut, non-dosed or brut nature champagnes, with little or no sugar, are increasingly present on the market.

Why less now?

Non-dosed champagnes are increasingly present on the market for several reasons. Firstly, with climate change, grapes ripen more easily in France's most northerly wine-growing region, and have less acidity than before. To find the right balance, the winemaker needs to add less sugar to counterbalance the acidity.

Consumption patterns and tastes have also changed. In the 19th century, champagne was sweet and mainly consumed at the end of a meal, with dessert. The English began to serve it throughout the meal, and were the first to appreciate drier champagnes, long before the French. Today, the richness of the modern diet also requires less sugar. Champagne, now most often drunk as an aperitif, requires freshness and less dosage, so as not to weigh down the palate.

Our favorite extra-brut champagnes

Laurent-Perrier, Blanc de blancs Brut Nature (91/100)

"The pale gold color with silver highlights gives way to aromas of toast, almond and apricot. The palate plays..." Read the full review on Blanc de blancs Brut Nature

Etienne Sandrin, À Travers Celles 2020 (93/100)

"The tenderness of the first aromas immediately evokes red berries, bursting with sunshine and sugar. Intense greediness that makes you want to bite into a raspberry, grab a redcurrant..." See full review on À Travers Celles

Monmarthe, Coup de Cœur (92/100)

"Very pretty nose with aromas of ripe white fruit, but which retains freshness, accompanied by aromas of curry..." See full review on Coup de Cœur

Alain Réaut, Merci Nature (91/100)

"The chalky, rose geranium side of the first nose quickly evolves into white fruits, fresh almond and green banana, embellished by pleasant notes of fresh hay..." See full Merci Nature review

Fleury-Gille, Absolu (91/100)

"Very ripe nose, with aromas of stone fruit (peach, nectarine) and white flowers (lime blossom, honeysuckle), complemented by notes of beeswax and an oiliness like a Rieslin...." Read the full review on Absolu

Mathelin, Perpétuelle (91/100)

"Fresh, juicy aromas of pear, vine peach and some country floral scents participate..." See full review on Perpétuelle