Some Champagnes have a lime-dominant profile, whereas others are lemon-dominant (and even others beyond those are orange-dominant). Although I have enjoyed versions that would aptly be placed into each of these categories, I have found that I tend to prefer those that lean lemon. What causes these different citrus expressions in Champagne? Fruit source? Grape variety? Weather? Yeast? Something(s) else?
(please note, I am not meaning to imply that all Champagnes can be placed into one of these three categories; rather, I merely want to focus on those that are citrus forward.)
No idea what accounts for the difference, but I am firmly in Camp Lemon. Had a bottle of 2012 Roederer Brut Saturday night. Zippy zesty lemon goodness to its core. Yum
I actually thought about including grapefruit, but I run into it so rarely I decided not to. Would love to hear about it if people have comments, though!
Seems to me it would have something to do with the level of citric vs malic acid in the wine but I could be completely wrong about that. Guessing fruit ripeness would play a part in this.
Sounds about right to me. As someone else noted, all white wines range from pale white fruits up to deep orange/red fruits mainly depending on ripeness but also all the other stuff, as well as where they are on the aging curve.
I’m with you. A delicious fresh apple right off the tree is a unique delicacy that can be full of lively acidity. I think apple flavors can be beautiful in a Champagne with age, as long it’s not lacking acidity or tastes like old cider. I had a wonderful 2002 André Beaufort Champagne Polisy Brut Nature a few years back that was definitely apple-y.
Yes, I’ve had a lot of people tell me that profile was not for them. However, I’ve encountered this with Pinot Meunier (or Pinot Meunier dominant) more often than BdB. That apple cider profile can also turn into bretty cider (cidre fermier) or fallen apple which is even more polarizing!
I drink nearly as much rosé champagne as white, not least because my favourite citrus expression is the blood-orange found in many rosés; for me that seems to add an extra dimension beyond straightforward lemon acidity.
I think we’ve all experienced the shift towards golden dried fruit flavors as white wines age. But, white wines that have boisterous juicy and fresh exotic fruits in the darker registers upon release will typically go through a lightening of the flavor profile as that initial burst calms with age in the first years. Then if you wait long enough it goes to the golden dried fruit register.