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The habillage of the Champagne bottle: the final touch between aesthetics and regulation

After the addition of the dosage and the subsequent corking phase, the habillage of the bottle is the final touch. A capsule, the "plaque de muselet", inserted on top of the cork is blocked by a metal cage which ensures its perfect seal. The popularity of the capsules has grown so much over the years that the so-called "placomusophilie", i.e. the art of collecting "plaque de muselet", has spread, and the collectors, the "placomusophile", are today an organized community throughout the world.

To protect the cap and the cage, a large cap is placed, which decorates the neck of the bottle with the collar. With labelling, the Champagne is ready to be put on the market.

The Champagne label – what information does it contain?

The label and sometimes the back-label are affixed to the body of the Champagne bottle, even if the latter is not mandatory. As already mentioned in our article (Vigneron - Collector's labels: when the image makes the difference) a beautiful label can influence the commercial success of a Champagne on the market, and this is why, above all, young producers propose new concepts: labels colorful, drawn, abstract, signature labels and tribute labels that have a story to tell. All to collect. There are many collectors of Champagne labels and they identify themselves with the name of "œnographile".

The label must contain all the mandatory information, as required by the French legal system, namely:

  • The Champagne appellation;
  • The brand;
  • Sugar residual or dosage which determines the type (brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi sec, doux);
  • The nominal volume of the bottle (in l, cl or ml);
  • The alcoholic strength by volume (% vol.);
  • The name or company name of the processor, the name of the municipality where it is based and the indication "France" (in addition to the name of the municipality where the wine was produced, if different from the registered office).

The label also provides useful information to the consumer regarding:

  • The manufacturer's category identification code (RM Récoltant Manipulant; NM Négociant Manipulant; CM Coopérative de Manipulation; RC Récoltant Coopérateur; SR Société de Récoltants; ND Négociant Distributeur; MA Marque d’Acheteur) followed by the professional registration number issued by the CIVC;
  • The type of Cuvée (Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé, Premier Cru, Grand Cru);
  • The year if it is a vintage Champagne;
  • The lot identifier (directly engraved on the bottle);
  • The indication of the presence of allergens (contains sulphites);
  • The wording "the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, even in low doses, can have serious consequences for the health of the child" or the logo (mandatory wording only for some markets);
  • Other information that allows those who are about to taste it to better understand the wine: history, elaboration, date of dégorgement, aromas, pairings.

Below we have identified some New Products in our online Shop, Champagnes that also stand out for their unusual habillage (take a look at Champagne PR 18/90 by Herni Giraud); Champagne all to be discovered between classic style (such as Champagne Millésime 2013 by Charles Heidsieck) and modern style (Champagne Rosé Potion Éclarate 2018 by Les Frere Mignon).

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