The use of Liqueurs
Calculations and options
Preserving freshness
Alain BOURGEOIS, Winemaker & Global Sales Manager
6th CAP CLASSIQUE TECHNICAL SEMINAR,
Stellenbosch - Franschhoek, South Africa, July 2016
Aim of Dosage ???

To preserve quality

To mask

To adjust
defects
deficiencies
Aim of Dosage ???
Adaptation to the « market taste »
• Supermarket : 12 to 14 g/l
• Amateurs : 5 to 8 g/l
• Trend : Zero dosage
Differences according to countries and time of consumption
Aim of Dosage ???
GOÛT MAISON
Available products
• Dosage liqueur
• SO2
• Ascorbic acid (max 25 g/hl)
• Citric acid (max in bottles 100 g/hl)
• Metatartaric acid (max 10 g/hl) or CMC (prior lab trials)
• Lactic acid
• Arabic gum Senegal or Seyal ( max 30 g/hl recommended)
• Cupper citrate or sulfate (maxi 1 g/hl)
• Tannins
• Brandy
• Mannoproteins
Aim of Dosage ???
Freshness / vivacity
Acids
Cupper
solution
Structure
Tannins
Arabic Gum
Mannoproteins
Sugar
Volume / roundness
Aromatic
perception
Dosage liqueurs
Which tools do we have ?
Kind of Liqueur
 Classical Dosage Liqueur
Mix of Wine and sugar
Different Concentrations (500 à 750 g/l)
Cane or beet sugar
 MCR : Rectified Concentrate Must
Concentration : 844 g/l
CHOICE OF LIQUEURS
•
LIQUEUR FROM WINE :
Choice of wine + saccharose important
Young and neutral wine : neutral liqueur
Young and aromatic wine : aromatic contribution of the liqueur
Aged wine : ageing flavors and softness contribution
Barrel aged wine : oak flavors and roundness contribution
•
LIQUEUR FROM RECTIFIED CONCENTRATE MUST
Avantages : Neutral and sterile preparation, no required
filtration, stable and regular, adaptability to differents cuvées
1 Kg of sugar  0.63 Liter
Preparation of liqueur at 613.5 g/l
Kilo-Liter liqueur
1 kg of sugar + 1 L of wine
1 kg of sugar in 1.63 liter of liqueur
(1 liter of wine + 0.63 liter of sugar)
Concentration = 1/1.63 = 0.6135 Kg/L
= 613.5 g/L
Liqueur at 613.5 g/L
Easy to make, for expedition liqueur
Saccharose/Glucose
19 g of Saccharose
Liq. Kilolitre
20 g of G + F
613,5 g of Saccharose
650 g of G + F
Liqueur in
Glucose + Fructose
500
600
Kilolitre 650
700
750
Liters of wine for
100 Kg of
crystallized sugar
145,2
109,9
100
84,7
74,5
E.U. regulation
Labelling
Quantity of sugar per liter
Brut nature- Zero Dosage- Non dosé < 3 g no addition at disgorging stage
Extra brut
<6g
Brut
< 12 g
Extra dry
between 12 g and 17 g
Sec
between 17 g and 32 g
Demi sec
between 32 g and 50 g
Doux
> 50 g
Champagne vocabulary
• Le « % » Champenois:
1.5 % = 1.5 liters of liqueur per 100 disgorged bottles
• Dosages:
1.5 g or cl = 1.5 g or cl of product per 100 disgorged
bottles
SO2
 Respect the maximum dosage
 Pratically
Make prior trials to validate the best dosage.
Achieve a free SO2 at 20 mg/l then check 15 days and one month later the
residual free SO2. The target is to be between 10 and 15 mg/l.
Bisulfite potassium gives between 1/3 and 2/3 of the free S02 dose, according to
the disgorging conditions.
No use of sulphurous solution anymore because of fast combinaisons of free SO2
Ascorbique Acid (E300)
 Maximum dosage : 15 g/hl (11,25 g per 100 bottles)
 Practically
Make prior trials to validate the best dosage.
Usual dosage is between 2 and 5 g per 100 bottles.
Efficiency is noticeable within a month and is sustainable
Always use ascorbic acid in mix with SO2 solution in order to preserve the
anti-oxidant action
Warning : mention to your lab the presence of ascorbic acid in order to
choose the proper method to measure free SO2
Cupper
Application : to remove reduction
 Maximum dosage
Maximum addition of 1 g/hl of cupper sulfate or citrate provided that the
residual concentration of cupper is not more than 1mg/l.
Citric acid (E330)
 Maximum dosage
Addition up to 0.5 g/l provided that the final concentration is less than 1 g/l
 Practically
Make lab trials to determinate the best dosage
Always use in conjonction with SO2 to avoid potential degradation by lactic
bacteria and increase volatile acidity.
Usual dosages are between 1.5 and 5 g per 100 bottles.
Lactic acid
 Presentation
Lactic acid exists only in liquid form
 Practically
Make lab trials to determinate the best dosage
Usual dosages are between 2 and 15 ml per 100 bottles
Avantage
Lactic acid makes a light acidification without the agressive acid
taste of citric acid
Arabic gum (E414)
Arabic gum is polysaccharides riched
in D-Galactose, L-Arabinose,
L-Rhamnose and a few proteins
Application : to give roundness, softness and balance acidity
 Maximum dosage : 30 g/hl
 Practically :
2 to 8 cl per 100 bottles according to the gum and the level of softness
wished. Used as well to stabilize color in rosé
Brandy
The additon of alcohol musn’t increase
the alcoholic percentage more than 0.5%
Action of alcohols
 impact on the taste :
Gives complexity and aging notes. Contribution to the balance in the palate
Gives volume in mid-palate
 Practically :
Make lab trials to determinate the best dosage
Cognac spirit is used between 2 and 5 cl per 100 bottles
Tannins
Impact of tannins
 Structure, eliminate reduction, aromatic persistency
Dosage
 Pratically
Make lab trials to determinate the best dosage
To improve structure use 0.5 to 2 g per 100 bottles of ellagitanin (Oak, Chestnut)
or grape tannins. Be careful : chestnut tannin, even at low dosage, can give
biterness.
Mannoproteins
Soluble proteins extracted from cell walls of yeast.
Initial aim : tartaric stabilization (Laffort patent)
Secondary impact : Interaction with aromas
(Increase or decrease perception and impact the lenght In mouth).
Impact on astringency, biterness and saltiness.
Dosage
 Pratically
Make lab trials to determinate the best dosage
Dosage could be from 5 to 15 g/hl according to the mannoproteins used
Jetting principle
Jet diameter < 100 µm
Air
Height: from 3 to 5 cm
after Brévot et al., 13ème AWITC, 2008
20
Thanks
for
your attention !