subject: Pinot Meunier - What Is It And Why Use It In Champagne? [print this page] Pinot Meunier - What Is It And Why Use It In Champagne?
If you're already a regular champagne drinker then perhaps you'll know that only three grape varieties are authorised in champagne. Well, if we want to be precise there are more but they are hardly ever used.
The three main varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir - both of which you may have heard of already - and a third called Pinot Meunier which you've probably never heard of.
So what is Pinot Meunier and why is it used in the Champagne region?
The word Meunier comes from the old French word for miller (as in flour miller) and the term was given to the grape variety because of the white down on the leaves that makes them look as though they've been coated with flour - it's stretching the imagination, I agree, but that's where the name comes from nevertheless.
Whilst Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are considered to be top quality grapes, Pinot Meunier is thought by some to be a bit of a poor relation. To drive home this point the are no villages in Champagne that have been given either Grand Cru or Premier Cru ranking for the quality of their Pinot Meunier grapes - only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can claim these accolades.
That means that a champagne that contains even a small amount of Pinot Meunier is not entitled to put either Grand Cru or Premier Cru on the label. This explains why you won't find these words on the label of any of the well known brands - they all contain some Pinot Meunier.
If you ever get to try a still wine made from Pinot Meunier or a champagne made entirely with Pinot Meunier, you'd immediately notice it's main characteristic - it has very little finish in the mouth. You take a sip and one moment you taste a fresh fruity flavour and all of a sudden it's gone.
So how come Pinot Meunier is used at all in champagne?
Well, as a matter of fact Pinot Meunier has a lot of positives for a champagne maker:
A ) Pinot Meunier buds slightly after the other two varieties so it is less at risk from damage by late Spring frost than the other two grapes. This is a huge consideration in Champagne where frost in early or late April can wipe out the crop. In 2003 the Chardonnay vineyards (this is the earliest grape variety to bud) were particularly badly affected by frost with as much as 85 % of the vines ruined in some areas.
B) It only needs 24 months ageing, or thereabouts, to reach its peak, whilst the other two varieties need many more years to reach their full expression - this is why most older, vintage, champagnes have little, or no, Pinot Meunier in the blend - there's no point since the Pinot Meunier would be past its best while the other two grapes were still relative youngsters..
C ) Most champagne makers would tell you that Pinot Meunier plays an important role in blending because what it does is bring together the other two varieties. What it also does is add freshness and fruitiness and makes a champagne pleasant and easy to drink.
Some people find it helpful to think of a ladder, with the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir being the two uprights whilst the Pinot Meunier provides the rungs without which the other two would fall apart.
This can be a useful way to picture Pinot Meunier and, there are a couple of other things that drive the use of Pinot Meunier, both purely commercial.
D ) In total Pinot Meunier accounts for about 37 % of the vines planted in Champagne. The majority of Pinot Meunier vineyards are found in the Valle de la Marne where the richer soil and the higher risk of frost are bad news for the other two grape varieties. So, when you're making tens of millions of bottles every year like Mot & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and other big names it's simply not possible to rely just on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - there are not enough of them.
E ) It makes good commercial sense to use Pinot Meunier: it generally costs less per kilo to buy Pinot Meunier and it needs less ageing; both these factors reduce costs and / or push up profits according to which way you look at it.
All this goes to show what I'm always going on about: when you're choosing champagne you really need to know what blend of grapes has been used.
If there's a lot of Pinot Meunier - anything over 25% let's say - then it's likely that the champagne has been aged for a fairly short time and may not have much of a finish. Mind you it will probably be scrumptiously fruity.
As regards price,as a rule you shouldn't expect to pay over the odds for a champagne of this style.
