[Interview] "A Perfect Gastronomic Champagne for Food Pairing... The Secret Lies in Delicate Bubbles"

Softness Created by Low Pressure and Long Aging...
Elevating the Gastronomic Experience to the Extreme
Synergy Between Man and Nature
Crafted by a Native of Champagne
Champagne as 'L'Art de Vivre'
The Art of Living Embodied in Methode Champenoise

"It offers greater sensory pleasure through visually more beautiful and gustatorily softer bubbles."

Cedric Thiebault, cellar master of the French champagne house Besserat de Bellefon, described his champagne in this way during an interview with Asia Economy on May 23. He explained that by reducing the pressure, the fine and light bubbles pair well with any type of food.

Thiebault emphasized, "We focus on creating a silky-smooth texture so that it can naturally harmonize with any food, anytime, anywhere," adding, "If you are looking for a champagne that complements gastronomy, Besserat de Bellefon could be the answer."

Cedric Thiebault, cellar master of Besserat de Bellefon, who conducted an interview with Asia Economy.

Softness Crafted by Low Pressure and Long Aging... Taking the Gastronomic Experience to the Extreme

Besserat de Bellefon (Maison Besserat de Bellefon) is a high-end champagne house founded in 1843 by Edmond Besserat in Epernay, Champagne, producing only Grand Cru and Premier Cru. Currently, it is served at 170 Michelin-starred restaurants in France and 40 abroad, as well as at the Louvre and Orsay Museums in Paris, the Saint-Tropez sailing regatta, and as the official champagne of the Elysee Palace.

Besserat de Bellefon is especially renowned as a 'Gastronomic Champagne'?a champagne for fine dining. This reputation stems from the fact that Besserat de Bellefon was created from the outset with food pairing in mind. In 1930, Edmond's grandson Victor Besserat was commissioned by the famous Parisian restaurant La Samaritaine de Luxe to create a champagne that could be paired with any meal.

Thiebault explained, "Although it was a demanding request, Victor created 'Cuvee des Moines,' which retains its fresh aroma by not undergoing malolactic fermentation. From the moment it is poured into a flute, it displays a surface covered with fine, delicate bubbles. This established the house's signature soft texture, a style that has continued for nearly a century."

Underground cellar view of Besserat de Bellefon.

He summarized the house style in three words: Elegance, Finesse, and Freshness. Among these, the most important feature is the delicate bubbles at 4.5 atmospheres?about 30% lower than the typical 6 atmospheres of regular champagne. He explained, "By using low-pressure bubbling, the bubbles are fine and dense, creating a creamy texture in the mouth. This light, enveloping sensation maximizes harmony with food, satisfying gourmets and earning the house its reputation."

Another distinguishing factor is that the house does not perform malolactic fermentation, in order to best express the grape's fresh and distinct characteristics. This preserves a clean and fresh taste and aroma while compensating for the lower acidity of carbonation. He said, "While skipping malolactic fermentation ensures freshness, if not managed properly, it can result in sharpness. To address this, we age the champagne for a long time. Whereas typical champagnes undergo about 15 months of bottle aging, we age ours for at least three years to maintain the balance of flavor and texture."

The flagship product of the house is 'Besserat de Bellefon Bleu Brut,' which accounts for about half of total sales. This champagne is a blend of 45% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, and 25% Pinot Noir, and despite being an entry-level wine, it contains over 30% reserve wine aged for more than 20 years. Thiebault noted, "This product blends more than 14 vintages, allowing you to experience waves that break finely in the mouth."

Besserat de Bellefon's flagship product 'Besserat de Bellefon Blue Brut Champagne'

Synergy Between Man and Nature Crafted by a Native of Champagne

Thiebault is a native of Champagne, born in the Cote des Blancs. For him, vineyards and champagne were a natural part of life. He said, "Growing up in an environment where champagne was so common, I didn't think much of it as a child. But as I grew older, I realized our region created something special, and I came to feel grateful and proud of that fact."

He did not dream of becoming a winemaker from the start. He explained, "With curiosity, respect, and awe for agriculture, I came to believe that growing grapes and making wine would be a way to create synergy with nature, which led me down this path."

He completed his studies in oenology at a university in Reims and first entered the industry at Besserat de Bellefon in 1999. Starting as a quality control researcher, he became cellar master in 2006 and has overseen wine production at Besserat de Bellefon for 20 years. He explained, "The role of the cellar master, or 'Chef de Cave,' is to maintain and manage the house's unique style and characteristics. This includes not only winemaking and blending based on research for quality improvement but also overall management of the vineyards."

A scene of performing Remuage (the process of rotating bottles to collect sediment) at Bessera de Belpont.

Thiebault defines champagne as 'L'Art de Vivre'?the Art of Living. He explained that the French attitude toward life and their way of living are embodied in champagne through the craft of winemaking.

Champagne is a sparkling wine made with the most painstaking methods. It begins with creating base wines from each grape variety, which are then blended in the assemblage process. The blended wine is bottled individually, and a mixture of yeast and sugar is added for tirage, initiating secondary fermentation. This is followed by complex processes such as remuage (rotating bottles to collect sediment), degorgement (removal of sediment), and dosage (final adjustment).

While sparkling wine is produced worldwide, only wines made in France's Champagne region using the Methode Champenoise can be called champagne. He emphasized, "The motto 'the art of living' is fully embodied in the unique production process known as Methode Champenoise."

Vineyard view of Besserat de Bellefon.