Disgorgement

À la glace

The neck of the bottle is plunged into a freezing solution, which forms an ice plug about 4 cm long that traps the sediment. When the bottle is opened, the pressure pushes the plug out.^1,2 The two Champagne bodies give different brine temperatures: about -27 °C for the Comité Champagne, about -25 °C for the UMC.^1,2 Mechanised lines disgorge 2,000 to 18,000 bottles an hour.²

À la volée

The bottle is held at an angle and opened by hand, and the pressure ejects the sediment without freezing.^1,2 It is still used for large bottles and certain special cuvées. A skilled disgorger averages about 400 bottles a day this way.²

Rules

• EU: the traditional method terms require the wine to be separated from its lees by disgorging.⁵ A wine filtered off its lees instead belongs to the transfer method.
• Champagne: disgorgement not earlier than 12 months after tirage (INAO drafts under national opposition).^3,4
• Trento DOC: riddling and disgorging required.⁶

Next

Then the bottle receives its dosage and is closed with a cork and wire cage. Before disgorgement comes riddling.