Late-disgorged (récemment dégorgé)

What the term describes

After the second fermentation, a bottle of traditional-method wine rests on its lees until it is disgorged (see ageing on lees). A late-disgorged wine stays on its lees for an extended period before disgorgement. The Union des Maisons de Champagne notes that some large houses keep older vintages lying on their sides (sur lattes) and disgorge them only at the last moment.¹

No legal definition

The AOC Champagne specification contains no rule on "récemment dégorgé" or "late-disgorged".² The term does not guarantee any length of time on lees. The only fixed limit is the general one: in Champagne, disgorgement cannot take place before 12 months after tirage.²

Reading the label

The date of disgorgement is an optional label item, often printed on the back label.³ When it is there, together with a vintage or a tirage date, it shows how long the wine spent on its lees. When it is missing, the words late-disgorged alone do not tell you.

After disgorgement the bottle receives its dosage and is usually rested before shipping; see post-disgorgement rest.