Vintage (millésime)

Wine from one stated harvest year

A vintage (millésimé) sparkling wine is made from a single stated harvest year: EU law requires at least 85% of the grapes from that year, and for Champagne the DGCCRF states 100%.1,2 Vintage Champagne may not be sold before 36 months from tirage.3

The EU rule

Under Article 49(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/33, a sparkling wine may show a harvest year only if at least 85% of the grapes were harvested in that year.1 Quantities used for sweetening, for the expedition liqueur or for the tirage liqueur are left out of the calculation.1 See EU labelling for the other label rules.

Champagne

Champagne is stricter. The DGCCRF states that for a Champagne labelled with a vintage, 100% of the grapes must come from the indicated harvest.2 Reserve wines are excluded, and base wines placed in reserve cannot later carry a vintage.3 The year appears on the cork as well as on the label.5

Three time limits apply in Champagne, all counted from tirage:

RuleMinimum
Disgorgement, any Champagne12 months
Sale of non-vintage Champagne15 months
Sale of vintage Champagne36 months

Sources: AOC Champagne specification and Comité Champagne.3,4 See legal minimum ageing for other appellations.

Other appellations

WineVintage rule
Franciacorta MillesimatoAt least 85% of the year; 30 months on lees
Trento DOC millesimatoAt least 24 months on lees
Alta LangaVintage mandatory; at least 30 months
Cava de Paraje CalificadoMust be single-vintage

Sources: Franciacorta,6 Trento,7 Alta Langa,8 Cava.9 The Italian word is millesimato.

A wine blended from several years is non-vintage on the label, even when the producer calls it multi-vintage.

See also

Non-vintage (sans année)StylesMulti-vintageStylesMinimum ageing by appellationMethodsLabel terms in EU lawMethodsvintage yearGlossaryVin de réserveGlossaryChampagneRegions

Sources

  1. legislation.gov.uk (copy of EU OJ text). Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Article 49 (vintage year), original version as adopted (2018-10-17)
  2. DGCCRF (Ministère de l'Économie). Champagne : connaître le langage des étiquettes (2025-12-16)
  3. Cahier des charges de l'AOP « Champagne » - modifications approved by the INAO national committee on 11 September 2024 (national opposition procedure text) (2024-09-11)
  4. Comité Champagne / champagne.education. Principales dispositions du cahier des charges de l'AOC Champagne (fiche) (2026-08)
  5. Cahier des charges de l'AOC Champagne (homologated by arrêté of 30 Nov 2022; draft modification after INAO committee of 7 Sept 2023) (2023-09-07)
  6. Associazione Italiana Sommelier (reproduction of the official disciplinare). Disciplinare di produzione della DOCG Franciacorta (text as amended by DM 7.05.2024, GU n. 114 of 17.05.2024), reproduced by AIS (2024-05-17)
  7. Camera di Commercio di Trento. Disciplinare di produzione DOC Trento (modificato con DM 30.11.2011) (2011-11-30)
  8. Regione Piemonte. Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Alta Langa (modificato con DM 13.10.2014) (2014-10-13)
  9. Consejo Regulador DO Cava. Cava de Paraje Calificado

Facts checked on 2026-10-19