Glossary
Assemblage
The blending of base wines — from different villages, grape varieties, and sometimes different vintages — into the cuvée that will undergo second fermentation.
Assemblage is the central craft decision in champagne production. After the base wines finish their first fermentation, the cellar team tastes each parcel individually and composes the blend that will define the finished cuvée.
For non-vintage cuvées, a meaningful share of the blend — sometimes 30–50% — is drawn from reserve wines of earlier years, giving the house its signature consistency across harvests. Vintage cuvées use only base wines from the declared year but still involve fine assemblage across villages and grapes.
Related terms