In the world of Champagne, it’s estimated that there are less than a dozen hand-riddlers still employed by the great houses, and Champagne Bollinger is one of these very few. In a fascinating feature by Stephanie Cain for National Geographic, we get to take a detailed look at this nearly lost craft and gain a deeper appreciation for everything that goes into these precious wines. With interviews from several of today’s working riddlers, including Florent Michel of Champagne Bollinger, Cain’s piece underscores that while most Champagne houses now rely on automated “gyropalettes,” a very small handful of the finest, most heritage-driven producers still trust the human touch for their rarest cuvées.
The story describes the process in detail, how each bottle is individually examined, rotated, gradually tilted and coaxed over weeks until every trace of the lees settles in the neck, ready for disgorgement. The hands-on remuage and painstaking care follows years of training for these elite cellar workers, and ensures the clarity and quality of top-tier bottlings from Champagne Bollinger. As Michel says in the article: “This commitment to craftsmanship and preservation of a labor-intensive technique underscores Bollinger’s philosophy that, if it’s good for the wine, we do it… [And] there is something very special knowing that I am helping to preserve an almost forgotten, artisanal practice…”
Truly a fascinating read, check it out HERE.
