Q&A: Eric Lebel
The Krug chef de caves describes finding his Holy Grail and explains why the flute is not perfect for champagne
"There has been a change in the mentality of other regions. They now understand champagne is not a wine that you macerate [soften by soaking]; it's a wine of blending. You blend from different parcels; whereas the backbone of other regions is terroir and one single vine. Some people are jealous because we are a very rich region."
"The art is in the blending. This is based on intuition. You have to foresee 10, 12, 15 years ahead for each collection, and it's all based on experience. This is the artist side, like an orchestra conductor. Then there's the doctor side, with the analytical controls of acidity and sugar. You have to understand the biological, chemical and physical background. There is a lot of science but, without the artistic side, it wouldn't have any soul."
"It's a misconception that champagne should be served in flute glasses, although that might be fine for very young and delicate champagnes, where you need to hide the bitterness and the lack of aroma. Instead of a flute, you should put champagne in a white wine glass. You need to be able to express the generosity of the champagne. It's a waste to over chill it and put it in a flute; you might as well drink sparkling water."
"Yes, it is getting warmer, and that has led to pathologies and diseases that have not been seen in Champagne before, but more in Burgundy, now coming north. Over the past 10 years, harvest days have advanced by two days on average. [The changes] make you more cautious about acidity and maturation levels. They make you pay more attention to details but don't change the process."
"On the one hand I am very happy to see people celebrate with champagne. On the other, I feel a little unhappy … it was made for drinking."
Andrew Sun
