Last time we learned that the word ‘Cuvée’ means a blend. And, with Champagne it’s not only made from a blend of grapes but most often it is also a blend of wines made in different years. Therefore, these are non-vintage (NV) dated Champagnes.
By blending wines from different years, the winemaker is given the flexibility to make a more consistent wine from year to year. This significantly helps to smooth out any issues that are caused by the weather during any one particular growing season.
Non-vintage wines aren’t lesser wines at all, and it’s a common practice to do multi-year blends. The blended vintages ensure that your favorite bottle of Champagne will usually taste the same from year to year.
Champagnes that are vintage dated are rarer and generally finer bottles. So, if you’re a really big fan of Champagne, splurge sometime on a vintage dated bottle. Otherwise, you can rest assured that your next bottle of your favorite non-vintage Champagne will be just as good as the last one. Cheers!