Écume in magnum: two Champagnes for the festive table

Part of the STELT selection: every Thursday, a producer or a theme, with bottles available at our wine shop. We’re starting with Écume and its two Champagne magnums, the Blanc de Chardonnay and the Blanc de Pinot Noir. They are two non-dosage wines, each made from a single grape variety, in a format suited to tables with many guests, such as those at holiday celebrations.

Écume, a micro-négociant from Fleury-la-Rivière

Écume is a micro-négociant, a small house that works with grapes bought from others. L'aunched in 2024 by Jean-François Gamet as a personal project, alongside his work at Champagne Gamet. The wines are made in a small, old cellar in the upper part of Fleury-la-Rivière, a village in the Vallée de la Marne.

The grapes come from young winegrowers in Champagne whom Jean-François Gamet knows personally. Écume buys only from those who cultivate their vines using organic methods, but the wines are not certified organic. The same rules apply to all wines in the cellar:

• fermentation in barrels or glass demijohns, with indigenous yeasts;
• malolactic fermentation throughout;
• very little sulfur dioxide;
• no fining or filtration;
• zero dosage, so the wines are Brut Nature.

All the Écume bottles we have are in the Écume collection.

The Blanc de Chardonnay, from Mardeuil

The Blanc de Chardonnay is made entirely from Chardonnay, so it is a Blanc de Blancs; the American importer calls it “Les Autres Crus.” It comes from the lieu-dit “Chapotte,” in the village of Mardeuil: a north-facing vineyard at the top of the hill, in a small, windy hollow. The soil is rich in clay and lies over limestone bedrock. Mardeuil is a very cold village, with vineyards facing north or west. The wine ferments and ages in old barrels and spends 18 months on the lees.

According to the Comité Champagne, Blanc de Blancs are light, bright, and fresh wines, in which finesse is paramount. We have the Écume Blanc de Chardonnay magnum and also the 0.75-liter bottle of Blanc de Chardonnay.

The Blanc de Pinot Noir, from Chamery

The Blanc de Pinot Noir is made entirely from Pinot Noir, making it a Blanc de Noirs: a white wine made only from black grapes. The grapes come from two lieux-dits in Chamery, “La Pucelle” and “Les Gillis.” Chamery is a premier cru village in the Petite Montagne. The vineyards face northeast, on sandy clay and limestone, with little topsoil. In Chamery, the slopes reach almost 200 meters. This wine, too, ferments and ages in old barrels and spends 18 months on the lees.

According to the Comité Champagne, Blanc de Noirs give an impression of power, density, and structure, and are usually fuller-bodied than wines made from white grapes. We have the Écume Blanc de Pinot Noir magnum and also the 0.75-liter bottle of Blanc de Pinot Noir.

Why bottle size matters

A magnum holds 1.5 liters, the same as two bottles. In Champagne, the second fermentation, which creates the bubbles, takes place in the bottle that is later sold: the wine cannot be transferred. A magnum of Champagne, therefore, underwent its prise de mousse and aging on the lees in the very same bottle.

The Comité Champagne writes that bottle size affects how the wine develops, and that a magnum offers the wine better aging conditions than a standard bottle. A common explanation involves air. The air space beneath the cork, in the neck, is similar in a bottle and a magnum, but a magnum holds twice as much wine. During aging, the Comité explains, tiny amounts of oxygen enter the bottle and some carbon dioxide escapes: this is a slow oxidation process that allows the wine to develop. With less air per liter of wine, its development is thought to be slower. The glass of a magnum is also thicker and offers better protection from light and temperature fluctuations.

If you want to keep a magnum in your cellar, practical tips can be found in our guide to storing magnums. The other large formats we offer can be found in our large formats collection.

Twelve glasses for the holiday table

The Comité Champagne estimates about 240 glasses for the Midas, the largest bottle, at 30 liters: eight glasses per liter. By the same measure, a magnum yields about twelve glasses, enough for a table of six to twelve people. The Comité also presents the magnum as a good gift and a suitable size when entertaining guests.

The two wines can accompany different moments of the holidays. For Blanc de Blancs, the Comité suggests scallop ceviche and recommends them for celebrating the New Year: Blanc de Chardonnay can accompany a fish starter or a New Year's toast. For Blanc de Noirs, the Comité has Christmas Eve in mind, with meat dishes, roasts and stews, and suggests roast suckling pig: Blanc de Pinot Noir can accompany the roasts served at Christmas lunch.

As gifts, the two magnums are included among wine gifts over 150 euros, while the 0.75-liter bottles are among the wines to give as gifts from 60 to 150 euros. We prepare gift wrapping at the wine shop. More ideas are in our guide to Christmas gifts in Lucca.

How to chill and serve it

The Comité Champagne recommends a serving temperature between 8 and 10 degrees: Champagne should be served cool, but not icy. For a bottle, it recommends an ice bucket half-filled with water and ice, 20 to 30 minutes before serving, or a few hours in the lower part of the refrigerator. Never use the freezer.

A magnum contains twice as much wine and has thicker glass, so its temperature changes more slowly: it takes about twice as long to chill in an ice bucket as a bottle. If it starts at room temperature, put it in the refrigerator well in advance, since a bottle already takes about three hours. In the refrigerator, keep it lying down so the wine cools evenly from top to bottom. At the table, keep the ice bucket filled with water and ice, and put the magnum back in between rounds of glasses.

To open it, remove the foil and wire cage while keeping the cork firmly in place, and never point the bottle at anyone. Then slowly turn the bottle, not the cork, and let the cork come out without popping. Pour in two stages: first a little wine, then fill the glass to two-thirds. The Comité recommends a tall, tulip-shaped glass, more suitable than a flute.

At the wine shop in Lucca

Écume magnums and bottles can be ordered on the website or at the wine shop at Via Borgo Giannotti 305 in Lucca, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. without a break. In-store pickup is free, and delivery is free within 25 km of Lucca, even for a single bottle. All our holiday ideas are on the Christmas gifts page; all available Champagne is in the Champagne collection.