Sensory feedback on the 6 editions of the Eminents de Bourgogne (new tasting protocol)
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Description
The Crémant de Bourgogne PDO dates back to 1975, but the history of Burgundy sparkling wines goes back centuries [1]. In order to promote the highest quality cuvées, a hierarchical structure was envisaged. This pyramid-shaped structure coincided with the Institut Agro Dijon's desire to work on an innovative scheme that would emphasise its know-how in sensory sciences while refocusing its expertise on the Crémant de Bourgogne sector. This is how the "Les Eminents de Bourgogne" event came about in 2016, accompanied by the registration of the "Eminent" and "Grand Eminent" collective brands [2]. Crémants de Bourgogne are of course subject to a set of specifications, but the Eminent and Grand Eminent cuvées must meet even more demanding criteria. The minimum ageing period is 24 months for Eminent and 36 months for Grand Eminent. The latter are subject to even stricter conditions: only Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay are authorised, with a more rigorous selection of juices and a minimum alcoholic strength of 10.5%.
To legitimise this segmentation, a scientific system was set up involving a double panel of tasters: around 70 professionals and a hundred occasional consumers. Each wine is tasted at least 24 times using a rigorous methodology [3]. Between 30 and 50 vintages are assessed each time, enabling around 20,000 individual data points to be collected. The study analyses both the holistic sensory appreciation of the two panels and the influence of bottle labelling on consumer judgement, with the aim of understanding how visual, textual and aesthetic elements impact on consumer perception. At the same time, the professionals are carrying out an in-depth analysis of the sensory attributes of the wines. In this way, "Les Eminents de Bourgogne" has established itself as a scientific and oenological benchmark, providing industry players with an invaluable tool for assessing and enhancing the value of their products.
[1] Bazin, J.F. (2015), Le Crémant de Bourgogne : Deux siècles d'effervescence, Dunod
[2] Union des producteurs et des Elaborateurs de Crémant de Bourgogne (UPECB) - https://www.cremantbourgogne.fr/
[3] Næs, T., Brockhoff, P.B., & Tomic, O. (2010). Statistics for Sensory and Consumer Science, Wiley
