Drappier Carte d'Or Salmanazar

Drappier Carte d'Or Salmanazar is the signature cuvée of Maison Drappier, here in salmanazar: a Pinot Noir-led champagne, almost a Blanc de Noirs, born on the Kimmeridgian limestone of Urville.

The blend combines 80% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay and 5% Meunier, with around 40% reserve wines that ensure depth and consistency. The grapes are gently pressed, vinified by gravity, without filtration and with very little sulphur, for a vinous, fruity, low-dosage champagne. The salmanazar holds 9 litres, the equivalent of twelve bottles, and comes in a wooden case. Large formats age the wine more slowly and more harmoniously, and this extraordinary bottle is perfect for big celebrations, weddings and receptions.

Key facts

• Origin: France, Champagne, Côte des Bar, Urville
• Producer: Champagne Drappier
• Grapes: Pinot Noir 80%, Chardonnay 15%, Meunier 5%
• Dosage: low, around 5 to 6 g/L according to the house's technical sheets
• Ageing: 40% reserve wines, a small portion aged in oak
• Size: 900 cl (salmanazar, 9 L), in a wooden case

Tasting notes

• Colour: Deep gold with coppery glints
• Nose: Stone fruit, vine peach, citrus, spicy touch
• Palate: Powerful and complex, vinous, characteristic note of quince jelly

Serving and storage

Serve it at around 7 to 8 °C, after several hours in a large tub of water and ice. Store it lying down in its wooden case, in a cool cellar away from light, until the day of the celebration.

Food pairing

As an aperitif, with gougères, roast poultry, firm-fleshed fish, a festive buffet or a Chaource, the cheese of the Côte des Bar.

Further reading

Read the different types of champagne and the specifics of large bottles. Also discover how to choose a wine for a special occasion and why champagne is a Christmas tradition. Find more cuvées in our magnums and large formats selection and our gift ideas selection. Discover all of Maison Drappier in our Drappier collection.

Frequently asked questions

How many people does a salmanazar serve?

A 9-litre salmanazar serves about sixty to seventy glasses. Plan a large tub of ice and water a few hours before serving, and two people to serve it given its weight.

Who is Maison Drappier?

Founded in 1808 in Urville, in the Côte des Bar, Maison Drappier is a family house now run by Michel Drappier and his children. A recognised Pinot Noir specialist, it grows its vines on the Kimmeridgian limestone of the Aube and ages its wines in 12th-century Cistercian cellars.

How is this large format shipped?

Delivery is free in France for orders from €300. Every large format is carefully packed, in its wooden case, and sent with tracking.