Brut

While many people will say ‘Brut’ refers to a dry style Champagne, the direct translation is more accurately described as ‘unrefined’ or ‘raw’. In a practical sense, Brut Champagnes taste more dry than sweet as they typically contain sugar levels of less than 15 grams per Litre otherwise known as a 15g/L Dosage. However, dry style (less sweet) Champagnes have gained in popularity over time and now 12 grams per Litre or below is more common.

Brut in a Champagne sense, is best translated as ‘raw’ since very little dosage (additional sugar) is added to Brut Champagnes meaning the wine is in a raw state. Sugar helps mask any deficiencies in the quality of the wine much like when milk is added to black coffee. Back in the early days of Champagne production, the dosage was extremely high (above 100g/L) whereas there has been a trend towards lower and lower dosage Champagnes in a modern sense, especialy in the last few years.

Brut should not be confused with ‘Sec’ which directly translates to ‘dry’ in French and actually contains a higher residual sugar content.

To find out more about Dosage and the different terms that represent expected sugar levels, click the links on this page. They are listed in order from driest (top) to sweetest (bottom).

Related terms

Brut Nature / Zero Dosage / Brut Natural

Extra Brut

Brut

Extra Sec / Extra Dry

Sec

Demi-Sec

Doux