One of the largest Champagne houses, Lanson, has announced that its "Le Black Label" will become "Le Black Creation" from April 2023, in a move intended to provide more information to customers about the specific blend they are drinking. Each year will bring a new numbered blend, with each bottle displaying a QR code revealing the exact details of the cuvee blend. The numbering will enable consumers to determine the age of the previously "non-vintage" product, whilst the information provided via the QR code will - they hope - help consumers better understand the quality and the prestige of the product. Whilst its a bold move to essentially rebrand a long-established and well-known product, in the age of information it's refreshing to have the option of finding out exactly what it is you're drinking, and it will be interesting to see if other food and beverage providers adopt similar QR technology going forward.
"The cepages [grape varieties] change, and the amount of reserve wine varies from 35-45%, and the vintages going into the reserve wine are different." Such changes are of course in addition to a new base wine for each 'creation', which is the youngest vintage of the blend, and makes up the majority of the cuvée. Van Aal said that the new concept gives the house a reason "to explain much more precisely what happens during the harvest and due to the climate," pointing out that each bottle of Le Black Creation will come with a QR code that can be scanned to reveal the exact details of the brut non-vintage blend.
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