Disgorgement timing may influence dosage options; which statement is true?

• A. Earlier disgorgement requires no dosage
• B. Later disgorgement may influence dosage options
• C. Dosage is fixed by tradition
• D. Disgorgement timing has no effect on dosage

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that dosage is chosen to balance sweetness with the wine’s acidity and overall style, and disgorgement timing changes that balance. When a bottle is disgorged later, the wine often spends more time aging on the lees, developing autolytic flavors and sometimes softening perceived acidity. That shift in balance means the same target style (for example, Brut versus Extra Brut) can be achieved with a different amount of dosage, or with a dosage level that wouldn’t have been appropriate if disgorgement had happened earlier. So later disgorgement can influence which dosage options will work best.

Some wines can be zero dosage, but that outcome is driven by the wine’s balance and intended style rather than a rule about early disgorgement. Dosage is not fixed by tradition, and the timing of disgorgement does have an effect on what dosage makes sense.