Champagne is a sparkling wine made from grapes coming from the Champagne region in north-central France. Producers must follow rules requiring the secondary fermentation of the wine in bottle to create the bubbly carbonation. Champagne is a blending of base wines which, ideally, create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. These “base” wines come from an assortment of wines—the Chardonnay white grape and Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for red—from various villages and vineyards.
Two areas in the Champagne region are thought to be best for their superior grapes: the Montagne de Reims, which is perfectly located for producing the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier red grapes, and the Côte des Blancs, whose soils of limestone and chalk are excellent for Chardonnay. The Vallee de la Marne, which lies in a thin band along most of the region and is home to both red and white grapes, is the biggest area other than the Aube district, which lies further to the south.
Each decade, there are only four out of five harvests in the tough climate northeast of Paris that generate the needed ingredients to produce complete and balanced Champagne, vintage-designated, wines. They are, by definition, wines made entirely during the year indicated on the label. Because of this, most Champagnes also blend juice from two and more vintages.
This act of blending vintages is the means Champagnes producers employ to maintain their “house style” and provide their customers with a dependable, and consistent, product. With non-vintage wine accounting for about four out of five bottles of all Champagne produced, it makes sense that the status of most major houses depends on the quality and uniformity of their non-vintage offerings. Lucky for the Champagne-enthusiast, non-vintage bottles are often just as good as their vintage counterparts—and considerably less expensive.
jamessuckling.com, 93 points: Cinnamon and dried nutmeg add to the experience of bread dough and rose petals. Flavorful on the medium-bodied palate and finely poised with bright acidity. Medium-long on the finish. Drink now.
Wine Spectator, 93 points: A rich rosé Champagne, offering seamlessly woven flavors of baked black cherry, candied pink grapefruit peel, brioche and pastry cream. Vibrant acidity and a finely detailed mousse send this dancing across the palate...
jamessuckling.com, 98 points: The best Dom since 2002. A vintage with very restrained, powerful style that has been released non-sequentially after the 2009. This has a lighter stamp of highly curated, autolytic, toasty aromas than many recent...
jamessuckling.com, 99 points: The light rust and amber color is enticing. Aromas of dried rose petals, cinnamon and nutmeg. Hints of dried meat, smoke and sage. Full body and compact, creamy texture. So fine and delicious. Great, subtle and complex...
Vinous, 98 points: The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich, vinous and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In...
Decanter, 97 points: A blend of 65% Pinot Noir consisting of Premier and Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallee de la Marne and 35% Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs. Significantly, this has nine years ageing on its lees...
Decanter, 96 points: This wine has always been a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay since its inception in 1964, honouring the house's co-founder. Like the other founder's cuvées, 5% of the wine is vinified in old oak barrels and it...
jamessuckling.com, 91 points: Plenty of ripe strawberries and wild raspberries on the nose here. Really attractive and vibrant in the mouth with fresh wild strawberries. It also shows a fleshy, fresh-fruit texture. Drink now.
jamessuckling.com, 95 points: A very fine-textured Champagne with lovely density and finesse. The bubbles roll off the palate. Full body. Extremely creamy and flavorful. Shows wonderful finesse and a lovely, chalky, lemon-curd and brioche aftertaste...
jamessuckling.com, 98 points: This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: Fine bubbles combine nicely with the cooked apples, pie crust and lemon rind. Some biscuit, too. Full body. Layered and creamy with a crisp finish. Always delicious. Drink now.
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: Very tangy and energetic with apple and lemon-curd aromas and flavors. Bright and exciting. Tight and full-bodied. Layered and solid. Dried fruit with an electric finish. Zingy is the word. Drink now.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Disgorged in March 2019 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, the newly released 2009 Extra Brut Grand Cru 1522 is showing well, wafting from the glass with an incipiently complex bouquet of waxy citrus rind, fresh peach...
jamessuckling.com, 93 points: A fruity and fresh, tangy rosé with peach and apple aromas and flavors and hints of cream and lemon rind. Subtle and satisfying. Drink now.
Showing 15 of 120 wines
Dear Customer We are having problems processing your request. Please contact our sales office between 9 AM and 5 PM (PST) for further assistance at 1.888.859.4637.
I have recommended JJ Buckley to friends specifically to help build cellars of high quality, long-lived wines, most especially in the form of Bordeaux futures purchases.
-John R., January 2020