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.
jebdunnuck.com, 93 points: Bollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style...
Decanter, 97 points: An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling...
Wine Spectator, 91 points: A finely balanced and creamy Champagne. Smoky mineral and toast notes on the nose lead to flavors of crunchy white peach and lemon curd, with a green waft of spring blossom on the fresh palate. Drink now through 2021...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: With fruit from the Côte des Blancs, this is a classic, textured, mineral-driven Chardonnay Champagne. Its bottle age gives a toasty edge to the crisp, lively grapefruit and bitter orange flavors. Well balanced, this...
Decanter, 94 points: The nose opens with the fresh ripeness of yellow apple and highlights of Granny Smith. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, deepening into notes of creamy apple crumble, Golden Delicious and Mirabelle plum...
Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: Cellar Selection. The latest vintage release from this producer, this is beautifully balanced with white fruits and touches of citrus paralleled by a tight mineral texture and acidity. It is still young, because vintages...
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.
jamessuckling.com, 91 points: This super, non-vintage cuvée has plenty of lemons and guava on the nose with some flinty reduction. The palate has a richer, sweeter feel and delivers peach and melon flavors, in an accessible mode. Drink now.
Vinous, 98 points: The 2008 Clos des Goisses is just as impressive today as it has always been. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2008 exists in three dimensions, with remarkable textural depth and vertical intensity to burn. Clos des Goisses...
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, 90 points: 90+ The latest release of the NV Rosé Sauvage Brut is, as usual, notably deep and saturated in hue thanks to the significant percentage of red wine in its blend. Unfurling with aromas of red berries, plums and spices...
Decanter, 95 points: A hint of chalk appears even before subtle notes of autolysis become apparent. The slender palate comes with disarming freshness and poise, revealing edges of fresh lemon, subtle patisserie, more chalk and richer hints of...
Decanter, 99 points: And so from P1 methuselah to P2, which for Geoffroy ‘goes beyond Champagne’. P2, he continues, must be ‘deeper, richer, longer…better than P1' - otherwise why release it? Well, they haven't yet, although it's pencilled in...
jamessuckling.com, 97 points: (97 points) A very rich and full-bodied Cristal that harks back to 2006 or 1989 in style. It's round and rich, which underlies the ripeness of the vintage. Lots of dried-apple and pineapple character with bread dough and...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: A creamy and fresh NV with lightly cooked apple, some brioche, lemon rind and a fresh finish. Drink now.
Showing 15 of 88 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.
Quick, easy, and straightforward! Loved it! There were no guessing games, especially regarding the shipping cost.
-Eric R., February 2019
Please, close this tab