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, 94 points: A subtle nose with plenty of fine autolysis aromas of fresh bread and sweetly fragrant yeasty notes, plus some gentle spice and chalky notes. The palate unleashes beautiful wild strawberry fruit flavors, super fresh...
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, 97 points: 97+ Long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has produced yet another in a string of superb Champagnes with the 2007 Cristal. Rich, powerful and enveloping, the 2007 takes hold of all the senses and never lets up...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Moët’s 40th vintage Rosé, the salmon-colored 2006 Grand Vintage Rosé Brut, assembles 47% Pinot Noir (of which 23% is red wine), 33% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier; it opens with a deep, complex, precise, fresh, elegant and...
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, 97 points: The 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that...
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, 97 points: 97+ The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The NV Cuvée Rosé Brut is 100% Pinot Noir based on 2008 (90%). The color is an intense orange-colored pink and the nose offers beautifully subtle, but also deep, intense flavors of ripe and macerated Pinot Noir and lemon...
Wine Spectator, 97 points: Impeccably balanced and silky, with finely honed acidity shaping the expansive flavors of toasted brioche, crushed blackberry, lemon preserves and honey, revealing hints of Frangelico liqueur and smoked nut. Rich and...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: The nose here is super chalky, showing dried white flowers, sweetly fragrant yeast elements, lemon rind and a little pepper - very pure. The palate has a refined core of quite dry lemon citrus flavor; crunchy, crisp and...
Wine Spectator, 93 points: Rich and smoky on the first impression, yet this harmonious Champagne is elegant overall, with sleek acidity and a minerally underpinning deftly married to flavors of strawberry pâte de fruit, toast, mandarin orange peel...
jamessuckling.com, 90 points: This is a bold style of NV with plenty of deep-set aromatic complexity - think toasted almond, citrus blossom, honey and dried spices. The palate has fleshy depth and drive with bold stone fruit flesh and a rich phenolic...
jamessuckling.com, 99 points: It's striking that is as fresh as it is given the ten years in the cellars. It has a fine citrus nose with plenty of lemons, grapefruit and yellow chalky notes, not to mention some lighter floral elements. The palate is...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: It is the balance that stars with this wine. The fruit, acidity and mineral texture are held together in maturing harmony. Still young, the wine is still in the fruity spectrum and yet is very ready to drink now. The...
Wine Spectator, 95 points: A mouthwatering Champagne, refined and satiny in texture, with a citrusy overtone to the flavors of apricot preserves, toasted hazelnut and brioche, crystallized honey and fleur de sel. Presents a lasting, smoke- and...
Wine Enthusiast, 97 points: Following on from the great 2002 vintage of this wine, the 2004 is equally memorable. It is a magnificent wine, structured and beautifully balanced between the ripe white fruits and the tight texture that will allow it to...
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