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.
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...
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...
View From The Cellar, 95 points: The first vintage of Charles Heidsieck’s Tête de Cuvée Blanc de Blancs was the 1983, and this has been a reference point example of its genre ever since. The 1995 is truly a remarkable wine that I would be happy to...
jamessuckling.com, 99 points: Super fresh, this is striking given the 10 years in the cellars; it has a fine citrus nose - plenty of lemon, grapefruit, yellow chalky notes, some lighter floral elements too. The palate is super dry (dosage at 3-4g) and...
Wine Enthusiast, 92 points: To judge by the cork, this bottling has some age, giving it a toasty as well as fruity character that adds complexity to this baked-apple and citrus-flavored wine. It also means that it needs no further aging and is...
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...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: (#34, Top 100 of 2014) This offers great balance between the freshest fruit and toasty maturity. That poise gives this impressive Champagne a tension, a high wire act that works superbly. It is rich, full of fruit but...
jamessuckling.com, 93 points: Very handy grilled almonds and savory nutty aromas here. This has a wealth of lemon citrus, chalky notes, lemon pith, gentle white pepper and immense freshness - really striking. The palate's smoothly honed with a little...
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...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: For this NV Cuvee Louis Brut Nature, they harvested 50% Chardonnay plus 50% Pinot Noir from a single lieut-dit (Les Crayons) in a single year (1999) and fermented them in barrels, where the wine aged until May 2000 but...
jamessuckling.com, 96 points: A very complex nose here with ripe, deep lemon and grapefruit aromas on offer plus some restrained chalky elements, biscuit, some roasting herbs, hints of pepper, then a little tobacco too. Very complex and full of fresh...
Decanter, 99 points: This vintage has begun to open magnificently since its release, displaying remarkable complexity, yet at every moment clinging to impeccable elegance, coiled focus of malic acid tension and exhilarating chalk mineral...
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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