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.
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...
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.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points: The latest release of Palmer's emblematic NV Blanc de Blancs Brut is showing very well, bursting from the glass with gently reductive aromas of crisp orchard fruit, toasted bread, nectarine and iodine. Medium to...
Wine Spectator, 92 points: Baked cherry and strawberry fruit flavors are ripe and juicy in this bright rosé, underscored by minerally smoke and chalk accents. Hints of candied orange peel, dried thyme and ground ginger play on the fruit range and...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is drinking very well out of the gates, offering up aromas of crisp orchard fruit and citrus zest mingled with hints of fresh bread and wet stones. Medium to...
Decanter, 95 points: The most subtle lemony cloud hovers above a certain chalkiness on the nose. Utter subtlety also characterises the super-svelte palate that is as light as a feather, yet conveys great depth and creamy softness. The...
Decanter, 93 points: Delicate nose with hints of white flower and salty sea air. Subtle and elegant with a lovely balance of acidity and lemony, apply flavours. Firm mousse with touch of smoke on the palate. (Drink between 2021-2025)
View From The Cellar, 91 points: The current bottle of Delamotte non-vintage Brut in the market has a cépages of fifty-five percent chardonnay, thirty-five percent pinot noir and ten percent pinot meunier. It offers up a refined bouquet of apple chalky...
Vinous, 95 points: The NV (2016) Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée is a classy, gorgeous wine. Bright, sculpted and finely chiseled, the 2016 has so much to offer. Chalk, mint, white pepper and crushed rocks perk up the red berry fruit. Sweet...
Vinous, 92 points: The NV Brut Heri Hodie 1er Cru is soft, open-knit and quite expressive, much of that coming from the 50% solera-style blend that informs this cuvée. Orange peel, lemon confit, hazelnut, exotic floral notes and a touch of...
Vinous, 96 points: The MV Rosé Fût de Chêne shows all of the richness and gamy intensity of Pinot Noir with a few years of age, along with the added complexity of 30% reserve wines that round out the blend. Rich and vinous in the glass...
Vinous, 94 points: The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru sizzles with tension and energy. Chalk and limestone soils in the villages of Vertus, Cramant and Oger give birth to a Champagne endowed with so much vibrancy. Citrus...
Decanter, 97 points: Decanter World Wine Awards 2020. Lovely smoky brioche intensity on the nose. In the mouth it begins with cream, moving on to lemon meringue, then opens up further to lively acidity. Very complex, intense and...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: Darker color. Lots of fruit and a creamy texture with cooked apples and cherries and strawberry undertones. Medium to full body. Delicious finish that is dry and fruity. Spicy. White pepper. Young strawberry at the end...
Wine Spectator, 91 points: A crisp and minerally Champagne, with well-cut acidity and a lightly chalky texture that frames flavors of crunchy pear and lemon sorbet with accents of oyster shell, pickled ginger and toasted brioche. Pinot Noir...
Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points: An uncommon blend of 40% pinot meunier and 30% each of pinot noir and chardonnay, with 40% reserve wines, fermented in a mix of tank and use of aged oak barrels. Deliberate choice of meunier is the key to its drink any...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points: (92+ points) Based on the 2015 vintage, the latest release of Paillard's NV Extra-Brut Première Cuvée was disgorged in August 2019. Opening in the glass with delicate aromas of pear, crisp orchard fruit, brioche, white...
Vinous, 92 points: The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style...
jamessuckling.com, 91 points: This offers fresh and attractive fruit aromas with a gently flinty, white-peach and white-flower fragrance on offer. The palate has an attractive, fresh and crisp feel with creamy, crispy texture at the finish. Good NV...
Wine & Spirits, 95 points: This is a study in chardonnay, the variety stripped of any flattering accoutrements and presented as a pure, dynamic wine. It earns its power from grand cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, and it includes reserve wines...
Wine Enthusiast, 90 points: A blend of Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs, this is still young, with a soft fruitiness that contrasts with the mineral texture. Its acidity is cushioned by the relatively high dosage. Drink...
jamessuckling.com, 94 points: A dense Champagne with a tight and linear structure. Compressed and very pretty. Hints of nuts and cream with some pie crust. Some nougat, too. Very long and flavorful. It’s one for a meal. One third of pinot meunier...
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