Champagne, chardonnay, Champag...
Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
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Pol Roger Winston Churchill 2015The 2015 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill shows off the savory side of the vintage to great effect. Hints of dried pear, sage, mint, dried flowers, lemon oil and chamomile open gradually in this mid-weight, lithe edition of Pol Roger's tête de cuvée. The 2015 unfolds nicely with time in the glass, but I wouldn't think of opening a bottle anytime soon. Readers will find a nervy Winston Churchill marked by notable freshness and vigor more than size. This is a fine effort in a vintage that has proven to be far trickier than most observers originally envisioned. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged September 2022. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
A strong effort in a less-acclaimed vintage, Pol Roger's newly released 2015 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill opens in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, ripe orchard fruits and dried white flowers mingled with hints of honeycomb, freshly baked bread and anise. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and concentrated, with bright acids, chalky structuring extract and a pinpoint mousse, this inherently rather rich, gastronomic Champagne is quite tightly wound out of the gates and will reward a bit of bottle age. Stylistically, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day version of the 1985. (94+) WILLIAM KELLEY, The Wine Advocate
Subtle and restrained pastry nuances with a hint of mushroom. Lots of seriousness and generosity of fruit but in a more restrained, quiet style. Gentle autolysis with mellow apple flesh and some earthiness, bright and classic. Elegant, with reserve wine complexity. Brisk on the finish with a nougat edge. Great stuff. DECANTER2015ChampagneFrance376$550.00 As low as $495.00 -
Henri Giraud Grand Cru MV18The MV 18 is a classic Giraud Champagne. Apricot jam, tangerine peel, spice, honey and hazelnut give this mid-weight, classy Champagne tons of complexity and nuance. Readers will find a Champagne of notable purity and finesse. There's plenty of Giraud intensity, but in a mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. The blend is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, all from Aÿ, based on 2018, with a blend of reserve wines that span vintages 1990 through 2017. Disgorged: November 14, 2022. ANTONIO GALLONI
This is the bottled essence of Henri Giraud, with the unmissable stamp of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Child of the ripe, voluminous yet fine 2018 vintage, this is replenished with wine from the house's famous perpetual reserve, created in 1990, and is loaded with promise. On the nose, the generous and bold fruitiness is seamlessly integrated into the soft, smoky oaky tones. Dried apricots and sweet nectarines meet exotic spices and candied orange. The concentration does not amount to too much on the pulpy-juicy palate. Prickly bubbles bring a notion of vibrancy and freshness to the rich whole. ESSI AVELLAM MWChampagneFrance376$575.00 As low as $517.50 -
Andre Clouet Clos de Bouzy 2012 1500mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2012ChampagneFrance376$645.00 As low as $580.50 -
Armand de Brignac Gold NVTasted from magnum (the 750-milliliter bottle costs $285), the NV Brut (Gold) opens with lovely matured brioche, toast and ripe fruit flavors. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, with beautifully matured flavors and an elegant creaminess I don't find in the other cuvées, the "Gold" is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine reveals good grip and mineral tension and drinks well as an aperitif or with seafood and fish. Stephan Reinhardt, THE WINE ADVOCATENVChampagneFrance376$695.00 As low as $625.50 -
Krug Vintage 2011More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2011ChampagneFrance376$815.00 As low as $733.50 -
Egly Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Crayeres NVA blend of the 2016 and 2015 vintages, the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères is an especially good rendition of this almost routinely sublime bottling. Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, wild berries, clear honey, white flowers, praline and freshly baked bread, it's medium to full-bodied, beautifully layered and textural, with a taut, concentrated core, racy acids and a long, mineral finish. This chiseled, intensely flavored Champagne was disgorged this year with only one gram per liter dosage. 98+ WILLIAM KELLEY, the wine advocateNVChampagneFrance376$870.00 As low as $783.00 -
Louis Roederer Cristal Rose 2013More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2014ChampagneFrance376$1,160.00 As low as $1,044.00 -
Billecart Salmon Le Clos Saint Hilaire 2005More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2005ChampagneFrance376$1,360.00 As low as $1,224.00 -
Suenen Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut NV 3000mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
NVChampagneFrance376$1,410.00 As low as $1,269.00