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Wine-Searcher: The World's Most Wanted Champagne

When it comes to Champagne, too much is never enough.

It may be edging into winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but the Northern Hemisphere is heading towards the balmy halcyon days of summer, and what better way to celebrate than with a glass of prime French fizz?

And by fizz, we mean Champagne, of course, the world's favorite sparkling wine. This year's most wanted are all the usual suspects from Dom Pérignon through to Krug with some Bollinger along the way.

First up is the ever-solid Dom Pérignon Brut with an aggregated critic score of 94 points. The Champagne has become the ultimate luxury item with its origins dating back to the experiments of the Benedictine monk, Pierre Pérignon, whose often cited as having invented the traditional Champagne winemaking process.

Falstaff described the 2013 vintage during a recent 2023 tasting as "chartreuse yellow with a refined, persistent mousse. Refined roasted aromas, fresh peach, white nougat, lime zest, candied grapefruit zest and green apple in the background … with a mineral core … an emphatically lively vintage."

However, all this rapturous praise doesn't come cheap – it costs a cool USD 286.

Second on the list is another classic – the Louis Roederer Cristal Millésime Brut. The wine is aged for six years on yeast and then spends a further eight months in bottle. All that effort has paid off, garnering the wine an extremely impressive aggregated critic score of 95 points.

Wine Enthusiast described the 2015 vintage during a 2023 tasting as "beautiful as ever. Textured, with a mineral undertow, the wine is just beginning to soften and show a balanced maturity." However, beauty comes at a price – USD 368.

In third place is another famous name, Krug with the Vintage Brut with a stunning aggregated score of 96 points. The 2008 vintage, in particular, received particular acclaim garnering 97 points from Wine Enthusiast.

They said: "2008 was a great year in Champagne and that shows in this intense, still amazingly young wine. Freshness works with the richness to give concentration, density and the sure-fire possibility of long-term aging."

Of the 2016, Falstaff gave a hearty 95 points stating: "Black fruit and smoke are immediately apparent on the nose, with air, hints of tobacco and vanilla appear … This has evolved enough to let the nuances of fruit unfold on a poised, elegant body."

However, whatever the vintage, all this elegance comes at the serious price of USD 609 – hey, you want excellence!

The World's Most Wanted Champagnes on Wine-Searcher:

 

In fourth place is the Salon Cuvée S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, the second most highly rated Blanc de Blancs on Wine-Searcher – their 2013 vintage was given a score of 98 by the Wine Independent.

However, the 2012 scored even higher with Wine Enthusiast rating it 99, saying "this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right."

However, "so right" also comes with a USD 1,416 price tag.

Number five is the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, which has an aggregated critic score of 94 points. Our very own MW, David Allen described the 2000 vintage as "the apotheosis of vinous elegance … a fine, lean, poised, mineral-style Champagne. The wine has a soft, fine, persistent mousse and crisp lemony acidity … The finish is exceptionally long and very clean," and, at USD 221, it is one of the most reasonably priced on this list.

Sixth is the Dom Pérignon Rosé, the only rosé to make it onto this list. It is also one of the highest scoring of its style listed on Wine-Searcher. According to Andreas Larsson – who tasted the 2008 vintage, scoring it a 98 – the wine has a "bright rosé color with a copper hue and fine stream of small bubbles. Lovely intensity and perfume … aromas of wild raspberry, apricot, peach, ginger and pain d'épices with chalky hints and roasted hazelnut."

Falstaff then scored the 2009 vintage a 97, describing it as "bright light orange, shaded to soft cherry pink … fine toasted caramel, raspberry confit, fresh cherries, a hint of navette oranges, underpinned by white flowers." A plush cornucopia of flavor indeed, all for USD 450.

Number seven is the Dom Pérignon P2 Plénitude Brut, which is the second release of a Dom Pérignon vintage, 10 years after the first release, making it a Champagne of some significance.

The wine has an aggregated critic score of 95 points and the 2004 vintage was rated 98 by Falstaff, who said the Champagne has "dark minerality, initially limes, a hint of bitter oranges, fine roasted aromas, nuances of coffee, ripe figs, some blossom honey, incredibly multi-faceted bouquet that develops well with air. Complex, finely-meshed … completely convincing." However, at USD 521 a pop, it'll take convincing to dig that deep.

Lucky number eight is the first of the Bollingers, their La Grande Année Brut with a grand aggregated critic score of 94 points. Noting the 2014 vintage, Wine Enthusiast said "with the hallmark Bollinger richness that is derived from fermentation in wood and a high percentage of Pinot Noir in the blend, this grand wine is ripe, full of apple and spice flavors".

It is also among the more reasonably priced, coming in at the comparatively affordable USD 179 per bottle – not bad, considering it's one of the Champagne greats.

Number nine is the second of the Bollingers, the Bollinger RD Extra Brut which, with an aggregated score of 95 points, has been rated the best available Champagne Extra Brut wine.

Regarding the 2007, Wine Enthusiast – who scored it 98 – said: "RD, or Recently Disgorged, is a Bollinger hallmark. This wine has stayed on its lees for many years before release, giving it intensity, maturity and great depth. The wine is powerful, concentrated and elegant."

However, more expensive then its stablemate, the RD comes in at a not insignificant USD 319.

Last – but absolutely not least – is the king of Champagne – it currently ranks as the best on Wine-Searcher and the most expensive on this list by a good arm and leg. Introducing the Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, which scores an impressive aggregate of 96 points.

Regarding the 2002 vintage, Doctorwine scored it 97, describing it as "intense and profound, with notes of honey brioche, star anise and a slight exotic vein that softens the tension on the palate. Precision and purity, joyful contrasts that appear in generous splendor inside a crystal bud of pleasure." However, this crystal bud of pleasure will set you back an ice-cool USD 2,123.

So this year's most wanted Champagne range from an almost acceptable USD 179 to the somewhat intense USD 2,123, so for those with a taste of fizz, there's something for every pocket.

Source: Wine-Searcher

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