The Best Champagne : A Perfect Time To Celebrate
Indulge in the epitome of luxury! These effervescent bubbles have a rich history! Opening a bottle of Champagne is a cherished wish people from all across the world would love to achieve to mark celebrations and memorable moments.
The revered drink coming from the Champagne region of France is a unique blend of grapes, sugar, and yeast to create a complexity of flavors. But all Champagnes are not created equal. There are certain brands that have risen to the top and have earned a reputation as producers of the finest and most sought-after wines across the world.
Some of these elite brands result from generations of winemaking expertise. And only the finest ingredients are utilized for producing these wines. Standards have been set as to what champagne should taste like.
These bottles are considered some of the most treasured in the world. Every detail, right from the selection of grapes to aging, is attentively crafted to create a sumptuous and rememberable drinking experience.
Champagne is more than just a drink! It is ideal for people who appreciate the finer things in life. It symbolizes taste, refinement, and sophistication. Toasting Champagne on a special occasion or simply indulging at the moment adds elegance to an event. So, get set to raise a glass of the most expensive champagne brands. And discover what sets you apart.
There are many Champagne brands to consider while purchasing sparkling wine. An array of Champagne choices can feel mind-boggling for the uninitiated. Why despair, we have compiled a guide to help navigate you through some of the best choices in the market.
Expensive French Champagne Brands
The term ‘Champagne’ most often is used to describe any type of sparkling wine. People are generally talking about a wine that was made using the Méthode Champenoise when they refer to sparkling wine. This wine has only utilized the traditional method of fermentation used in making Champagne. True Champagne, however, is a wine that comes from the designated Champagne wine region in France.
Popular Champagne Brands
There are many popular Champagne brands. And many Champagne producers offer more than one brand of sparkling wine. Although they are made by the same vintner. The branding quite often is different and meets disparate price tags. There also may be a variety of Champagne types like vintage, non-vintage, brut, blanc de blancs, and rosé.
The information here will help you steer through to some of the most popular French Champagne brands.
- AR Lenoble:
This is a moderately-priced yet well-rated champagne brand. AR Lenoble makes both vintage and non-vintage champagnes. A variety of styles put forth by them include brut and Blanc de Blancs. The Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is the one to try. It is made from Chardonnay grapes and is fairly priced at about $35 per bottle.
- Bollinger:
This champagne is now a rarity in France as many brands are crowding under corporate umbrellas. Bollinger, however, has remained family-owned and independent. They offer affordable NV Champagne and premium vintage wines like Vieille Vignes Françaises blanc de noirs.
Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée is the one to try. It tastes of apples and orange blossoms. And yet is moderately affordable at around $80 per bottle. Check it out with your local wine shop to find if it is available for your next special occasion.
- Krug:
It is one of the most revered champagne brands in France. And is considered a premium to have one. Moreover, it can also be quite expensive when you find it. Krug holds the distinction of making some of the most expensive champagnes. Including the $750 per bottle of 1975 Clos du Mesnil Blanc.
Other Champagnes from the brand include an NV Grand Cuveé, NV Rosé, and vintage bottlings from previous years like Clos d’Ambonnay Blanc des Noirs and others. A Krug NV Grand Cuveé for under $200 is the one to try when you want to celebrate. it is a spendy bottle of wine but worth every cent. This Krug is warm and crisp along with biscuity flavors. And the right one for special occasions.
- Louis Roederer:
This brand is best known for its premium vintage champagnes. However, Louis Roederer also makes budget-friendly wines in different styles like NV Brut and NV Rosé. They run to about $50 per bottle. The Louis Roederer 2004 Brut Rosé is the one to try.
It is a wonderful way to get your feet wet with rosé champagnes. You are definitely in for a treat if you haven’t tried a rosé. It is loaded with notes of caramel, flowers, and toast. And to top it all, it is affordably priced at $65 per bottle.
- Moët et Chandon:
This brand is well-known for expensive Dom Pérignon. Moët et Chandon is a vintage champagne that is produced only during good and excellent harvest years. The White Star NV Champagne is the one to try when you want to have a Dom Pérignon.
It is also moderately priced. Budget and good years come together for the grapes. A 1998 Dom Pérignon runs to about $150 a bottle. But a 1996 vintage, considered to be an excellent year, runs at $350 per bottle.
- Perrier Jouët:
It is one of the most popular champagnes known for its decorative and flowery bottles. Containing an exotic blend of premium Belle Epoque Cuvée and vintage Fleur de Champagne, Perrier Jouët also makes other types of blanc de blancs, rosé champagnes, and NV Champagnes.
However, the NV Grand Brut is the one to try. It is an excellent champagne that is also affordable at about $45 per bottle. Although the bottle is not as pretty when compared to other premium wines, you will not be disappointed with what’s inside.
- Salon:
This is a smaller producer of delicious champagnes which are meticulously crafted. Salon specializes in making vintage Blanc de Blancs. They only focus on warmly effervescent sparkling wines. The recent 1997 Salon vintage is a good one to try.
It is priced at about $250 per bottle. The 1996 previous vintage is even better but will cost you about $30 more per bottle. Make sure to save it for grand occasions when you find one.
- Veuve Clicquot:
This is yet another beloved French Champagne brand. Veuve Clicquot is best known for conveniently accessible and persistently good quality Yellow Label brut and vintage champagnes. The premium La Grande Dame particularly is made only in good to excellent vintage years.
However, the Yellow Label NV Brut is the one to try. It is a decent bottle of champagne for the money you spend. You can grab this consistently good champagne for about $50 per bottle.
Best Champagne Brands In India
Champagne is considered one of the most celebrated drinks in the modern world. Every special occasion and event deserve serving the best champagne. No event is complete without popping up a bottle of champagne! A good glass of champagne can brighten the event and make you feel aristocratic.
Nevertheless, choosing the right bottle of champagne is a difficult task. Go on to know the best champagne brands available in India for all occasions.
- Ayala Champagne:
Considered one of the best champagne brands in India, the vineyards of Ayala Champagne are located in Montagne de Remis. This is where Ayala originated during the early 1860s. And it has transformed itself ever since Bollinger bought it in 2005. Ayala Champagne is an ideal combination of 40 percent Chardonnay, 40 percent Pinot Noir, and 20 percent Pinot Meunier.
It is well worth the bucks you spend to enjoy the taste of champagne. Ayala features the perfect aromas of apples, citrus fruits, and plums along with a crisp taste due to reduced sugar levels. It imparts a great feel and will smoothly go down your throat alongside an appealing taste.
- Besserat Champagne Cuvee Des Moines:
This is the most renowned champagne variety named in honor of the Benedictine monks. Besserat is the most distinguished champagne range and is considered one of the top drinks in the champagne world. Besserat champagne is full of varying flavors. These include almond, black currant, chalk, honey, and lemon peel.
This exalted world-famous champagne is praised by all champagne lovers around the world for its taste. Feel free to enjoy this champagne as it comes with a delicate and delightful character. Widely available in India, Besserat champagne is capped with yellowish bubbles alongside a creamy taste.
- Dom Perignon Champagne:
This champagne is considered one of the best in the world. And is one of the favorite champagnes in India as well. Made with the finest grapes, it was invented by a monk, Dom Pierre Perignon. This champagne is a masterpiece of all the champagnes in the world. And just like the monk says Dom Perignon comes quickly along with the stars.
It is available in two different and attractive varieties; Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They include a perfect blend of mustard seeds, saffron, smoke, spices, yellow pepper, and rainwater that makes it delightfully dazzling. The palate starts with a dense-creamy taste and ends with a smoothened tapioca.
Dom Perignon in short offers a rich sensory experience along with its charcoal and earthy Meursault flavors. And the harshness of the scents in this champagne will definitely lift your mood. Dom Perignon in India is normally priced at 17,000 INR.
- Krug Champagne:
This is one of the top champagne brands in India. Established in 1843, Krug Champagne uses the old-school traditional style by storing the champagne in small oak casks. Founded by Johann Joseph King, Krug champagne is considered one of the best vintage champagnes.
It is a perfect blend of 50 different wines from 25 different villages in France. Moreover, almost ten different collections of vintages are also added to this sparkling wine.The overwhelming taste of Krug champagne has been carried over by almost six generations.
And some experts go on to say that it has become better along the way. Dominated by honey and nuts, the palate gives some complex flavors to the wine. Krug champagne has an elegant rich and bold taste profile. The average Krug champagne bottle price in India is around 6,000 INR.
- Laurent Perrier Champagne:
Monsieur Laurent introduced Laurent Perrier Champagne in 1812. It offers a rich and perfect aroma of red fruits to the brew. This champagne brand comes from the vineyards of Alan Terrier. Laurent Perrier champagne in India is acclaimed as the best champagne brand for consistency and exceptional quality.
It is dotted by its intense aromas. You can enjoy the taste of various flavors in this champagne including lilies and chrysanthemums. You will also discover the intense touch of cedar, grapes, and lemon. Overall, this champagne is well known for its elegance and finesse. And it comes along with the sleek design.
Another valuable thing about this champagne is that it is a low-calorie champagne. The price of this champagne in India is 4,000 INR. This champagne which is available in India belongs to the same company which owns products like L Brut and Brut Zero.
- Louis Roederer Champagne:
This champagne is a blend of 25 percent of Chardonnay and 50 percent Noir. The Louis Roederer is a universally acclaimed classic brew that emphasizes mineral texture along with crisp acidity. This champagne brand in India stands tall within the non-vintage brut category.
It includes the aroma of citrus fruits and fresh apples along with an energetic crispness. Blessed with all the elements in winemaking, the Louis Roederer Champagne considered one of the most expensive and rarest champagne brands in India, is priced at 20,000 INR.
- Veuve Clicquot, Brut Yellow Label:
Considered amongst the best champagnes available in India, Veuve Clicquot is also a favorite champagne brand across the globe. It is a well-known fact that the ‘Yellow Label’ represents the best quality of champagne. Veuve Clicquot since 1772 has been producing some of the most delicious and luxurious champagnes.
Experts agree that this brand is determined to make a mark as a producer of modern-style champagne. It aims at delivering balance, alongside finesse and intricacy. Showcasing the fine art of mixing aromas and flavors, Yellow Brut is ideally enriched with youthful elements. The dominant tastes of apples, berries, and citrus fruits are dominant to entice lovers of champagne.
And a typical structure with a touch of Meunier eventually rounds out the blend. Portraying elegance, innovation, quality, and tradition, Veuve Clicquot is first-rate among the most popular champagnes in the world. Priced at around 5,000 INR, Veuve Clicquot Champagne is widely available in India.
What Are the 3 Main Types of Champagne
Champagne or French Sparkling Wine is one of the most popular brews in the world. Many people use Champagne as a general term for sparkling wine. But In the European Union and many other select countries around the world, it is forbidden to mark any type of sparkling wine as ‘Champagne.’ Unless it comes from the French wine-growing region. And is produced according to the rules of the designated wine variety.
This sparkling alcoholic beverage is produced from specific grape varieties grown within the Champagne region in France. And that too according to the required rules. Among other things, they are needed to utilize special grape production methods.
The search for grapes to be used for production is exclusively conducted from places within the Champagne region. And you have a wide variety of types of Champagne as the outcome.
Champagne is essentially an ‘assemblage’. It is an official term in enology that involves the study of the process of winemaking. Including mixing pure wines derived from different grape varieties. Alongside grapes coming from specific soils, and wines over vintage years along with different aromatic and organoleptic properties.
This art of assembling creates a superior quality of wine in comparison to other types of basic wines. The French winemakers have proved to be masters at it. And the production of good champagne is an assured outcome. Not only by the quality of grapes but also by the methods of the cellar techniques.
Most champagne wines are called ‘brut.’ Simply because of the low sugar content. And different cuvées have different dosages as well.
Brut Champagne
Brut is a dry sparkling wine. It is one of the most popular types of champagne exported from France. Brut Champagne with few natural sugars represents a balance of oil, crisp fruit, and mineral notes. It sparkles naturally and is highly acidic in nature.
Brut contrasts very well with bubbles that melt during the aging process. This dry champagne rises to 12 percent ABV and which makes it a moderately high alcoholic beverage amongst the various types of champagne,
Brut, in comparison to other types, is characteristically dry. Along with a little sugar that adds a touch of sweetness. Brut is light and warm at the same time. It is pale in color along with few tannins in the champagne. The acidity in Brut is brilliant. And it contrasts extremely well with the characteristic bubbles.
Champagne is more-or-less always aged. And this tends to round off the acidity of the grapes. It can therefore be successfully savored for years. Brut imparts fresh floral, nuts, or finished notes which can be seen on the nose along with shiny fruits like a pear or an apple. And the refined mineral aroma of Brut is atypical of this style of sparkling wine.
Demi-Sec Champagne
Demi-Sec Champagne is different from Brut. Chiefly because of its high sugar content which is almost 24 gms of sugar per bottle. It is therefore recommended to be consumed along with dessert. Brut Nature comes first on a scale from the driest to the sweetest. And is closely followed by Extra Brut, Extra-Sec, Dry Sec, Demi-Sec, and Doux at the end.
Demi-Sec as such means a semi-sweet type of wine. This term literally translates as ‘semi-dried.’ However, it is confusing as most often it is used to attribute champagne and other sparkling wines. Demi-Sec is also used to indicate semi-sweet wines coming from other French regions like the Loire Valley.
Millésimé Champagne
Millésimé champagne comes from a certain harvesting year. Especially when the harvest year has been exceptionally successful. The cuvée for this type of champagne will only be made from grapes grown in this particular year. And the label will also indicate the year as well.
Moreover, each Millésimé will have its own character. Most often it is Brut champagne. But some producers also dare to conceive Millésimé champagne. A famous French producer, Guy Michel Pierre came forward in 1975 and 1979 to introduce Liquoreux. And this 1979 champagne is still available in the market.
The famous Delamotte house created the awesome Millésime Demi-Sec in the 1990s. This champagne is exclusively made with wines from the same harvesting year. Millésimé champagne as such emphasizes the exceptional year of the bountiful harvest. And these champagnes are allowed to age for at least 3 to 5 years in the cellar before putting them out on the market.
Other Types of Champagne
Blanc De Blanc
There are many types of champagne and sparkling wines that can be made from darker varieties of grapes as well. It is also a norm in the Champagne region of France. The three main grape varieties used in the production of Champagne include Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier of these are ‘black’ grape varieties while Chardonnay is a light-skinned grape.
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arban, and Pti Meslier are also utilized for making champagne and are often a part of the vineyards. Dark-skinned grapes are most often lightly pressed. This is to ensure that the skins do not bleed in the juice.
And the skins are quickly separated from the cuvée to make it ideal for this type of sparkline wine. This process of removing the skins is known as the Saignée arrangement. It involves draining away a portion of the juice from the crushed grape tank.
Blanc De Blanc uses only light-skinned grapes. And most often they are 100 percent Chardonnay. There may also be a small subsection of producers producing part of the champagne from lesser-known grape varieties as well. Noir Blanc, however, is produced using Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Although both these champagnes may appear quite similar, they will taste different because of the type of grapes involved.
Blanc De Noir will normally be a little lighter and drier to taste. It will show a little more body and fruit pulp as they are entirely made from Pinot Noir grapes. But the other one will be a little stronger. Mostly because it is made from a mixture of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier varieties of grapes.
Then there are many variables beyond the grapes that usually determine the taste of the beverage inside the bottle. Especially when you are talking about vintage and non-vintage champagne. Moreover, 100 percent Chardonnay Blanc bottles coming from two different champagne producers can significantly feature varying flavors.
Blanc De Noirs
This champagne is exclusively produced from black and white Pinot Noir and Pinot Menier grapes. Blanc De Noirs is powerful and original champagne coming along with a wide aromatic spectrum. Blanc de Noir in the Champagne Cuvée can be made from both authorized black grape varieties.
The distinguished Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises Cuvée is made from unique Pinot Noir vines. It portrays a defined style that is nowadays being developed by several other Champagne houses in France.
Champagne Rosé
Rosé champagne is the only variety of French wine that allows the collection of Pinot Noir and Pinot Menier red vines from mature plots. And most often it is more expensive than white champagne simply because it consumes more labor and time.
The most common process in Rosé champagne is to mix it with sparkling red champagne wine. Another approach that is more complex involves deliberately limiting contact between the red skin and juice during the fermentation process. It is called Maceration.
And involves soaking the grapes in their own pulp, juice, and skin. In order to extract the color, tannins, and flavor compounds. The procedure ideally creates the desired color of pale salmon which is known as partridge eyes or oil-de-perdrix.
Almost 99 percent of grape juice minus skin contact during champagne making is bright gray in color. And the wine made in this way has a delicate taste. Rosé champagne, however, is prepared by mixing it with red wine. It has deeper and stronger aromas of red fruits.
The main challenge in any approach to producing Rosé champagne is to create the same color each year. Even when the grape mixture changes from year to year. Champagne houses pride themselves on maintaining a consistent style. The first Rose champagne variety was produced by Veuve Clicquot back in 1775.
