Champagne
Champagne, the epitome of elegance and celebration, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of sparkling wines. As one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, Champagne has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs with its exceptional quality, refined craftsmanship, and iconic vineyards.
Historically, Champagne has been dominated by some world-acclaimed Champagne House, which source grapes and harvest from Champagne growers. These famous Grandes Marques include Louis Roederer (Cristal), Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Bollinger, all of them are revered for their notable names that display unrivalled winemaking prestige and pedigree.
In the recent decade, the emerging Grower Champagne trend in Champagne is shaking up the industry by challenging the dominance of the big Champagne houses. These small-scale producers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" or RM, grow their own grapes and produce their own Champagne, showcasing the unique terroir and character of their vineyards. Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie are among the most prominent names in this trend, producing some truly artisanal and terroir-driven Champagnes.
Champagne is primarily made from three main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully selected and blended to create a harmonious and complex flavour profile. Chardonnay contributes elegance, freshness, and finesse, while Pinot Noir adds structure, depth, and fruitiness. Pinot Meunier brings a touch of roundness and vibrancy to the blend.
The region of Champagne is divided into several distinct sub-regions, including Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. Each sub-region has its unique terroir, characterized by variations in soil composition and microclimates, which influence the style and character of the wines produced.
Champagne offers various styles, from non-vintage blends to vintage cuvées and prestigious prestige cuvées. While Non-vintage Champagnes typically epitomise the house style, the vintage Champagnes are made from grapes harvested in one particular year (top vintages such as 1996, 2002, 2008 etc), in which these wines showcase the unique characteristics of the specific vintage.
The prestige cuvées, often the flagship wines of the renowned Champagne houses, are the pinnacle of excellence. These exceptional Champagnes are created using the finest grapes, the most meticulous winemaking techniques and often benefit from extended ageing to achieve unparalleled complexity and finesse.
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, elegance, and luxury. Its effervescent charm and timeless appeal have made it the drink of choice for countless special occasions and memorable moments. With its rich history, iconic vineyards, and unrivalled quality, Champagne continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
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Champagne
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Matthew Jukes (19+)
Named after the first chef de cave at Billecart, Louis Salmon, Billecart has been making this style since the ’60s, and it never disappoints. While 2012 had a very tricky start to the season, a remarkable vintage emerged because the summer was superb. The French expression, ‘Août fait le moût’, meaning ‘the month of August makes the must’, or rather, August is largely responsible for the calibre of flavour of any vintage, is startlingly accurate in this wine. With low yields, a lengthy hang-time, and decent natural alcohol levels of 10.5%, this 100% Grand Cru made up of 60% Le Mesnil, 23% Cramant, 11% Chouilly, and 6% Oiry is a ravishingly refreshing wine. 25% was vinified in barrel, and it was aged for a mighty 115 months before being bottled with a lean 3.9g/L dosage. Mathieu Roland-Billecart surmised that the 2012 sits between the 2002 and the 2008 in style – not as austere as ’02 and with “more meat” than ’08. Interestingly, the bottles were aged under crown caps, and the magnums were cork-sealed for maturation. We tasted these two formats side by side, and they indeed showed some fascinatingly different characteristics. The bottle format seemed lovely, silky, super-long and gloriously even. It is a slender, willowy wine with a palate that flows briskly with intent. Its flanks are glassy-smooth, and all of the acidity is reserved for the serious finish, which echoes the NV that proceeded it, except this time, there is much more tension and verve on display. The cork-cap-aged magnum discreetly showed more breadth on the nose and a hint of toastiness on the palate. It seemed to have picked up more of the oak nuances, carrying them further forward on the palate. The other difference is that the magnum appears more profound, as it billows on the palate initially, however I can see both formats converging somewhat over time. While they are both exactly the same wine, they might never end up tasting identical because every time you open a bottle, taking a ‘snapshot’ of their flavours, they will not be at the same spot of their respective timelines, and this makes them both must-haves for the serious Billecart aficionado! Billecart also made a handful of jeroboams in 2012 – albeit in tiny quantities – so goodness knows how different this format would taste.د.إ3,880.00 -
The Champagne Guide (99)
"(disgorged in 2012; 60% Montagne de Reims pinot noir, 40% Côte des Blancs chardonnay; 18% barrel-fermented in old oak casks; partial malolactic fermentation; 4g/L dosage)... Even at 13 years of age it upholds brilliant primary definition of icy lemon citrus, with only subtle graceful evolution of nougat and butter, promising decades of potential yet. As always, the greatness of Billecart is proclaimed not by impact or power, but by slowly rising complexity and profound chalk mineral presence. Its cascade of minerality is very fine, to the point of silkiness, yet simultaneously poised and confident. Delightful poise and intricate craftsmanship proclaim one of the great Billecarts of the modern era, a champagne with many characters and subplots to reveal, to be enjoyed slowly in the presence of the most intimate company--and ideally not for at least another decade.د.إ4,060.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity. The 2006 is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, mostly done in steel, with just a touch of oak, around 5%. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.د.إ3,585.00 -
Matthew Jukes (19.5+)
This wine is an absolute joy. It is made from 79% Grands Crus and 21% Premiers Crus, with 60% Pinot Noir coming from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay coming from the Côte des Blancs. The dosage is 6 g/l and a perfectly-judged 15% was vinified in oak barrels. As always with Billecart NF it spends over ten years relaxing in the cellars in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ before release. In terms of sophistication, elegance and unrivalled precision, this is a wine to buy and treasure. I raved about the 2007 Cuvée Louis earlier this year and this wine is made in a similar vein. This is a sensational vintage for Billecart and NF will outlive Louis given that it has more horsepower under the bonnet. Still a little youthful and closed, there is massive complexity here delivered in the most mesmerising sotto voce voice imaginable. I would love to see this wine in a few years but I think it will be a decade before ’07 NF fully blossoms. I am in complete awe as to how these wines are so fine and so laser-sighted in their youth. NF is a class apart.د.إ2,520.00 -
Matthew Jukes (20+)
08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking.د.إ4,430.00 -
Matthew Jukes (20+)
08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking.د.إ3,710.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Richly complex nose of spiced yellow plums, brioche, toasted lemons, butterscotch, baked apples, strawberries, coffee cream, praline, earthy mushroom and truffle hints. It’s creamy, layered and generous, with soft bubbles. Complex toasty and spicy elements carry through to a long finish. Opulence and sophistication. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 1g/l dosage. Drink now or hold.د.إ5,210.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Baked raspberries, salted yellow plums, figs, walnuts, orange zest, mahogany and some toasted vanilla on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with beautifully integrated, very fine bubbles. Dry, with exciting and unique white-pepper and sea-salt notes. Seamless. So harmonious. Salty and spicy clove notes evolving at the end. Amazing precision. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 2g/l dosage. Disgorged November 2020. 6,750 bottles. Drink or hold.د.إ4,570.00 -
Experience the full-bodied charm of the Boerl & Kroff B de Boerl & Kroff 2003. Crafted in the hallowed terroir of Champagne, this sparkling wine is the embodiment of patience and precision. Nestled in the French kissing vines of Marne Valley, the artisan producers of Boerl & Kroff employed an exclusive late harvesting technique. These selected grapes, meticulously hand-picked at full ripeness, ensure the richest possible taste and aroma in each bottle. The 2003 vintage is marked by its sunlit gold hue, nuanced by fine bubbles and a sublime creamy texture. On the palate, it unfurls layers of ripe apples and apricots with explosive citrus zest, all underscored by a mineral-driven finish. Its high-quality production, combined with only the best Champagne grape varieties, implements a rich, complex structure which makes the Boerl & Kroff B de Boerl & Kroff 2003 truly remarkable. Witness the taste of fine wine passion, patience, and precision with Boerl & Kroff.
د.إ10,085.00 -
Wine Advocate (95+)
Most of the 2002 Brut from Boërl & Kroff was bottled in 750-milliliter bottles, so only 800 magnums were produced—a surprising decision, given the vintage, and one Sabaté now laments. Offering up a rich but youthful bouquet of waxy lemon rind, mandarin, warm biscuits, candied peel and honeycomb, this is a full-bodied, vinous Champagne with considerable structure and concentration, with its creamy and muscular profile exemplifying the house style. Long and powerful, it's a terrific wine that will delight admirers of old fashioned Champagne.د.إ11,340.00 -
Decanter (97)
Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023.د.إ411.00 -
Decanter (97)
Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023.د.إ1,260.00 -
Essi Avallen MW (93-95)
On this vintage with a prolonged growing season Bollinger played the cool card, choosing to go with a high proportion of Verzenay fruit (51%). The combination of cool vintage and cool terroir is truly attractive for a blanc de noirs. Already the nose has lovely zingy fruitiness to it, lemon custard, perfectly ripe peaches and elegant spicy and chalky tones. The ensemble comes across as elegant, super juicy and purely fruity. My favourite of Bollinger limited editions so far!د.إ2,265.00 -
د.إ4,200.00
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Richard Juhlin (95)
It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful.د.إ2,405.00 -
Falstaff (98)
An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory.د.إ19,770.00 -
Jancis Robinson MW (19)
Disgorged October 2010. Tasted blind. Something a bit rubbery on the nose but very tense and exciting. Is this the 2008? Tense and vibrant, with lots of complexity and persistence. Impressive for its age.د.إ3,500.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality all emerge from the glass, and it develops more nuance, spice, toasted bread, and an almost Alsatian Riesling-like petrol character over the course of the evening. It’s a full-bodied, rich, powerful Champagne, yet like the top 2008s, it has brilliant precision, purity, and focus. It’s unquestionably one of the finest versions of this cuvée ever produced, although it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. It should keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!د.إ3,965.00 -
Wine Spectator (97)
This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2037. 850 cases imported.د.إ2,495.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.د.إ3,140.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.د.إ2,465.00 -
Vinous (96)
Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.د.إ2,579.00 -
Decanter (97)
An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive.د.إ2,965.00 -
Decanter (97)
An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive.د.إ3,560.00 -
Essi Avallen MW (96-98)
At this point of youthfulness the pink colour is rather rich and bright. Lovely clean and fruit-forward nose with fresh red berry aromas mixing with spice and orange notes. Quite shyly evolved with much more to surface on the complexity front. Today there is attractive exuberant fruitiness and perfect creamy freshness. Promising palate with power and persistence where an overall harmony enhances the feeling of sophistication.د.إ2,820.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2014 Rosé La Grande Année is airy, gracious and full of energy. Crushed rocks, white pepper, red berry, mint and blood orange lend striking aromatic intensity and presence. Finely cut and taut, the Rosé is a nervy Champagne that needs time to come together. The Rosé is blended from a base of the Blanc plus 5% still red Pinot from Bollinger’s Coteaux des Enfants vineyard in Aÿ. Perhaps because of its later disgorgement vis-à-vis the Blanc, the Rosé is a bit tight today. Disgorged: August, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.د.إ2,985.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5)
Base wine, the same as the white Grande Année 2015 tinted by 5% still red wine from the famous Côte aux Enfants vineyard, was all aged in oak. Blend of 11 crus, predominantly 62% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and 38% Chardonnay from Chouilly and Avize. Disgorged July 2023. Pale, slightly gris salmon pink (a little paler than the Billecart 2012 Elisabeth Salmon rosé tasted alongside). Heady, mushroomy, off-dry, sumptuous Bollinger gloriousness on the palate. I wonder what the dosage is, and whether the richness comes mainly from the fruit and oak? Finishes dry, but with wonderfully soothing impact on the palate. Relatively gentle mousse. Really gets to the deepest part of the throat. Sensational!د.إ3,497.00 -
Tyson Stelzer (97)
PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place.د.إ1,820.00 -
Decanter (93)
The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022.د.إ1,980.00 -
Decanter (93)
The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022.د.إ1,820.00
