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.
Champagne
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Champagne | 3 | 99 (JS) | د.إ3,530.00 | |||||
James Suckling (99)A beautiful color of bronze and orange with some pink at the end. Aromas of dried strawberry and orange peel with orange blossom and other flowers. Medium to full body with a round, creamy texture, very fine bubbles and a lovely, long finish. Plenty of subtle pie-crust and biscuit flavors at the end. Yet it remains so complex. Very vinous. Drink or hold. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (DC) | د.إ1,410.00 | |||||
Decanter (96)The nose is shy and subtle, though notions of red apple, peppery rye crumb, stone and lemon emerge with more air. Tightly coiled, the palate suggests spicy riches with its insinuations of white pepper and tangerine peel. A lovely interplay of Pinot richness and Chardonnay slinkiness, showing depth, svelteness and elegance. It justs needs air to breathe. Gorgeous. |
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Champagne | 4 | 95 (VN (AG)) | د.إ10,430.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)The 2002 Brut Nature L'Étincelante is powerful and explosive right out of the gate. Lemon confit, dried herbs, tobacco and menthol open with a bit of coaxing. It's hard to believe, but this could still benefit from a few years in the cellar! Disgorged: October 6, 2025. |
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Champagne | 10 | 97 (DC) | د.إ1,260.00 | |||||
Decanter (97)Racy and thrilling, this hits the spot in terms of direct and punchy yellow fruit flavours - lemon, grapefruit, orange and quince with a crisp texture and fine bubbles that fill the mouth. Such tension and precision. It has a sharp yet also mouthwatering acidity giving you a push pull of intensity and generosity. It's super dry and gives a raciness to the overall impression with very tiny hints of sweetness providing the round feel that's so appealing. Shines brightly and still feels so youthful, such a long ageing potential yet. I like the energy and the persistence here, it's clean and finessed. Not trying too hard but so easy to drink. 100% Chardonnay of white 90% comes from grands crus vineyards. Dosage 4g/L. Disgorged February 2022. |
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Champagne | 1 | 100 (WA) | د.إ10,790.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)Disgorged in March 2020 with 2.4 grams dosage, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2014) 60 months is based on the 2014 vintage. Indeed, it's the same tirage that was released last year after 48 months on lees, but its additional year sur lattes has transformed it into an altogether different wine, one that attains new levels of texture, sapid nuance and quite simply excitement. Unwinding in the glass with scents of freshly baked bread, honeyed pears, pomelo, blanched almonds, praline and white flowers, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with a textural attack segueing into a deep and concentrated mid-palate that's pure and precise, girdled by racy acids and complemented by an elegantly pillowy mousse, concluding with a long, intensely mineral finish. It is testimony to Olivier Collin's immense ambition and relentless work ethic that he has achieved such results not in the celebrated terroirs of the Côte de Blancs or the Montagne de Reims, but rather in the little-known Val du Petit Morin, and in the process, he is expanding the parameters of the possible in Champagne. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WA) | د.إ17,655.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)Disgorged after 60 months on the lees, which will now be the standard for this cuvée, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2016) unwinds in the glass with complex aromas of crisp Anjou pear and stone fruits mingled with pastry cream, toasted almonds and white flowers. Full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it's deep and complete, with racy acids, terrific texture and unerring precision. While my allegiance varies between Les Enfers and Les Roises, depending on the year and the disgorgement, in 2016 it's impossible to choose: both wines are benchmarks for contemporary Champagne. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (WA) | د.إ9,250.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98)Among the strongest releases of this cuvée, the NV Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2016 base), built on the 2016 vintage and incorporating a notable proportion of reserve wines—mostly from 2015—is particularly compelling. Disgorged in March 2020 with a dosage of 2.4 grams per liter, it emerges from the glass with aromas of mirabelle plum, almond paste and apricot mingled with mandarin and freshly baked bread. Medium- to full-bodied and elegantly muscular, the palate is structured around a deep, concentrated core of fruit and racy acidity, concluding with a long, persistent finish. One of the most elegant and precise renditions of Les Maillons to date, it stylistically recalls the superb 2013-based release that forever changed how this estate is perceived. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97+ (WA) | د.إ9,545.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97+)Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step. |
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Champagne | 1 | 100 (WA) | د.إ10,790.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2015) 60 months is an arresting, thrilling wine that bursts with aromas of peach, confit lemon, mandarin oil, buttery pastry, almonds and white flowers. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with huge concentration and mid-palate amplitude, it's vibrant and precise, with a pillowy mousse and an immensely long and intensely saline finish. Despite my best intentions, as soon as I tasted this Les Roises, I knew that my self-imposed embargo on any further 100-point scores for Champagne in 2021 would have to be broken. And the frightening thing is that Collin shows no signs of relenting in his quest to expand the parameters of the possible in Champagne! While bottles of this tiny disgorgement won't be easy to find, anyone eager to taste one of the region's contemporary benchmarks should make every effort to seek one out. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WA) | د.إ17,655.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)Disgorged this year after 60 months on the lees, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2016) is brilliant, offering up complex aromas of confit orange, peach, citrus blossom, nutmeg and freshly baked bread, followed by a full-bodied, satiny and layered palate that's broader and more textural than Les Enfers, its deep core of fruit underpinned by racy acids and chalky structure. As I remarked on the wine's palpable levels of dry extract, Collin observed that due to the smaller size of the grapes Les Roises produces (due to fan leaf virus, or court-noué), he's obliged to press harder to liberate the juice, delivering simultaneously more dry extract and a slightly higher pH than adjacent Les Enfers. In addition to the supplemental concentration those smaller berries provide, this surely helps to explain some of the wine's texture and body. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) | د.إ3,020.00 | |||||
Decanter (97)Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus. |
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Champagne | 4 | 96 (WE) | د.إ2,355.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (96)With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022. |
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Champagne | 2 | 96 (DC) | د.إ1,940.00 | |||||
Decanter (96)It is quite something to be invited to the launch of Champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008 at Clos des Lambrays, one of the finest grands crus of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits and acquired by LVMH in April 2014. It was rumoured to have paid close to €100m. The Veuve Clicquot 2008 is VC Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville’s first solo vintage. What fascinated him at Lambrays was winemaker Thierry Brouin’s consummate talent in capturing from the red iron-rich soil a wonderfully bright character in the wine- so fresh, rich yet elegant, density and delicacy in magical harmony. The same can be said for my two coups de coeur in Clicquot 2008. --- Veuve Clicquot 2008 (Magnum) --- Shimmering green-gold. Easily up several notches from the bottle. Perfect balance of freshness, ripe acidity and complex vinosity to come. Near perfect wine, patina of seasoned spice of subtle oak. --- Elegant and complex Champagne with plenty of fine mousse and flavours of toast, smoke and roasted fruit notes to balance the fresh acidity. A refined and refreshing fullbodied wine in a gastronomic style with the potential to drink well for many years. |
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Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ1,680.00 | |||||
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Champagne | 7 | 96 (VN) | د.إ2,295.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2013 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is fabulous, not to mention and absolute must-buy for Vilmart fans. All of the tension of the late harvest comes through in a Champagne that dazzles with tension and energy. Bright acids drive a core of Chardonnay fruit. Citrus, white pepper, white flowers and crushed rocks abound. Readers should be in no rush to open the 2013, it's a wine for the cellar. Disgorged: December, 2020. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (VN) | د.إ2,045.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2014 Brut Coeur de Cuvée impresses with its density and overall energy. Apricot, baked apple tart, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed accents all meld together. The 2014 is deep and beautifully centered, with tons of poise and impeccable balance. It's a pretty big wine by Vilmart standards, and yet all the elements are so well put together. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Disgorged: March, 2021. |
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Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ4,025.00 | |||||
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Containing three bottles each of the Blanc de Blancs Les Blances Voies and the Rosé Grand Cellier Rubis, these specially released assortment cases illustrate the extraordinary success at Vilmart during the challenging 2011 vintage. A mere 60 cases have been released directly from their cellars in 2022.
"For my part, a Winegrower needs two main qualities, “Patience and Humility”. 2011 is a perfect example of a vintage that was long overdue. We had to be modest in the face of a nature that was a little more capricious than usual" - Laurent Champs (Owner and Winemaker)
More Info
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (VN) | د.إ2,155.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2015 Brut Rosé Emotion is gorgeous. The Emotion is done in an airy, understated style that is more finesse than power. Crushed red berry fruit, cranberry, white flowers and mint all grace this sculpted, wonderfully energetic Rosé from Vilmart. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 6 | 92 (VN (AG)) | د.إ996.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)The NV (2022) Brut Grand Cellier is another wine that benefits from a very strong base year. A burst of candied citrus peel, white pepper, mint, slate and chalk makes a strong first impression. Clean mineral notes extend the finish before wrapping it all together in waves of salinity. There's a feeling of exuberance in the Grand Cellier that is impossible to miss. This release is based on 2022, with 50% reserve wines from 2021 and 2020. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2024. |
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Champagne | 6 | 96 (VN) | د.إ1,110.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2009 Blanc de Blancs Les Blanches Voies is every bit as stunning as it was last year. The combination of the warm year and the natural richness conferred by these 70+- year-old vines yields a powerful, vinous Champagne with tremendous character, depth and the pedigree to drink well for many years. Laurent Champs gave the Blanc de Blancs 7 years on the cork, as opposed to the 6 that are customary for the Coeur de Cuvée. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2017. |
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Champagne | 5 | 95 (VN) | د.إ795.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2012 Extra-Brut Les Blanc de Blancs Blanches Voies is stellar. It offers tons of brilliance and energy, especially for a year in which most wines are quite a bit more radiant. It's a style that works quite well here, though. Crushed rocks, white pepper, mint and lemon peel all build as the 2012 shows off its alluring, saline-infused personality. This is an especially chiseled, finely cut 2012. I loved it. Disgorged: June, 2020. |
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Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ4,275.00 | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ2,810.00 | |||||

