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
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Champagne | 18 | 98 (WS) | د.إ3,190.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (98)A beautifully bright and expressive Champagne, with precision and vivid acidity throughout; roasted coffee bean and graphite notes lead to a rich palate of toasted brioche, crystallized honey, bergamot and crème de cassis. Exotic ground spice details of cardamom, ginger and anise show on the finish. Tasted from magnum. Drink now through 2030. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (DC) | د.إ2,660.00 | |||||
Decanter (98)Best in Show Award Pale gold in colour; very fine mousse. Fresh, pure and invigorating aromas in which green apple and citrus slowly give way to subtle, soft brioche, ivy leaf and plant sap; just a brush stroke of cream behind. This is a lean, pure Champagne of perfectly poised ripeness and restraint, very long in flavour, with the creamy richness of autolysis perfectly judged -- supportive but in no way obtrusive. The minority Chardonnay still takes a leading role at this stage; the majority Pinot Noir provides a pure frame and canvas. Exciting now, but don't hurry to drink, even though it already has a decade and a half behind it: there are further rewards ahead. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 8 | 98 (DC) | د.إ1,405.00 | |||||
Decanter (98)Best in Show 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir With fourteen years' ageing under its belt, this Champagne has had time to gather and marshal all its resources - which it does with great style and assurance. It's a pale, glowing lemon yellow, with a fine mousse and ample wealth of billowing vanilla, cream and plump hazels. The palate has dramatic intensity and drive, delivering a wealth of chalky lemon; its athleticism and vigour almost come as a surprise after that floating veil of seductive scent. A fresh, mouth-cleansing finish completes the appeal of this skilful, sagely judged blend from a hugely likeable vintage. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 34 | 93 (DC) | د.إ869.00 | |||||
Decanter (93)Richly biscuity on the nose, with steamed rice, fresh pear and citrus blossom complexity. Creamy mousse dissolves into red apple peel, lemon and stone fruits, with a depth of honeyed biscuits. The Reserve NV from Pol Roger is a blend of base wines from at least three vintages. With 6 months of post-disgorgement ageing, the wine is ready to enjoy now. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (JS) | د.إ2,365.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)This is a deep and profound 2002 with such fine bubbles that have the texture of fine silk. Full body. Extremely dense and compact. Just rolls over your palate. Superb quality and satisfaction, after all this time. Drink now. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 94 (WA) | د.إ1,685.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94)Pol Roger's just-released 2013 Brut Vintage is a beautifully chiseled, incisive wine that will appeal immensely to purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus zest, white flowers, crushed chalk and hints of fresh sourdoughs, it's medium to full-bodied, racy and precise, with a nicely concentrated and tightly wound core, tangy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. After the rich, muscular 2012 vintage, the 2013 represents quite a contrast; I'm not sure we'll see its stylistic like again for some time, so readers with classically inclined palates will want to stock up—advice I'll be following myself. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (WE) | د.إ5,635.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)With its gold color and mature, toasty flavors, this is possibly the greatest Winston Churchill ever. It has weight and richness, with a dense, full and rich texture. It's in perfect balance, bringing together maturity and crisper apple and green plum fruit flavors that are cut with lemon. A mineral edge gives a nervy character that will allow this magnificent wine to age further. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 2 | 19 (JR) | د.إ4,620.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)Tasted blind. Mytik cork. Deep gold. Deep and rich on the nose and very appealing. Tightly laced with a tiny bead. Some savoury notes with a suggestion of gunflint. Real race and pace. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (WE) | د.إ4,170.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)This is the latest release of this legendary wine. A blend, although with a majority of Pinot Noir (Churchill's preference), the wine is rich, just beginning to show wonderful signs of maturity. It still has intense fruit along with the taut mineral texture that will allow the wine to age further. It is a standout Champagne from this vintage. Drink now, although this Champagne will age for many years. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 2 | 98 (WE) | د.إ4,240.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)This is the latest release of this legendary wine. A blend, although with a majority of Pinot Noir (Churchill's preference), the wine is rich, just beginning to show wonderful signs of maturity. It still has intense fruit along with the taut mineral texture that will allow the wine to age further. It is a standout Champagne from this vintage. Drink now, although this Champagne will age for many years. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 100 (WE) | د.إ4,905.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (100)One of the great Champagnes both for its richness and its longevity, this latest incarnation is superb. The wine's richness is linked to the ripe fruit and the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend. It also shines in the perfect balance between the texture, the minerality and the integration of the fruit. It can be enjoyed now, but it will be better from 2020 and then for many years to come. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (WE) | د.إ3,925.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (97)As always, this Pinot Noir-dominated Champagne is a great wine. In this vintage, it is fuller than usual, perhaps less structured—a true reflection of the vintage. Like all releases of this cuvée, the wine will age magnificently. Drink now or hold for at least 10 years to get full maturity. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) | د.إ4,710.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (99)The great 2012 vintage shows well in this rich, full Champagne. Dominated as usual by Pinot Noir, the wine is powerfully ripe and impressively full of white fruits and tight minerality. Ready to drink from 2022, it is worthy of aging and certainly drinkable even in 10 years time. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (WE) | د.إ6,390.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)Although ready to drink, this very fine Champagne has plenty of aging to go. With its rich Pinot Noir and ripe fruits, it is generous while also fully textured. Complex and balanced, mature fruit and toast working together, this is a great wine. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (WE) | د.إ4,075.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)Although ready to drink, this very fine Champagne has plenty of aging to go. With its rich Pinot Noir and ripe fruits, it is generous while also fully textured. Complex and balanced, mature fruit and toast working together, this is a great wine. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) | د.إ3,680.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (99)There is a wonderful biscuity aroma to this Pinot Noir-dominated Champagne. Named after the British war-time prime minister and an avid consumer of Champagne, the wine is mature, full of ripe yeasty flavors and concentration. The wine, from a great vintage, is at a perfect stage and ready to be drunk. But the wine will also age for many years, certainly until 2030. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ4,025.00 | |||||
|
Savor the effervescent elegance of R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2016, a testament to French winemaking artistry. Exclusively grown in the iconic Premier Cru vineyards of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, the grapes are given a tender touch as they are hand-harvested. The producer, R. Pouillon & Fils, renowned for their century-long legacy and commitment to sustainability, painstakingly ages this Brut Nature on lees for three years, enhancing the depth and fullness of its expression. A lovely blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, its distinct character presents a rich sensorial journey with nuanced hints of apple, pear, and yeasty brioche, graced with a crisp, lively finish. R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2016’s savoir-faire and earth-conscious cultivation celebrate the enduring essence of Champagne's terroir, capturing an exquisite vinous harmony in every bottle. Savour its vivacious charm—a radiant accompaniment to life’s memorable moments. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (IWSC) | د.إ1,440.00 | |||||
IWSC (97)An expressive buttered brioche nose, gun smoke reduction, red fruit and toasted almond and pistachio notes. This very precise and elegant Champagne has a piercing acidity that underscores the long finish of lime zest, quince and apple. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 2 | 98 (JD) | د.إ1,385.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98)Originally a part of the legendary Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house, Rare is moving their Champagne Millésime to a new brand and want it to stand alone. (Think Delamotte and Salon.) The 13th vintage for this cuvée, the 2013 Champagne Millésime is a blend is 70% Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir, with the majority of the blend coming from the Montagne de Reims Grand Cru and Premier Cru. A bright yellow hue, its aromatics are exquisite and well-balanced, with fresh notes of key lime, candied apple, fresh croissant dough, fresh pineapple, and honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with a rounded and supple texture and a pillowy mousse. It’s long on the palate and has a silky personality as well as a long, pristine finish. It has fantastic balance of decadence and freshness, and I could drink this all day. It’s going to have a long drinking window. Drink 2024-2044 and beyond. Disgorged December 2022. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98+ (JD) | د.إ2,525.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)The 2008 Champagne Rare Rosé is straight-up sensational. Only the second time they’ve produced this cuvée, it offers a deep, full-bodied, powerful yet chiseled and laser-focused style carrying loads of wild strawberry fruit as well as notes of orange blossom, spice, and crushed rocks. Backward, austere, yet simply loaded with potential, it needs a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly for two decades or more. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 18 (JR) | د.إ1,365.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18)Another deep, sonorous nose. Edgy, but not for the sake of edgy. The depth to these Coulon wines is remarkable. Yes, it's toast and layers and fruit and spice and minerals in abundance, but the flavours are almost secondary to the anima of the wine. This is a wine that slams into your whole body; one sip; feel the reverberations. These wines are all about the energy, the resonance, the sheer life force of life. Like copper wires pulsing with electricity. Like a cello solo in the Carnegie Hall. You feel it more than you drink it. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97+ (VN) | د.إ3,800.00 | |||||
Vinous (97+)The 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut is simply fabulous. In most vintages, Dom Ruinart is a big, ample Champagne that shows the structure of the Montagne de Reims Chardonnay in the blend. The 2006 has plenty of textural resonance and richness, and yet I am also struck by its tension. Both bottles I tasted point to a Dom Ruinart that is quite a bit more polished and sophisticated than it often is at this stage. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 100 (VN (AG)) | د.إ5,615.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)The 2010 Dom Ruinart (magnum) is a modern-day legend, one of the greatest wines ever made in Champagne. Ample and explosive, with stunning richness, the 2010 has it all, starting with captivating aromatics, beautifully delineated fruit, striking saline intensity and magnificent balance. In magnum, the 2010 offers that extra kick of palate presence that fills out the layers just a touch more than the standard 750ml bottle. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. In a very short time, this will be regarded as one of late Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaïotis' masterpieces. Dosage is 5 grams per liter. Disgorged in late 2024. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 2 | - | د.إ1,660.00 | |||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ1,660.00 | |||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (JS) | د.إ28,405.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)This is phenomenal with mineral, sliced apple and honeysuckle aromas and flavors. It's full-bodied and so refined. Racy and intense. So youthful and long. Like a great and fresh Batard-Montrachet. Long life to go. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 3 | 100 (DC) | د.إ5,880.00 | |||||
Decanter (100)An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 100 (DC) | د.إ15,575.00 | |||||
Decanter (100)An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 100 (DC) | د.إ26,975.00 | |||||
Decanter (100)An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection. |
|||||||||
