France - All Sparkling Wines
Several regions in France are renowned for producing sparkling wine, but the most famous and prestigious are Champagne, Alsace, and the Loire Valley.
Champagne is the most well-known region for producing sparkling wine, and the name "Champagne" is protected by law to designate only the sparkling wines made in that region. The climate and soil of the Champagne region, located in northeastern France, are ideal for growing the grapes used to make sparkling wine, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Some notable Champagne houses include Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Pérignon.
Alsace, located in northeastern France, is also known for producing high-quality sparkling wine, primarily made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling grapes. The wines from Alsace are typically drier and crisper than Champagne, with a more pronounced fruitiness. Notable producers include Domaine Bruno Sorg, Domaine Mittnacht Frères, and Domaine Weinbach.
The Loire Valley, located in central France, is another region known for producing excellent sparkling wine, made primarily from Chenin Blanc grapes. The wines from the Loire Valley tend to be lighter and fresher than those from Champagne, with a more pronounced acidity and minerality. Notable producers include Bouvet Ladubay, Langlois-Château, and Domaine des Baumard.
Other regions in France that produce sparkling wine include Burgundy, which produces Crémant de Bourgogne; Limoux in Languedoc-Roussillon, which is known for its Blanquette de Limoux; and the Jura region, which produces sparkling wine made from the Savagnin grape. However, Champagne, Alsace, and the Loire Valley remain the most well-known and respected regions for producing sparkling wine in France.
France - All Sparkling Wines
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ1,150.00 | |||||
|
Paul Bara Annonciade Blanc de Noirs 2006 hails from the prestigious terroir of Bouzy, in the heart of Champagne. Fifth generation vintner Chantal Bara meticulously follows traditional methods to create this unparalleled champagne. Made exclusively from Grand Cru Pinot Noir grapes, it embodies the essence of Bouzy, lauded for its robust, expressive wines. The 2006 vintage has benefited from a decade of ageing in the Bara cellars, giving it a fine, complex bouquet and an assertive palate of luscious red fruits, hazelnuts, and warm spice, underscored by vivacious minerality. With a creamy mousse and superb persistence, Paul Bara Annonciade Blanc de Noirs 2006 is an emblem of both the esteemed Bara maison and the illustrious Bouzy terroir. Perfectly ready to drink now, it can be savoured alone or paired with exquisite gourmet dishes. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ1,010.00 | |||||
|
The Paul Bara Comtesse Marie de France Brut 2010 is the epitome of fine Champagne meticulously crafted by the distinguished Paul Bara estate. Nestled in the heart of Bouzy, a Grand Cru village renowned for its exceptional terroir, this estate has masterfully produced splendid wines since 1833. The Comtesse Marie de France is a revelation in the world of vintage brut champagnes crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Reflecting the richness of the 2010 vintage, it exhibits deep, intense flavours amplified by a minimum of eight years maturation. The Champagne's refined effervescence discloses enticing notes of ripe orchard fruits, honeyed brioche, and subtle mineral undertones, culminating in a long, resonant finish. With only limited quantities produced, the Paul Bara Comtesse Marie de France Brut 2010 offers not just a taste but an exquisite journey into the pedigree and legacy of the Champagne region. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 94 (WS) | د.إ3,730.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (94)This finely knit and lithe Champagne is smoky up front, opening into a lovely range of pastry, glazed apricot, lemon curd and candied ginger notes in the glass. Vibrant acidity drives the satinlike finish. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ2,875.00 | |||||
|
To celebrate the unbelievable milestone of half a millennium crafting some of the world’s most exceptional sparkling wines, the legendary Maison have released a highly exclusive collectors’ case of which a mere 500 were made. Containing two different vintages of the Cuvée 1522, itself commemorating the foundation of Philipponnat, this wine is always composed of strictly Grand Cru fruit with the majority fermented in oak casks with no malolactic fermentation to provide rounded richness with total weightlessness. The village of Aÿ, home to the Philipponnat family for 16 generations, is clearly visible in the stunning label of Cuvée 1522. A testament to both terroir and vintage, the particular examples in this collection are the even rarer L.V. or Long Vieillissement (Long Aging) expressions kept back at the winery for added time on lees and extra maturity in perfect conditions. A bottle each of the 2000 and 2002, both exceptional vintages, are included in this beautiful case and are sure to be incredible wines neither of which are available to purchase individually on the market. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 93 (WA) | د.إ2,105.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93)Disgorged in September 2018 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra Brut Grand Blanc is composed of vins clairs matured in barrel with blocked malolactic and vins clairs matured in tank that were allowed to complete malolactic. Exhibiting aromas of lemon oil, warm bread, hazelnut cream, wet stones and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and nicely concentrated, with a racy spine of acidity, a fine mousse and delicately chalky structure, concluding with a long and pure finish. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN) | د.إ4,600.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2006 Clos des Goisses is stellar, but it is also going to need quite a bit of time to come into its own. Powerful and ample in the best of the Goisses style, the 2006 hits the palate with serious intensity. Orchard fruits, lemon oil, white flowers and almonds are some of the many notes that open up in the glass, but, as is often the case with young Goisses, it is the wine's gravitas that is front and center. Even with all of its overtness, though, the 2006 retains striking, crystalline purity. I imagine the 2006 will reward Champagne lovers with many decades of truly exceptional drinking. The only thing the 2006 needs is time. The question is: How much? |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) | د.إ5,055.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2008 Clos des Goisses is just as impressive today as it has always been. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2008 exists in three dimensions, with remarkable textural depth and vertical intensity to burn. Clos des Goisses is notoriously slow to develop. Readers who can be patient will be treated to a spectacular Champagne. The blend is 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, which makes the 2008 a rare Clos des Goisses that favors Chardonnay. About 75% of the lots were fermented in oak. Disgorged April 2017. Dosage is 4.25 grams per liter. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (WE) | د.إ4,715.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (98)This single vineyard, one of the steepest in Champagne, produces fabulous wines. Richness restrained by the minerality from the terroir is balanced by the structured Pinot Noir fruits that bring touches of toast, spice and white fruits. Drink through 2025 at least. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) | د.إ2,090.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (99)The new release of this Champagne is impressively stylish. It comes from a vertiginous vineyard facing north across the Marne river, the soil producing a wine with intense minerality and texture that demands time to soften. So, the blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is set for further aging. Ideally, wait for this magnificent wine until 2025. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 5 | 97+ (WI) | د.إ2,200.00 | |||||
The Wine Independent (97+)The Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 14 is a classic, somewhat yesteryear style of Clos des Goisses that is a blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay coming from 14 different small parcels each vinified separately with only the best, ripest elements included in the final blend. None of the wines underwent malolactic to retain freshness and it was finished Extra Brut with a 4.5 gram per liter dosage. Ethereal, floral notes of white viburnum waft over layers of ripe red apple, lemon butter biscuits, almond nougat, clover honey and toast then flow into a medium to full-bodied palate infused with a high-gloss, vibrant acidity shining a Klieg light of freshness on pure red berry fruit and citrus intensity. There is an ease of elegance throughout, and incredible length on the creamy finish. 20,000 bottles. Disgorged in March 2023 and finished with a 4.5 grams per liter dosage. 19984 Bottles produced. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98+ (WA) | د.إ6,795.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98+)Disgorged in March 2019, the 2008 Extra Brut Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé is a fabulous forthcoming release from Philipponnat, opening in the glass with aromas of rose petals, warm bread, red berries, papaya and spices. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with an incisive spine of acidity, excellent concentration and a tight-knit core, concluding with a long, intense and chalky finish. This is still a very youthful, tensile rosé and patience will be required of anyone hoping to drink it at its peak of maturity. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 96 (WE) | د.إ1,990.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (96)This grand cru wine is named in celebration of the date of the Philipponnat family's arrival in the village of Aÿ. It is a mature blend of 70% Pinot Noir with Chardonnay, proportions that are typical of this producer on the Montagne de Reims. Rich, lightly toasty with green-apple and pear flavors, the wine is ready to drink. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 96 (WE) | د.إ1,935.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (96)This grand cru wine is named in celebration of the date of the Philipponnat family's arrival in the village of Aÿ. It is a mature blend of 70% Pinot Noir with Chardonnay, proportions that are typical of this producer on the Montagne de Reims. Rich, lightly toasty with green-apple and pear flavors, the wine is ready to drink. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 18 (JR) | د.إ2,015.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18)Full bottle 1,697 g. From vineyards including the historic plots at Le Léon in Aÿ, complemented by Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Red wines from Mareuil. 72% Pinot Noir and 28% Chardonnay. Dosage 4.5 g/l, eight years sur latte, disgorged March 2019. 5,212 bottles. Long and racy. Bitter orange oils and raspberry-leaf tea, more than a little minty but with the cool-hit lift and bite of wasabi powder, fine-ground chalk and river pebbles, cumin powder, white pepper. Enormously complex but clenched as tight as a fist. White raspberries, grapefruit, redcurrants. Precision, finger-nail-pressed origami folds, so sharp the fruit has paper cuts. Exciting. Exacting. Tense yet creamy. Spice defines the finish and brings it to a close that feels like an unfinished poem. So you take another sip. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 8 | 98 (JS) | د.إ2,515.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)Orange rind and spices, such as cardamom on the nose, together with sourdough and fresh fig . Some salted butter, too. It's creamy, supple and silky, with a salty freshness. Soft bubbles. Long and chalky finish. 100% chardonnay from 90-year-old vines. Base wine fermented in stainless steel. Only made in exceptional vintages. Disgorged after 15 years on lees with 5g/L dosage. Drink or hold. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 96 (WA) | د.إ9,075.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96)"Why has the non-vintage concept largely been reserved to entry-level wines?" pondered Péters, and he decided to produce a new cuvée to change that. Based on the 2012 Les Chétillons and supplemented by wine from the family's long-established perpetual reserve, the NV L’Étonnant Monsieur Victor Edition MK 12 is the latest rendition, and it's showing very well, opening in the glass with aromas of lemon oil, warm bread, white flowers, crushed chalk, oyster shells and wheat toast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with superb concentration, racy acids and a precise, intensely saline finish. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 95 (VN) | د.إ8,340.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2015 L'Etonnant Monsieur Victor Edition TB.15 is impressive. In fact, it is the best of the 2015-base wines at Péters, and also shows how important blending can be in Champagne. For this bottling, Rodolphe Péters blends one tank of his Chétillons and a tank of Réserve Oubliée. The result is a Champagne of uncommon complexity and pedigree. Bright, floral and effusive, the 2015 base Monsieur Victor is just gorgeous. There is a feeling of translucence that is beguiling. Hints of dried flowers, marzipan, brioche and hazelnut linger on the delicate, super-refined finish. I would prefer to drink this on the earlier side, as the first signs of aromatic nuance are starting to settle in. Disgorged: December 2021. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN) | د.إ4,600.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)The 2014 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is fabulous. The 2014 is not as obvious as years like 2012 or 2013, but it presents a youthfully austere, classic personality that is absolutely beguiling. Readers will have to be patient here. There is certainly a lot to look forward to. The 2014 Les Chétillons is a Blanc de Blancs that sizzles with Mesnil tension and energy. Dosage is 3.5-4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2021. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN) | د.إ7,115.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)The 2014 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is fabulous. The 2014 is not as obvious as years like 2012 or 2013, but it presents a youthfully austere, classic personality that is absolutely beguiling. Readers will have to be patient here. There is certainly a lot to look forward to. The 2014 Les Chétillons is a Blanc de Blancs that sizzles with Mesnil tension and energy. Dosage is 3.5-4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2021. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | - | د.إ4,170.00 | |||||
|
Revered as a paramount exemplar of fine Champagne, the Pierre Peters Les Montjolys Blanc de Blancs 2015 distinguishes itself with its refined character. Harvested in the esteemed Montjolys vineyard, known for its classic chalk and limestone soils, this splendid blanc de blancs exudes its unique terroir's distinctive fingerprint, showcasing Pierre Peters' savoir-faire in viticulture since 1919. It's an exclusive Grand Cru, crafted meticulously using 100% Chardonnay grapes. Marvel at its captivating golden hue with a fine effervescence that dances on the palate. Striking citrus notes intertwine harmoniously with a bouquet of baked apple, honeycomb and creamy nougat, capturing the essence of the 2015 vintage. This vintage offers an enlivening freshness, underscored by a well-structured minerality. Round and enveloping in the mouth, the Pierre Peters Les Montjolys Blanc de Blancs 2015 confirms the house's reputation for fusing tradition with innovation elegantly. Savour this exceptional Champagne's complexity and finesse, encapsulating the luxury of time. |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 2 | 93+ (WA) | د.إ1,075.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93+)Unfurling in the glass with incipiently complex aromas of citrus oil, wheat toast, fresh peach and crisp orchard fruit, the newly released 2012 Vintage Brut is full-bodied, deep and tightly wound, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a fine mousse, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. Even though it's still a little reserved after its recent disgorgement |
|||||||||
|
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (TRR) | د.إ2,095.00 | |||||
The Real Review (HH) (98)Full golden-yellow colour; very toasty old-wine bouquet which gradually opened up and revealed more with time in the glass. Aromas of toasted bread, toffee, vanilla, apricot, blood orange, quince paste; the palate full, rich and very dry, the penetrating acidity powering a very long finish. A very mature Champagne, not for everyone, but for those who enjoy aged Champagne, it's a joy. The rating is purely about pleasure. (60/40 pinot noir / chardonnay. 4 grams/litre dosage; disgorged in January 2022) |
|||||||||
|
|
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 | 1 | 98 (DC) | د.إ1,775.00 | |||||
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.إ3,160.00 | |||||
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.إ7,235.00 | |||||
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. |
|||||||||
