Champagne & Sparkling

Sourced from the prestigious Grand Cru village of Mailly, our Own Selection Champagne is a classic blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. With more than three years’ ageing, it is a delightfully complex example of non-vintage Champagne. Aromas of brioche and flowers draw you in on the nose. The palate is elegant, marrying notes of lemongrass, gingerbread and honeysuckle. 

Ready to drink now

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Apricot, pastry, chamomile, mint and light tropical notes are all signatures of a hot vintage with a very fast final phase of ripening that trails only 2002 and 2003 in terms of sugars. Of course, the year had plenty of challenges. The first part of the year was marked by cold and very dry weather during the winter and spring. June saw heat and some stress in the vines. July and August were quite warm, with heavy rains on August 15 and 16 that caused a widespread outbreak of botrytis that accelerated rapidly in the days leading up to harvest. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon explained that Chardonnay was favored over Pinot because better aeration within the clusters helped fend off rot, while parcels that had been less stressed by the June heat also suffered less from the effects of botrytis. Perhaps because of the unevenness in the season, there is also something disjointed about the 2010. While sugars were high, so were acidities, just behind 2008 in the decade of the 2000s. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over time. It is the first vintage made under the direction of Vincent Chaperon, who worked alongside outgoing Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy for many years. Drink 2021-2035. Antonio Galloni

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Antonio Galloni:: 93/100

[]James Suckling:: 98/100

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{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{ratings}        
[]Jancis Robinson:: 17.5/20    

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The Cuvees St Vincent, using their best wines from old vines plot aged with lees for 10 years before being released, stand easily the test of time and get better with age. The outstanding 2012 vintage Champagne has a promising and pleasant color with twinkling little reflections. A generous mousse with fine bubbles. On the nose the wine expresses a gourmet and powerful personality with buttered notes of hot brioche and an exceptional freshness due to Chardonnay. It offers a gustative aromatic richness, some complexity and a great balance – which reflect an exceptional cuvee. On the palate, the wine is sublimated by notes of pineapple flambe which give a very pleasant feeling of warmth. 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, 4gr/L dosage.

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
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{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                              

 {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2005{vintage}

{ratings} []Jeb Dunnuck:: 95/100

[]Jancis Robinson:: 18.5/20

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{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                              

 {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2008{vintage}

{ratings} []Jasper Morris MW:: 98/100

[]Antonio Galloni, Vinous:: 98+/100

[]Wine Advocate:: 98/100

[]Jancis Robinson:: 17++/20

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Grapes for the Les Epinettes Blanc de Noirs are sourced from a north-west plot in Verzy, that offers more maturity than many of Champagne Penet’s wines. This blanc de noirs is a pure and chiselled celebration of Pinot Noir, from a Grand Cru village. Both the nose and palate are filled with notes of hay smoke, musk, and bursts of wild raspberry. The foam is fine, with a firmly mineral, defined, and long finish. 

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
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This is made for us by the celebrated Hambledon Vineyard. Bright, pure and refreshing, a neatly woven mousse supports notes of stone-fruit, gooseberry crumble and English meadow. The palate is foaming and firmly mineral, showcasing the quality of the Chardonnay from Hampshire’s pure chalk soils. This is the perfect partner for any celebration.

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

La Grande Dame 2015 is an exceptional sunny vintage for a wine full of tension and elegance. It reveals this great wine’s verticality thanks to the Pinot Noirs harvested from our historical Grands Crus

{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}

{ratings} [] Wine Spectator:: 95/100

[] James Suckling:: 93/100

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2009 was Alexandre Penet’s first vintage at the helm of Champagne Penet. In celebration, he decided to create the Cuvée Prestige Diane Claire: a prestige cuvée to celebrate the finest expression of Verzenay. Only the best parcels of the village are selected, and a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay is used.

The wine was vinified and matured in barrique before bottling. There is a notable richness, alongside fruit and oak spice with hints of roasted peach. There’s a welcome wash of mineral freshness on the finish, too.

Drink 2022 - 2030

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2022)

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2009{vintage}
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The Terroir & Sens Blanc de Blancs from Champagne Penet-Chardonnet is a rare gem, stemming from a Grand Cru village known almost exclusively for Pinot Noir. This wine demonstrates the richness, complexity and minerality of the terroir.

The nose is vinous, smoky and reminiscent of white Burgundy, helped by its time in used barrel. The palate is detailed, with crispy and supple white fruit, alongside notes of cardamom, saffron, and patisserie. There’s a fine, minerally charged mousse.

Drink now until 2035

{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}NV{vintage}

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After a long day of tasting young Barolo, I craved Champagne. There is a sort of symbiotic relationship between Champagne and Piedmont that I can’t really explain except to say I enjoy it tremendously. The growers really seem to be on the same wavelength in so many ways, so when I saw Jérôme Prévost’s NV Les Béguines, I grabbed it. 

The Béguines (2019 disgorgement) is wonderfully fresh and open-knit and so expressive. Sometimes I think we open these wines too soon after release; I know I do. But with a few years on the cork, the Les Béguines offers up pear, spice, ginger and dried flowers, all with notable freshness and verve. Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Decanter.com (December 2022)

{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}NV{vintage}

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This is a completely different terroir expression to the 045, and the last vineyard to harvest each year  EPaul never encounters problems with this ‘golden child Eplot. The soil is a deep, limey chalk. From the 2020 vintage, this has not gone through malolactic fermentation and has no added sugar, in order to express the purity of the Pinot Noir in Verzenay. A gourmand, exuberant champagne, this has been aged in 100% Burgundy barrels and demi-muids.

The nose has more tropical, exotic fruit flavours, extremely pure and intense, while the palate has a beautifully fine texture and citrus flavours. The finish is pure Pinot Noir, with a hint of iodine and a lovely minerality; this is such a food wine  Ebut best paired with seafood.

Drink now to 2030

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)

{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}NV{vintage}

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This rare and exclusive Clos is nestled above the domaine above the town of Avize. 2012 marks its introduction into the Waris Hubert range, which marries the extraordinary quality of the vintage and matured in barrique, 50% in inox tank.

This rich and complex Champagne takes its position amongst the finest Clos in Champagne. The nose is seductive, with a distinct crepe suzette character. There is autumnal spice on the palate, and foam surges over golden apple and roasted stone fruit, typical of Avize village, which added richness to the 2012 character. Mineral, poised and brimming with energy. 

Drink 2023 - 2040+

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
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This organic single vineyard is located directly under the historical cradle of Champagne, Hautvillers Abbey. Pinot Noir (80%) gives this wine a rich fruit profile, with plum, black fruits and roasted red Macintosh apple. Chardonnay (20%) keeps the palate taught and serious, with electric energy. The cuvée spent nine months in mixed oak barrels prior to secondary fermentation, giving the wines an almost Burgundian character and seasoned oak spice while retaining mineral freshness. It’s unfiltered with minimal dosage, revealing the purity and sapid expression of the terroir. Bottled July 2016, disgorged November 2020. Drink now to 2035.

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2021)

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
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The complex and subtle aroma of champagne is dominated by tones of candied citrus fruits and ripe stone fruits, decorated with delicate nuances of dried apricots, almonds and minerals. The fresh, concentrated acidity in the champagne flavor maintains the brightness and richness of the bouquet. Notes of green apple, lemon and cherry in a long aftertaste are set off by salty and yeasty touches. 

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
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The 2012 Chateau d’Avize is an ethereal Champagne that personifies the meticulous processes at Leclerc Briant. The nose shows layered citrus fruits, pear, white flowers, and fresh patisserie. The palate is ripe and shows notes of brioche and toast underpinning the white fruits. Drink 2023-2033.

Paul Keating, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Oct 2022)

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{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
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The Annexa Grand Cru Ay is a Blanc de Noirs grown from a single lieux-dit, “Les Freres Martin E Vines were planted in 1930, on the hillside above the Grand Cru village of Ay. No oak was used here; vinification was purely in steel to best preserve and celebrate the charming, musky richness of Pinot Noir. This wine is perfumed and floral, rich with notes of jasmine, white tea and red apple tart tatin. There's some racy, chalky freshness too. Only 2005 bottles were produced. Drink 2023  E2040.

Davy Żyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros & Rudd (Sep 2022)

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
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This is the second release from Leclerc Briant’s new clos in Montagne de Reims; the panoramic site was chosen for the longevity it gives its wines, and for their lucid nature. The 2015 vintage was vinified in mixed oak barrels  Eincluding second fill from Haut-Brion Blanc  Egiving it added texture. The nose is pretty and tightly coiled, with white flowers, green apples, nectarines and wild honey.

The palate is cleansing, with racy white-and-yellow fruits, sweet hay, camomile and much more; it’s got lip-puckering tension and salinity. This is finely woven, with beautifully integrated mousse and minerality. Bottled July 2016, disgorged May 2019. Zero dosage.

Drink now to 2035

Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2021)

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
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This Grand Cru cuvée, named for Olivier’s daughter, is a stunning expression of Avize Chardonnay from a challenging year. The vines average 40 years of age, entirely organically grown on chalky and clay soils. The nose has a complex and inviting bouquet of golden apples and pears, with a delightful interplay of white peach and acacia blossoms. 

The palate is textured and expressive, with a more restrained edge than the opulent 2016 – shy at first, but the 2017 really develops in the glass, proof of the quality of the terroir. The finish retains a lovely mineral edge and a hint of cinnamon and sweet spices.

Drink now until 2033

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)

As a relative newcomer in this historic region, Waris Hubert has not been bound by the constraints of market expectations or legacy. Instead, the domaine has been able to instigate change and leapfrog the quality of many famous names, in a relatively short period of time. Olivier combines slow cold fermentations, low sulphur use and extended lees ageing to create an artisan range of Champagnes that are richly textured and expressive, combining the very best of modernity and tradition.

The Annexa Grand Cru Ay is a Blanc de Noirs grown from a single lieux-dit, “Les Freres Martin”. Vines were planted in 1930, on the hillside above the Grand Cru village of Ay. This wine is aromatic and floral, rich with notes of jasmine, white tea and red apple tart tatin. There’s some racy, chalky freshness too. It is a remarkably complex wine that is a delight to drink. Very refined and wonderful to drink. 

Drink 2023 - 2040 

Chris Hanssen, Account Manager, Berry Bros & Rudd (September 2023)

The 2008 Brut Rosé Celebris is an absolutely gorgeous Champagne that captures the essence of the Gosset house style. Bright and ethereal in feel, the 2008 is deceptive in its first impression, but it has plenty of depth to match its decidedly regal, understated personality. The 6.5-gram dosage feels perfectly judged, just enough to fill out the layers and avoid some of the starkness these wines can show, but not so much as to be overpowering. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper build as this finely-sculpted Rosé shows off its charms. This is beautifully done. The dosage is 6.5 grams per litre. 

Disgorged: April, 2021

Drink 2021 - 2031

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2021)

52% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, and 17 % Pinot Meunier from the 2018 harvest, with tank-aged reserve wines added. Dosage 5.7 g/l.

Hambledon Vineyard has a long and fascinating history. Not only does the village have the reputation as the cradle of cricket, long before Lord’s, it seems, but it is also the location of the first English commercial vineyard, courtesy of the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones, who developed the vineyards in the early 1950s. After an uneventful hiatus, the vineyard was purchased by Ian Kellett in 1999, and his investments of both patience and capital are now yielding fruit, quite literally, in the form of some of the best-located Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the country.

Fruits of the 2011 harvest, with reserve sines added from 2010, this is a most impressive effort, its lees-ageing imparting gentle biscuity notes and adding weight and structure to the first impressions, which recall English orchard fruit, yellow fruits and quince.

Berry Bros. & Rudd 

Hambledon Vineyard has a long and fascinating history. Not only does the village have the reputation as the cradle of cricket, long before Lord’s, it seems, but it is also the location of the first English commercial vineyard, courtesy of the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones, who developed the vineyards in the early 1950s.

After an uneventful hiatus, the vineyard was purchased by Ian Kellett in 1999, and his investments of both patience and capital are now yielding fruit, quite literally, in the form of some of the best-located Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the country.

A beautiful vivid pink with a bright red berry hue, it displays an array of wild strawberry aromas on the nose that lead to a generous, complex palate of buttered toast, ripe lemon and juicy hedgerow fruit.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is a Pinot Meunier-driven sparkling rosé made using the saignée method, showcasing a dark salmon-pink colour. Based on the 2016 vintage, the latest release was bottled in 2017 and disgorged in 2022. Toasty on the nose with caramelised red apple and red berries. The palate is full-on and rounded, featuring brioche and biscuit, complemented by zingy red pomelo and red apple, refreshed by bright acidity (9g/l). A satisfying rosé with spectacular breadth and flavour concentration. Elegantly poised, it still has plenty of life ahead.

Drink 2023 - 2036

Sylvia Wu, Decanter.com (September 2023)

Produced with 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, and the rest Meunier, the 2018 Champagne Millésime Extra Brut was vinified and raised for nine months in barrels. It sees 3 grams per litre dosage and was disgorged in March 2023. It pours a rich, youthful yellow hue and is forward in its expressive notes of toasted oak spice that are very assertive and joined by notes of toasted croissant, orange marmalade, white pepper, and ripe red berries. 

Full-bodied, it has a lush and pillowy mousse and a fantastic texture, filling the palate with ample fruit, a chalky texture, and a rounded and fleshy personality. Although, at first, it feels as if its oak is not well-integrated, it impresses me more as it opens and is approachable in its ripe fruit now. It’s long on the palate and is a very well-made wine, but I’d like to see how this harmonizes over time. 

Drink 2025 - 2045

Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (November 2023)

The Champagne Éphémère was created by blending only Chardonnay grapes from the Lieu-Dit "Les Brousses", classified as Premier Cru, of the Cote des Blancs.

With 7.5 years of lees ageing, this has beautiful patisserie notes but retains layers of sweet tropical fruits. Pineapple, mangos and Amalfi lemons make up a refreshing wine with baking spices developing with time on the palate. The wine has maintained a vibrant freshness given the time spent on lees, which is a testament to the quality. Incredibly enjoyable with a selection of different seafood plates or as an aperitif. 

Drink 2022 - 2026+

Paul Keating, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Still a stunner, the 2002 Dom Ruinart is just as gorgeous as it has always been. Warm, toasty notes meld into apricots, succulent peaches, white flowers and spices in a rich, expansive Champagne that captures the year's essence. 

The 2002 is pure, full-throttle opulence, yet all the elements are very much in balance. A creamy, resonant finish rounds things out in style. Multiple tastings have shown that the 2002 is shutting down in bottle, so my suggestion is to be patient. 

What a gorgeous wine this is. This bottle was disgorged in March 2012.

Drink 2014 - 2032

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (March 2014)

The 2019 Extra-Brut Rosé de Saignée is produced from organically farmed old-vine Pinot Meunier grown in Villers Aux Noeuds that Brochet purchases from another grower. Bursting with aromas of raspberries, plums, sweet berries, peonies and orange, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a textural, enveloping profile and a broad, expansive finish. Avoiding any of the ponderousness that can sometimes mar this style of rosé, especially when the grapes get very ripe, shows all the precision typical of this producer's style.

Drink 2021 - 2026

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2022)

Emmanuel Brochet derives from a farming family in a part of Champagne that converted from viticulture to agriculture (more lucrative, given their proximity to Reims) in the aftermath of phylloxera. One of the remaining outposts of the vine is the Mont Benoît, where his grandparents had some 2.5 hectares contracted out. So, in 1997, Brochet took over and started a project of his own—a choice he made freely and enthusiastically, he emphasizes, rather than out of obligation.

Emmanuel Brochet's brilliant NV Extra-Brut Le Mont Benoit is the finest rendition of this cuvée that he has produced to date. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of waxy citrus rind, crisp stone fruit, bread dough, beeswax and nutmeg, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and vinous, exhibiting terrific concentration without weight, uniting the full maturity of the vintage with the pillowy, chalky signature of the Mont Benoit. Complex and compelling, this release underlines Brochet's status as one of the reigning champions of artisanal Champagne.

Drink 2023 - 2040

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (December 2023)

The Clos Cazals Vielles Vignes is a wonderful expression of Oger. The wine was sourced from 50-year-old Grand Cru vines, and was fermented mainly in steel to preserve purity of character and freshness. Some barrique ageing, and extended time on the lees, added layers of richness and a beautiful complexity. Despite its age, the wine retains a wonderful chalky energy.

Drink now – 2030

Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Sep 2022)

This is an incredible rosé with super fine tannins that are layered and caress the palate, giving this Champagne an incredible mouthfeel. Iron and stone in the nose. Iodine. Dried flowers as well as dried strawberries and peaches. It's full-bodied but not overpowering and shows super complexity. Chalky sensation as well. A truly great wine for the table. You sip and fall in love. Aged all this time in the cellar of Dom Perignon. 

Drink or hold

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (August 2023)

The 2012 vintage continues to prove it is one of the greatest of this millennium. It was sunny, but low yielding and the resulting wines have concentration, opulence and are worthy of time in the cellar. This unique parcel, late disgorged exclusively for Berry Bros. & Rudd, gives the palate richer golden depth, but also freshness.

A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the nose entices with roasted citrus, fig tarts and musky floral lift. The palate is a celebration of drinkability and complexity. The texture has a soft flow of fine mousse which carries the vintage’s richness in a cloud-like embrace. There are notes of peach, lemon meringue, the chewy corners of pâtisserie, and some depth of hazelnuts from evolution.

The finish is driven and typifies the grandeur of the vintage, but also the Grand Cru vineyards of Pol Roger. Everlasting, mineral elegance. Our 325th anniversary edition Pol Roger 2012 is testament to our enduring alliance with Pol Roger, but also the quality of their wines and the vintage.

Drink now to 2045

Davy Zyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (October 2023)

This is gleaming gold in the glass. The nose entices with yellow fruit, ginger and hot buttered scones, while the palate is softly foaming, powerful and utterly delicious. The fine mousse aids textural complexity. Flavours weave between the immediate satisfaction of baked plum crumble with cream, and serious, savoury Pinot musk from the thoroughbred chalk terroir, the maturity of the base vintages and evolution in bottle. The finish is mineral, golden, expansive and dangerously moreish.

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Disgorged in 2022 after 36 months in tirage, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2018) is based on the 2018 vintage, incorporating fully 60% reserve wines from the 2017 vintage. 

Opening in the glass with scents of sweet mirabelle plum, honeycomb, orange oil, bee pollen and spices, it’s full-bodied fleshy and seamless, with a satiny attack that segues into a vinous, enveloping mid-palate that’s complemented by a fine, pillowy mousse. 

Concluding with a sapid, penetrating finish, 2018 was the first vintage in which Collin employed his new Coquard press, and it doesn’t seem fanciful to imagine that this contributes to the notable finesse of this release.

Drink 2022 - 2035

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2022)

The NV Extra Brut Les Beguines is spicy, savoury and full of Meunier character. All it needs is time to soften and fully come together, as it has just been disgorged. Today, it is the raw energy that impresses me most. Dried pear, ginger, spice, dried herbs, anise and chamomile open gradually. 

Time in the glass fills out the mid-palate and finishes nicely, giving a good idea of what is to come. This looks to be a medium-bodied, distinctly savoury, vintage for Les Beguines. This release is based on 2020, with 20% reserve wines from 2019. The dosage is 2.5 grams per litre.

Disgorged: October 2022.

Drink 2024 - 2032

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2022)

A charming nose that is both pronounced but also incredibly delicate. Touches of Amalfi lemons, oranges, stewed green apples and fresh pastries entice. The palate feels surprisingly settled, given the relatively recent disgorgement and the gentle mousse, a hallmark of the cuvée. Vibrant citrus, lemon compote, apple Tarte Tatin and a steely backbone.

Delicate floral aromas give a really refreshing feel, but there is considerable potential to age. This will cellar for 4 years or 40; the choice is yours. What is clear is that Grand Siècle has been, and still is, hugely underappreciated. 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir coming from 2008, 2007 and 2006. 12 years lees ageing.

Paul Keating, Private Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (April 2022)

This exceptional champagne is a darling of lovers of grower champagnes—and one can see why. It is exuberant, fresh, and crisp, yet it has excellent depth of flavour as well, with aromas of lemon peel, nectarine, passionfruit, and a hint of smoky, flinty, saline minerality. It is produced from a 1.55-hectare parcel in the village of Congy in the Coteaux du Petit Morin, planted to a mix of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. The grapes are mostly 2015, fermented in used casks, and blended with a small amount of reserve wine before ageing for five years on the lees. 

It was disgorged in March of 2021 with an extra-brut dosage.

Drink 2022 - 2045

Charles Curtis MW, Decanter.com (February 2023)

Les Comtes is one of the greatest of all Chardonnay Champagnes, its fruit sourced from the finest Grand Cru sites of the Côte des Blancs. Blue chip provenance includes the villages of Avize, le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant; it is the best of the best. Or, doubly appropriate given its luxuriant gustatory profile; la crème de la crème. 5% of the wine is aged in wood before spring bottling and the ensuing lengthy somnolence wherein the alchemical process of autolysis weaves its patient magic over nearly a decade.

2004 was an abundant crop, but also, unusually given its volume, one of high quality, especially in the south of the appellation and for the Chardonnay grape. Aromas of pear, greengage, bergamot and white flowers prove immediately attractive; the palate boasts precision, focus and a wonderful mousse bead. The immediate impression is of freshness and vitality; this is complemented by a profound yet subtle intensity that more than justifies the supreme reputation of this wine.

Ready to drink

Berry Bros. & Rudd

2007 Champagne Le Mesnil, Cuvée Prestige, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru Champagne is a spectacular 100% Chardonnay from their fabled vineyards. Drinking at its peak with so much drama and class in a glass, this is a heroic wine with an unmissable price tag.

Matthew Jukes, Money Week (October 2023)

2007 was a vintage which favoured Chardonnay and produced many top-level cuvées. The Les Mesnil Cuvée Prestige is made exclusively from the legendary chalky Grand Cru vineyards, close to the winery in the Cote des Blancs’s most famous postcode, Le Mesnil sur Oger. The Blanc de Blancs is fermented in cement and steel at low temperatures to retain the purity of fruit and vintage personality and spent nine years on lees gaining complexity and fine, tight bubbles. 

The texture is firmly Grand Cru, with mineral edges and notes of golden apple, roasted lemon and the salty chew of caramel shortbread. The Prestige 2007 is a work of art and offers brilliant value, considering it is made from some of the region’s finest terroirs. Drink with mixed canapés, cheesy biscuits or, for the ultimate experience, turbot and a white butter sauce.

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Wow, this really is a magnificent vintage Champagne. Tasted side by side with the 2006, the 2007 Blanc des Millénaires was fresh, precise and zippy. I preferred it! With bright acidity, red apple and brioche notes, Cellar Master Cyril Brun calls 2007 a ‘dangerous champagne.’ Sensational now but with lots of potential for further ageing. The 2007 is linear, crisp with flint stony notes with a finish that goes on and on. Purity is the word that springs to mind when tasting, a perfect aperitif that is both refreshing and complex.

Drink 2022 - 2034

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Disgorged March 2019.

The 2008 Champagne La Grande Dame is forward, with a luxurious perfume of honeysuckle, tropical fruit of papaya, and buttered citrus. The mousse is rounded, with an opulent texture, and it does finish dry, with orange marmalade, ripe melon, and chestnut. Its driving and impressive acidity will make this worthy to cellar and enjoy over the coming 20 years.

Drink 2022 - 2042

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (November 2022)

The 2011 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is superb with generous, bright aromas of lemon cream, stone fruits, baked pastry and almonds. The palate has a subtle verve: rich but not overbearing and its weight is carried with deftness and elegance. There is freshness here and a fine mousse brings a lively energy. Beautiful acidity and with extraordinary length, it finishes with a twist of salinity leaving you reaching for a second sip.

Drink 2022 - 2038

Larissa Buckley, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2012 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Blanches Voies is elegant, weightless and crystalline in its purity. Lemon peel, white flowers, crushed rocks and marzipan abound. Another six months has done the 2012 wonders. A wine of transparency and crystalline purity. Even with more than two years of disgorgement, the 2012 is very tightly wound. It’s all understatement and class here. -Antonio Galloni

The nose is layered with delicate floral notes and hints of cherry. The palate is incredibly bright and vibrant, with bundles of pink grapefruit and blood orange encompassed in a lively mousse. With the blend favouring Chardonnay, there are hints of tropical fruits too. This is drinking wonderfully now and will age well over the next six years.

Drink 2022 - 2030

Paul Keating, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2014 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Minéral is a powerful, intense Champagne that captures all of the natural power of these old vines in Avize and Cramant. Aptly named, the Minéral is infused with tremendous mineral and soil inflections that give a real feeling of gravitas. Crushed rocks, slate, chalk and citrus accents are some of the many nuances that emerge with a bit of time in the glass. This release is fabulous. It is also a reticent wine, though, so at least a year or two in bottle will help soften.  - Antonia Galloni

Coming from all the Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs, the 2015 Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs has a bright silver/yellow appearance and needs a second to open in the glass and reveal notes of fresh pear, candied lime, white flowers, and fresh bread dough. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate and has a broader mouthfeel but remains in check, with a light, chalky mouthfeel and pithy fresh citrus, which is characteristic of the savoriness of the vintage. It has a clean and mouthwatering finish. 7 grams per litre dosage.

Drink 2023 - 2038

Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (November 2023)

Bottled July 2016, disgorged May 2019. Zero dosage.

This is the second release from Leclerc Briant’s new clos in Montagne de Reims; the panoramic site was chosen for the longevity it gives its wines, and for their lucid nature. The 2015 vintage was vinified in mixed oak barrels – including second fill from Haut-Brion Blanc – giving it added texture. The nose is pretty and tightly coiled, with white flowers, green apples, nectarines and wild honey. The palate is cleansing, with racy white-and-yellow fruits, sweet hay, camomile and much more; it’s got lip-puckering tension and salinity. This is finely woven, with beautifully integrated mousse and minerality.

Drink 2024 - 2035

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Creamy, tangy, coddled-yogurt richness. Dense and weighty, with layers and layers of richness: brûléed cream and cobnuts, honey and baked feta in pastry. Fascinating sprinkle of dried oregano grace notes. A kaleidoscope of flavour and texture tucked within a very firm, square frame. Linear, smoky end. Serious and magnificent. - Jancis Robinson

The 2017 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Minéral Grand Cru is gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of lemon confit, marzipan, spice and graphite, melding together notable textural richness and vibrancy. This is an especially open-knit edition of the Minéral. That's not a bad thing at all. There's an exotic quality to the 2017 that is perhaps not characteristic but makes this quite enjoyable. - Vinous

"This bottling is 100% Chardonnay sourced entirely from a single plot called ""La Tuilerie"" located in the middle altitude slopes of Vandieres (Mi-Coteau). Aged 42 months.

This is a spectacular Blanc de Blanc, great breadth and richness, fairly explosive on the palate with showstopping complexity. Packed with orchard fruits–plump apricot, white peaches, orange blossoms, lemon confit and a slate of minerality running throughout."

This multi-vintage cuvée is sourced from Champagne Penet-Chardonnet’s finest sites, located across Verzy and Verzenay. Comprised of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, the base wine is from the superlative 2013 vintage. This wine represents incredible value for the price: the nose is rich in white flowers and sourdough bread, while the palate is fine, smoky, and filled with mineral tension. The wine spent seven years on lees.

Drink 2023 - 2030

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The potential alcohol content was record high from the start, especially in Aÿ, with 11.1% straight away. Denis, just like me, sees great similarities between 2015 and 2019, but where the sharpness and freshness is better in 2019. It is not the acidity, but rather the mineral salt that gives the freshness together with the sense of umami the concentrated grapes give. Here, there is a swirl of exotic fruit and honey and a dry smokiness that I’ve learned to associate with the cluster of aromas that transforms over time into the note of railway on a hot summer’s day. It might sound fuzzy, but it makes perfect sense.

The combination of heated rail, dry gravel, dandelions and nettles that thrive in the embankment gives a concentrated, warm dryness strongly reminiscent of the character the grapes acquire when the temperature crosses the vine’s pain point on a few hot summer days. 41 degrees in the shade was a heat record in Champagne, especially a lot of shade, which the vineyards in Champagne cannot boast of, so the effect is reminiscent of that which arose in 1947, 1959, 1976, and 2003. Hence, this aroma was less marked in 2019. Let’s see if I’m right in 10 years when I expect “The Famous Note of Railroad Track” to appear in this beauty.

Richard Juhlin, The Champagne Club (June 2024)

Offering up aromas of smoky pear, warm biscuits, clear honey and spices, the 2011 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Champs Saint-Martin is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and precise, with bright acids and a charming core of fruit, complemented by a pinpoint mousse. Of these various lieu-dit bottlings from Penet-Chardonnet, it's the 2011 that best transcends the limitations of the vintage. It was disgorged in September 2019 with 5.2 grams per liter dosage.

Drink now to 2027

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2022)

An outstanding Grand Cru Champagne from one of the most celebrated vintages in recent history. Production is a meagre 244 cases, grown from 3 small plots planted from 1963-1987and the bottles have spent over 10 years on lees.

Despite the age, this is a vibrant and incredibly precise expression of Chardonnay, with rich bursts of apple tartlets and delicate white flowers on the nose, and a graceful effervescence on the palate. With zero dosage added, you can taste every nuance of the complexities Chardonnay can offer, framed by a slightly saline note and a minerality reminiscent of crushed limestone.

Mouth-wateringly delicious, enjoy this now until 2030.

Katie Merry, Assistant Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)

Champagne Penet-Charonndet’s 2012 vintage of the La Croix l’Aumonier Blanc de Noirs boasts huge richness on the palate, while retaining tension and firm minerality. Grapes are sourced from a single old-vine plot of Pinot Noir, located on the south-east facing slopes of Verzy, that yield just a few thousand bottles a year. The wine spent time in large oak barrels that have given a soft gloss to the fine mousse, alongside noticeable spiced notes.

Drink 2023 - 2040

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2014 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize continues to show brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, white flowers, fresh mint, pastry cream and blanched almonds. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it's chiseled and concentrated, with racy acids, chalky structure and a long, saline finish. This is a terrific bottle that exemplifies the Larmandier-Bernier style. 2021-2038 - Wine Advocate

100% Chardonnay. 0g/L dosage.

Lovely nose of peaches, white apricots, jasmine, lemon curd, olives and almonds. Distinct salty and chalky undertones. Medium body with fine bubbles. Elegant and refined, with a very long and fine finish.

Drink or hold

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)

The blend of the 245 is 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and the rest Meunier.

Part of a new collection that’s just reaching the market now, the NV Champagne Collection 245 is based on the 2020 vintage. (The trilogy of vintages in the collection are from the early ripening 2018, which is lighter and fruitier, the 2019, richer and more powerful, and the 2020, which is somewhere between the other two.) It has a reflective straw hue and offers notes of fresh almond, bread dough, and fresh flowers.

Medium-bodied on the palate, with a fruity nature, it’s crunchy and fresh in the glass, with a lovely chalky texture, good refinement, a note of fresh nectarine, and a clean finish. Dry, but with a delicate rounded feel and some depth throughout, it opens to show more of its salinity and the delicate reductive smoke that frames the wine with oyster shell-like umami character. It’s approachable now but will age with ease.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (December 2024)

This is Matthieu’s calling card, made from a selection of his vineyards across Verzenay, Verzy and Villers-Marmery. A complex wine, this was based on the vibrant 2021 harvest, with 45% reserve wine added to bring depth and spice. This cuvée is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and was vinified in oak before spending a short 15 months on lees, retaining fruit and vineyard character. Its nose is expansive, with earthy layers and citrus lift, while the palate is fine: compact, with notes of red apple, stone fruit and a firm mineral grip.

Drink 2024 - 2034

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Disgorged January 2018. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.

The NV Bulle de Rosé is a pretty wine, even if it is a bit less exciting than the other Champagnes in this range. Pale-coloured, light and gracious, the Bulle de Rosé is an enjoyable drink. Even so, I think Fred Savart could do more to elevate this wine to a level where it is closer to his other Champagnes. The Bulle de Rosé is the same base as the Accomplie, approximately 65% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with about 5% still red Pinot.

This is another stellar set of wines from Fred Savart. There is not much else to say. Minimal handling allows for a very pure expression of the sites Savart works with. As always, these are rich, vinous Champagnes built on textured,multi-dimensional profiles.

Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2018)

This is comprised of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The warmth of the vintage shows immediately on the nose, with prominent sweet pear and apple notes. There are subtle suggestions of shortbread and marzipan. The mousse is gentle and silky smooth, a hallmark of Pol Roger. The palate carries hints of redcurrants and raspberries from the Pinot Noir, along with a touch of lime citrus and salinity that Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs provides. Baking spices and fresh pastry characters unfurl with time in the glass. This provides almost immediate drinking pleasure – but with five years in the cellar, it will be sublime.

Paul Keating, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This special multi site blend is a blend of 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir selected from five sloping lieu-dits around Oeuilly & Celle-les-Condé. spontaneous fermentation and maturation in large oak barrel, gaining complexity prior to secondary fermentation. Golden foam supports a palate of stone fruit, exotic saffron like spices with a chewy crumb of cardamom bun. Vinous depth. Vibrant core with soft edges. Disgorged November 2021. 0 gram dosage.

Drink 2023 - 2030

Davy Zyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)