CHAMPAGNE

Subcategories

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  Brut vintage

  Vintage Brut Champagne: The Excellence of Great Years

  What is a Vintage Brut Champagne?

  A Vintage Brut Champagne is made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year, unlike non-vintage champagnes that blend multiple harvests. It is produced only in exceptional years when climatic conditions ensure outstanding grape quality. More complex and structured, it offers a unique expression of both the terroir and the vintage.

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  Key Characteristics of a Great Vintage Brut Champagne

  • Demanding Production – A minimum of 3 years of aging in the cellar, often much longer for prestigious cuvées.
  • Unique Vintage Expression – Each year has its own distinctive character, shaped by climate and grape maturity.
  • Complexity and Depth – Richer and more structured than non-vintage champagnes, with excellent aging potential.

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  The Best Champagne Vintages

  Certain vintages are highly sought after due to their exceptional quality. Some of the greatest recent vintages include:

  ✔ 2012 – A precise champagne, marked by vibrant acidity and excellent concentration.
  ✔ 2008 – An outstanding vintage, offering remarkable freshness and immense aging potential.
  ✔ 2002 – Elegance and richness, one of the most sought-after vintages of the 21st century.
  ✔ 1996 – Sharp acidity and exceptional longevity, a legendary vintage.
  ✔ 1985 – Refined and complex, with beautifully evolved aromas.

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  Prestigious Houses and Producers for Vintage Champagnes

  Some champagne houses and producers stand out for their excellence in vintage champagnes:

  • Krug – Vintage Collection: The ultimate reference, each vintage is a masterful interpretation of the year.
  • Dom Pérignon: Legendary, its vintage champagnes combine finesse and depth.
  • Salon – Blanc de Blancs Vintage: Produced only in exceptional years, an outstanding champagne.
  • Bollinger – La Grande Année: Powerful and structured, perfect for lovers of vinous champagnes.
  • Taittinger – Comtes de Champagne: A great Blanc de Blancs with rare elegance.

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  Food Pairings & Vintage Brut Champagne

  A Vintage Brut Champagne pairs beautifully with refined dishes:

  ✔ Seafood & Caviar – Ideal with oysters, scallop tartare, or caviar.
  ✔ Truffled Poultry – The champagne's finesse enhances the truffle's aromas.
  ✔ Aged Cheeses – Aged Comté or Parmesan pair wonderfully.
  ✔ Japanese Cuisine – Sushi, sashimi, and tempura highlight its minerality.
  ✔ Lightly Sweetened Desserts – Vanilla millefeuille or lemon soufflé extend its brilliance on the palate.

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  Why Choose a Vintage Brut Champagne?

  ✔ A Gastronomic Champagne – Its complexity makes it ideal for haute cuisine.
  ✔ Exceptional Aging Potential – Some vintages develop magnificently over decades.
  ✔ A Rare and Prestigious Product – Made only in the finest years, it embodies the pinnacle of Champagne excellence.

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  Rose vintage

  Vintage Rosé Champagne: The Elegance and Refinement of Exceptional Years

  What is a Vintage Rosé Champagne?

  A Vintage Rosé Champagne is crafted exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year, unlike non-vintage rosé champagnes, which blend multiple vintages. It is only produced in exceptional years when climate conditions allow for optimal grape maturity, ensuring depth, structure, and complexity. This champagne stands out for its refined red fruit expression, vibrant freshness, and excellent aging potential.

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  Characteristics of a Great Vintage Rosé Champagne

  • Selective Production – Made only in outstanding years.
  • Unique Millésime Identity – Each vintage reflects the climatic conditions and terroir.
  • Complexity and Depth – More structured and expressive than a non-vintage rosé champagne.
  • Great Aging Potential – Develops refined aromas over time.

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  The Best Vintages for Rosé Champagne

  Some vintages are particularly sought after for their exceptional quality, offering complex, aromatic rosé champagnes with outstanding aging potential:

  ✔ 2012 – A balanced vintage with lively acidity and beautiful red fruit notes.
  ✔ 2008 – A legendary year, offering remarkable freshness and exceptional structure.
  ✔ 2002 – Velvety texture and rich aromatics, an outstanding vintage.
  ✔ 1996 – Sharp acidity and impressive longevity, a reference for collectors.
  ✔ 1988 – A rare and refined vintage, expressing great maturity and complexity.

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  Top Houses and Winemakers for Vintage Rosé Champagne

  • Krug – Vintage Rosé: A benchmark for power, elegance, and finesse.
  • Dom Pérignon Rosé: A symbol of sophistication, combining richness and freshness.
  • Louis Roederer – Cristal Rosé: A Champagne of rare purity and elegance.
  • Billecart-Salmon – Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon: A model of refinement and gastronomic appeal.
  • Laurent-Perrier – Alexandra Rosé: A rare vintage rosé with remarkable precision and finesse.

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  Food Pairings with Vintage Rosé Champagne

  A Vintage Rosé Champagne enhances refined dishes thanks to its perfect balance of freshness and structure:

  ✔ Tuna Tartare & Salmon – Enhances the champagne’s minerality and freshness.
  ✔ Duck Breast & Game Meats – The champagne’s fruity notes perfectly complement rich meats.
  ✔ Exotic Spiced Dishes – Pairs beautifully with subtly spiced dishes like saffron or mild curry.
  ✔ Aged Cheeses – Parmesan, aged Comté, or Mimolette create a harmonious pairing.
  ✔ Red Berry Desserts – Perfect with raspberry tarts, berry coulis, or strawberry-based desserts.

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  Why Choose a Vintage Rosé Champagne?

  ✔ An Exceptional Champagne – Produced only in the best years, ensuring superior quality.
  ✔ A Unique Expression of Terroir and Vintage – Every bottle tells the story of a remarkable year.
  ✔ A Gastronomic Wine – Its complexity and depth make it an ideal companion for fine cuisine.
  ✔ Rare Aging Potential – Some vintages evolve beautifully over several decades.

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  other types of champagne

  In this section, you will find different types of champagne :

  Vintage Champagne: made exclusively from grapes grown in a single year, this is produced only in the best years, and is released at about six years of age.

  Non-Vintage Champagne: most of the Champagne produced today is Non-Vintage, comprising the blended product of grapes from multiple vintages.

  Rosé Champagne: typically light in colour, rosé Champagne is produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time (known as saignée), or by adding a small amount of Pinot Noir red wine to the sparkling wine cuvée.

  Recently Disgorged Champagne: R.D. (Recently Disgorged) style was introduced for the first time by Madame Bollinger in 1961, on the 1952 Bollinger Grande Année vintage. Late disgorgement allows the Champagne to retain its freshness, vivacity and fruity expression, despite the ageing.

  Blanc de Blancs Champagne: Blanc de Blancs denotes a Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes.

  Blanc de Noirs Champagne: Blanc de Noir Champagnes are made exclusively from black grapes, Pinot Noir (typically) and Pinot Meunier grapes. Bollinger's prestige cuvée Vieilles Vignes Françaises is the lead example.

  Champagne Extra brut: these champagnes contain very few sugar (less than 6 grs per litre). These are very qualitative champagnes, only crafted by great houses.

  Champagne demi sec :these champagnes are made from champagne without year and contains a little bit more sugar than Brut champagne. Demi-secs champagnes perfectly match almost any dessert.