Future
How to Find the Best Champagne for You
The bigger producers of Champagne can make excellent wines, even at the entry level. Smaller grower-producers offer a different, often more distinctive expression of Champagne. Here are 10 big brands and 11 small growers well worth seeking out, and a …
The bigger producers of Champagne can make excellent wines, even at the entry level. Smaller grower-producers offer a different, often more distinctive expression of Champagne. Here are 10 big brands and 11 small growers well worth seeking out, and a glossary to help you navigate the selections.
These Champagnes have names you might recognize …
Billecart-Salmon
Refined Champagnes, particularly the Brut Réserve ($65); Brut Sous Bois, fermented and aged in barrels ($95); and the rosé ($100).
T. Edward Wines, New York
Bollinger
Renowned for wines that combine power and finesse. The nonvintage Special Cuvée ($80) is superb, as are the vintage Grand Année ($200) and R.D. ($350).
Vintus, Pleasantville, N.Y.
Charles Heidsieck
The nonvintage Brut Réserve ($70) is extraordinarily deep and complex; the other cuvées are just as good.
Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, Calif.
Delamotte
Nonvintage blanc de blancs ($90) is pure, chalky and elegant; the vintage ($125) is even better.
Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, Ala.
Jacquesson
Idiosyncratic yet gorgeous Champagnes, from the savory, numbered, extra brut nonvintages (currently No. 747, $90), to the higher-end, site-specific cuvées.
Artemis Domaines, Calistoga, Calif.
