Tag: non-vintage

  1. New Release: Krug Grande Cuvee 169th Edition

    June 30, 2021

    Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is a blend of 146 wines from 11 different years, the youngest of which is from 2013, while the oldest dates back to 2000 and a stay of around seven years in Krug’s cellars gives this edition its distinct expression and elegance.

  2. Jacquesson: Rethinking NV Champagne

    March 20, 2020

    Nearly two decades ago, Champagne Jacquesson redefined non-vintage champagne. Instead of creating a consistent style year upon year, they now produce the best champagne possible and value each creation for their distinctive personalities – a concept that the wider region is just now starting to wake up to.

  3. Bollinger: Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

    March 1, 2020

    During a visit to the house of Bollinger in Aÿ last year, we explored champagnes from some of the region’s hottest ever vintages, dating as far back as 1947. We also held a mini-vertical of Special Cuvée base vintages, tasted a trio of R.D.s and had a look at the new Coteaux Champenois.

  4. Tasting Review: Champagne Latest Releases

    November 16, 2019

    Despite frequently tasting newly released champagnes, we rarely take the opportunity to sit down and taste just new releases. At our tasting at Frederick’s earlier this week we did exactly that, tasting a range of styles from some of the top champagne producers side by side.

  5. Laurent-Perrier: Something New, Something New, Something… New

    October 3, 2019

    A year of change for Laurent-Perrier sees the house welcome a new champagne, Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV; a redefined prestige cuvée concept, Grand Siècle Iterations; and finally, a new chef de cave, Dominique Demarville. We caught up in June to find out more.

  6. Jancis Robinson MW: Mystery wine: NV champagnes

    July 16, 2019

    A fascinating article detailing the often too difficult task of discerning information about a specific bottle of non-vintage champagne was recently published by Jancis Robinson MW on her website. She argues in favour of producers making information more available.

  7. Jancis Robinson MW: NV champagnes tasted in London

    July 11, 2019

    Jancis Robinson MW has recently tasted and scored more than 60 non-vintage champagnes, having attended two great champagne events in the capital, Taste Champagne and New Wave Champagne. Here we provide a link to the full article on her website.

  8. New: Krug Grande Cuvée Edition 167 NV

    May 23, 2019

    This week, Krug unveiled their latest creation: Grande Cuvée Edition 167 NV. Based on the 2011 harvest, this will be a very short release due to the limited quantities produced. We have also recently listed magnums of Grande Cuvée Edition 164 NV, based on the spectacular 2008 vintage.

  9. Ruinart: 2018 Vins Clairs Tasting

    March 26, 2019

    As a winemaker, Ruinart Chef de Cave Frédéric Panaïotis is excited by vintage 2018, “a year of extremes.” However, as a human, he’s worried about what it signifies for our changing climate. We tasted the vins clairs from this exceptional year at the house in Reims.

  10. Champagne in 2019: What Can We Expect?

    January 16, 2019

    Our previous write-up highlighted what a spectacular year 2018 was for champagne. The good news? 2019 is set to be even bigger! In this article, we look to the future and discuss which champagnes we can expect to be released in 2019.

  11. Christmas Special Offers: Non-Vintage Bottles and Magnums

    November 22, 2018

    This week we’re celebrating the most popular style of champagne: non-vintage. Since we love magnums, we’re promoting both bottles and magnums from some of the region’s most popular brands, including Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck and Pol Roger.

  12. Bollinger and Louis Roederer Special Offers

    November 16, 2018

    For our third weekly Christmas promotion, we have special offers on Bollinger and Louis Roederer champagnes, including three stunning new releases: R.D. 2004, Brut Vintage 2012 and Rosé 2012. Toast the end of the year in style with up to 27% off!

  13. Laurent-Perrier and Veuve Clicquot Special Offers

    November 9, 2018

    The second in our series of weekly Christmas promotions sees special offers on Laurent-Perrier and Veuve Clicquot. With La Cuvée NV, Cuvée Rosé NV, Extra Brut Extra Old MV and Yellow Label NV Magnums on offer, there’s something to please every palate!

  14. Moët & Chandon Special Offers

    November 2, 2018

    In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we’ll be running a series of weekly promotions. Each week will have a different theme, promoting a different brand or a different style of champagne. For our first festive promotion, we have special offers on Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon champagne.

  15. The Importance of Base Year in Non-Vintage Champagne

    August 22, 2018

    Non-vintage champagnes are a blend of multiple vintages. However, with 60-90% of the blend coming from a single vintage, or base year, the final blend inevitably displays subtle characteristics of that vintage. Just how much influence does base year have on non-vintage?

  16. Champagne: Glossary of Terms

    August 14, 2018

    Popping a cork has become so synonymous with celebration that the particularly unique vinous qualities of Champagne can be easily overlooked. Here we shed light on the complexities of our favourite effervescent tipple, by defining some of the key terms involved in Champagne and its production.

  17. Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle NV: Bottle vs Magnum

    August 10, 2018

    We recently compared a bottle and magnum of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle NV and were surprised by how fresh and youthful the larger format was showing, despite being a blend of older vintages. Read the full tasting report here.

  18. Charles Heidsieck Dinner with Stephen Leroux

    August 3, 2018

    This week, Director of Charles Heidsieck Stephen Leroux hosted our Charles Heidsieck Dinner and Tasting at Frederick’s, Islington. With an expertly paired champagne/food menu and a rare magnum of Brut Millésime 1983 to taste, it was a night to remember.

  19. June 2018 Champagne Range Tasting

    June 13, 2018

    Our Champagne Range Tasting on Wednesday 13th June at Frederick’s, Islington was once again a roaring success. The sun shone as fifty guests tasted nearly forty champagnes, including many new releases and even a few magnums. Browse the photographs here.

  20. Great Value Magnum Champagne

    June 8, 2018

    We have long been obsessed with Champagne aged in magnum and always encourage friends and customers to choose magnums over bottles. However, many are put off by the price premium. Here we highlight some of the best value magnums available on the market today.

  21. 2017 Vins Clairs: A Vintage Summary

    June 1, 2018

    Earlier this year, we travelled to Champagne to visit thirteen different Champagnes houses and taste the 2017 Vins Clairs with their winemakers. Challenging weather has rendered this vintage one to forget for many, but there are some promising surprises. Which ones have the most potential? Read our full summary.

  22. New Champagne: Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs NV

    May 22, 2018

    Charles Heidsieck were one of the first houses to make an all-Chardonnay champagne, back in 1947. In a tribute to their rich history of Chardonnay, the house revealed a brand new cuvée last week: Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs NV.

  23. March 2018 Champagne Range Tasting

    March 27, 2018

    Browse the photographs from our March 2018 Champagne Range Tasting at Frederick’s in Islington. Over fifty guests tasted a whopping fifty champagnes, including new releases, from brands such as Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger, Piper-Heidsieck, Taittinger and more…

  24. New Release: Krug Grande Cuvée Edition 165 NV

    February 7, 2018

    The latest release of Krug Grande Cuvée, Edition 165 NV, is the smallest and rarest batch of Grande Cuvée ever. Just released in the UK, this is a classically world-class Krug: a stunning champagne based on a unique vintage.

  25. Champagne Provenance: Why It Matters

    January 17, 2018

    Establishing provenance, or a ‘record of ownership’, is absolutely essential in the champagne business. The conditions under which each bottle has been sourced and stored can significantly impact the eventual enjoyment it provides.

  26. New: Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée NV

    January 5, 2018

    Last year, Laurent-Perrier announced that their brut non-vintage – the fifth best-selling champagne in the world – was to be discontinued and replaced with an entirely original blend. The new champagne, La Cuvée NV, proved to be an instant hit, winning a Gold medal at CSWWC 2017. Read our review here.

  27. Grape Expectations: What to Expect from Champagne in 2018

    January 2, 2018

    Here, we cast our minds to the future. With many big releases confirmed for next year, such as Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2008, it is sure to be exciting. But what do we know for sure and what can we predict?

  28. Year in Review: Champagne in 2017

    December 29, 2017

    We take a look back at the most exciting Champagne releases of the year, from entirely new blends to re-releases of old classics and from non-vintages with updated base years to the latest vintage releases of prestige cuvées. We also highlight worthy award winners and review the year for TFB. Roll on 2018!

  29. Dom Ruinart Rosé Vertical Tasting

    November 10, 2017

    We were invited to a weekend at The Savoy for a vertical tasting of Dom Ruinart Rosé champagnes with head winemaker Frédéric Panaïotis. With 2002, 1998 and 1988 on show, it was a stunning showcase of pink champagne.

  30. November 2017 Champagne Tasting

    November 9, 2017

    Browse the photographs from our latest Champagne Range Tasting at Frederick’s. Over fifty guests tasted 42 champagnes from Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Gosset, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger, Piper-Heidsieck, Taittinger and more…

  31. Time-Travelling with Lanson: from 2016 to 1959

    October 6, 2017

    The first ever Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blancs and Brut vintages; Black Label NV blends based on the last vintage of the previous six decades; and a comparison of vintage and prestige cuvée. Our recent trip to Lanson had it all.

  32. Champagne Barons de Rothschild

    July 6, 2017

    In 2003, the biggest name in wine turned their attention to the sparkling variety and founded Champagne Barons de Rothschild. We tasted the full range at the London Wine Fair in May with Managing Director, Frédéric Mairesse. Read our thoughts here.

  33. The Making of Champagne

    February 10, 2017

    What makes a sparkling wine ‘Champagne’? What goes into the blend and how is it made? What do the different styles mean and why does one taste sweeter than the other? The answers you seek are here.

  34. Fourteen Shades of Pink

    February 3, 2017

    A blind tasting of thirteen Rosé Champagnes and one English Sparkling with FT’s Alice Lascelles, Richard Bampfield MW, Simon Stockton and Frederick’s restaurant manager Matt. Just another Wednesday.

  35. Anne Krebiehl MW – English Sparkling Wines

    September 26, 2016

    Anne Krebeihl MW writes for The World of Fine Wine on English Sparkling wines, explaining how producers now have the reserve levels to produce non-vintage wines.

  36. Champagne: Glossary of Terms

    August 20, 2016

    Popping a cork has become so synonymous with celebration that the particularly unique vinous qualities of Champagne can be easily overlooked. Here we shed light on the complexities of our favourite effervescent tipple, by defining some of the key terms involved in Champagne and its production.