
The Finest Bubble – Review of the new release Dom Perignon 2013 compared to its predecessor 2012
February 3, 2023
Today on the Friday Bubble, we compare the new release of Dom Perignon Vintage 2013 and compare to its predecessor Dom Perignon 2012.
Today on the Friday Bubble, we compare the new release of Dom Perignon Vintage 2013 and compare to its predecessor Dom Perignon 2012.
Richard Bampfield MW, Henry Laithwaite, Harrow & Hope Founder and Nick Baker review Harrow & Hope Blanc de Blancs 2018
Today on The Friday Bubble Essi Avellan and Nick Baker discuss the new release Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2010.
Club Oenologique have released the first part of 2022 Champagne Report. The report spans from Non-Vintages to recent releases.
Today on The Friday Bubble, Essi Avellan MW and Nick Baker, Founder of The Finest Bubble introduce Champagne Bollinger’s new release, the 3rd interpretation of the PN series, TX17.
We are selling an extremely rare complete set of The Taittinger Collection: The Art of Champagne – 13 champagnes in total, from vintage 1978 to vintage 2008.
Laurent-Perrier have finally announced their new release of Grand Siècle Iteration 23 in Magnum. This release is a blend of 2006, 2004, 2002.
Maison Piper-Heidsieck’s new series of champagne Hors-Série by re-releasing an old vintage to something from a new vintage.
Veuve Clicquot unveils Yayoi Kusama’s stunning creation for La Grande Dame 2012, sending a cheerful message to the whole world by imagining a joyful and colourful creation specifically made for Veuve Clicquot.
A tribute to Dom Thierry Ruinart, the visionary figure on the initiative of Ruinart’s foundation, Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a creation inspired by the exceptional vintages of Chardonnay.
Pol Roger only release Sir Winston Churchill in the very best years, the last being 2009 and today they launch Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2012. This latest vintage marking the 19th release since 1975 the first vintage.
Vintage 2002 is legendary in Champagne and has often been named the vintage of the century. But did the hype and unanimity of its success result in the unfair neglect of another, perhaps equally, great vintage? We conducted a blind tasting to find out.
We met with recently departed Veuve Clicquot cellar master Dominique Demarville last summer, shorty after it was announced that he would be departing at the end of the year. A marvellous final tasting with Demarville at Clicquot saw us explore 2008, from the perspective of non-vintage, vintage, and prestige cuvée.
We met with sixteenth generation family member and current head of house Charles Philipponnat last summer to taste the range, including the latest non-vintage creations, vintage wines and some exclusive single parcel Pinot Noirs from the famed Clos des Goisses vineyard.
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.
This week, Jancis Robinson MW named Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2004 her wine of the week. During a recent tasting, Jancis was impressed by the sheer confidence, appeal and completeness of this latest prestige cuvée from Charles Heidsieck.
Eighteen months on from the release of Cristal 2008, the next instalments in the collection have arrived: Cristal 2012 and Cristal Rosé 2012. Described by cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon as “the next chapter”, 2012 is the first vintage of 100% biodynamically farmed Cristal.
Essi Avellan MW recently hosted our latest Krug Experience tasting, in which guests sipped no less than twelve Krug champagnes (both Grande Cuvée and Vintage), including four examples from magnum. Check out the review and photos of the event here.
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.
An insightful visit to Billecart-Salmon earlier this summer involved an extensive tour of the cellars with newly appointed chief executive Mathieu Roland-Billecart – who proudly showed off their many shiny new winemaking toys – and a tasting of champagnes both old and new with winemaker Florent Nys.
Earlier this week, Jancis Robinson MW presented our standout champagne tasting of the year to a packed St James’s Room at 67 Pall Mall. The theme was champagne’s ageing potential and guests sampled ten pairs (an old and current vintage) from ten major brands.
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.
Not many champagnes are as eagerly anticipated as Salon 2008. Produced only in magnums (just 8,000 were made) and exclusively available as part of a specially designed wooden case, the ultimate rarity just got rarer. We met president Didier Depond in June to find out more.
Last year, Rare Champagne separated from parent brand Piper-Heidsieck, becoming the third champagne house of the burgeoning EPI group. We met veteran chef de cave Régis Camus at the vast premises in Reims earlier this summer to taste some treasures, both old and new.
This summer, we stopped off at Charles Heidsieck’s majestic garden and reception facility, Pavilion des Crayères, for a quick-fire visit and tasting with managing director Stephen Leroux. We sampled the new Coteaux Champenois and Collection Crayères releases.
We were truly spoilt during our recent tasting at Taittinger, which included not one, but two(!), of the notoriously rare Comtes magnums. Discussion centred around the newly released 2013 vintage, the future for Comtes, and the recently renovated vinification of Comtes Rosé.
Scheduling appointments at twenty champagne houses in one week is never an easy task, but perhaps our greatest feat of organisation was pinning down Olivier Krug. We managed to catch up with the globetrotting face of the company amidst his ever-busy international schedule for a whopper of a tasting this June.
A memorable evening at Louis Roederer earlier this year saw us taste the new vintage releases from 2013, preview Cristal 2012 and Cristal Rosé 2012, and sample the upcoming magnum launches from the Cristal Vinothèque programme. This one’s not to be missed!
Our last visit to Palmer & Co’s new winery in Reims included a comparison of the current range from bottle and magnum and a selection of older vintages from the late release Blanc de Blancs and Vintage Collections.
We recently visited Leclerc Briant with Jancis Robinson MW. General manager Frédéric Zeimett and winemaker Hervé Jestin discussed the winemaking innovations happening at Leclerc Briant and we tasted a range of champagnes, including Hervé’s personal project.
Charles Heidsieck have released a new limited edition Coteaux Champenois blancs range, which includes four different bottles produced from the grapes of four stunning Chardonnay crus: Villers-Marmery, Vertus, Oger and Montgueux.
A year of big change for Laurent-Perrier sees the release of a brand new cuvée, Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV, and the introduction of Grand Siècle ‘Iterations’, which will from now onwards be numbered, allowing consumers to discern information about their specific bottle.
A newly released limited edition champagne from Palmer & Co challenges the notion that hot vintages are unsuitable for producing wines with long-term ageing potential. Grand Terroirs 2003 is named in tribute to the unique vineyards that make it so expressive and fresh.
Earlier this year, we tasted a range of 2018 vins clairs with winemakers at fifteen different houses in Champagne. Thanks to exceptional weather throughout the year, some have been calling it ‘the vintage of the century’ and expectations are already sky-high. But just how much potential does 2018 have?
Lanson Chef de Cave Hervé Dantan is a huge fan of vintage 2018, telling us: “It was a dream, this harvest.” We visited the house in Reims earlier this year to sample the vins clairs and conduct a vertical tasting of all the Clos Lanson vintages from 2006-2014.
Based in Épernay, Champagne Boizel have a long and illustrious history with a tradition of trendsetting. We met with Florent Boizel, who has taken over the reins from his recently retired father, to sample some 2018 vins clairs and taste the range of finished champagnes.
Laurent-Perrier have just launched their latest vintage champagne: Vintage 2008. Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet described 2008 as one of his “favourite years for vinification” and it’s easy to see why. The enriched texture from extended lees ageing makes this the best vintage from Laurent-Perrier since Vintage 2002.
Combining all the vibrancy of the 2002 vintage with the complexity and youthful vigour afforded by extended lees ageing, the recently released Dom Pérignon P2 2002 is one of the best champagnes of the decade and has already received a coveted 20/20 score from Jancis Robinson MW.
“The biggest challenge was not making too much!” With an abundance of ripe and healthy grapes, Philipponnat had a successful harvest in 2018, a vintage which sixteenth generation family member Charles Philipponnat likens to 1995, 2009 and 2012.
In early March, we met with President of Pol Roger Laurent d’Harcourt at the winery in Épernay to taste the 2018 base wines and conduct a vertical tasting of Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs vintages, dating from 1986-2012.
Billecart-Salmon were one of the first houses to pick grapes last year, kicking off their harvest on 22nd August. We tasted the vins clairs with new Chef de Cave Florent Nys, and also shared a comprehensive range of finished champagnes.
Shortly after the 2018 harvest, Bollinger Chef de Cave Gilles Descôtes declared that “2017 was the worst harvest of my life and 2018 is the best”. We visited the house in Aÿ to taste the base wines and also tasted some of the rarer grape varieties, such as Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris.
“Everything is good, my work now is to find which ones are very good.” Laurent-Perrier had a successful harvest in 2018, a year which Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet believes will most certainly produce a stunning vintage champagne and hopefully a strong Alexandra Rosé as well.
Yesterday, Bollinger launched their latest vintage champagne, La Grande Année 2008. From the vintage of the century and with a redesigned bottle that decelerates oxygen exchange, this could be their best yet. We compared it in bottle, magnum and jeroboam at The Ledbury in London.
An insightful vins clairs tasting with Dominique Demarville, Veuve Clicquot’s eminent Chef de Cave, painted a clear picture of the 2018 vintage. Fresh, ripe and mature, with plenty of ageing potential, the base wines at Clicquot were either exceptional or good… none of them were bad.
The unusual weather patterns in 2018 produced the “perfect conditions for the vineyard”, according to new Taittinger Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy. We met last month to taste the vins clairs, which displayed incredible specificity: each wine showcasing the distinctive characteristics of its individual origins.
Émilien Boutillat chose a good vintage to start his new role as Piper-Heidsieck cellar master. “The quality of the grapes was perfect all over the region,” he told us. We tasted the base wines and shared a magnificent lunch paired with Rare Champagne.
Not many are as excited as Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon about 2018s potential, a year he describes as having “the density of 2002 and the precision of 2008.” During our visit, we also tasted the latest Cristal Vinothèque’s and a mind-blowing pair of Cristal magnums.
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.
With a red wine content of more than 20% and having spent 10+ years ageing on the lees, it is perhaps unsurprising Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon describes new Dom Pérignon Rosé 2006 as one of his favourite ever vintages.
On Wednesday 6th March 2019, we’ll be going LIVE on Instagram TV with Bollinger winemaker Karl Reuter, who’ll be guiding us through a tasting of six Bollinger champagnes and answering questions put to him by the live audience.
Veuve Clicquot launched the much awaited La Grande Dame 2008 and La Grande Dame Rosé 2008 in London this week. We tasted them with Chef de Cave Dominique Demarville, who has combined depth and silkiness with lightness and elegance in these superb new cuvées.
Based in the Grand Cru village of Chouilly, Vazart-Coquart have access to some of the greatest vineyards in the whole of Champagne. Their new release, Special Club 2010, is an exquisite example of the power of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs.
Last week, Ruinart launched the latest iteration of their prestige cuvée champagne: Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2007. The brilliant young winemaker Caroline Fiot was in London to present the new release, alongside the house NV cuvée and the previous vintage of Dom Ruinart.
Since the early 21st century, a quiet revolution has been occurring in Champagne, and the ever-burgeoning demand for artisanal, hand-crafted cuvées continues to flourish. What are the origins of single vineyard champagnes, why are they so popular, and are they a fad or the future?
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.
After a wait of over 6 months, one of the most anticipated champagnes of the century – Dom Pérignon 2008 – has finally arrived. Described by legendary Chef de Cave, Richard Geoffroy, as “a miracle year,” demand will certainly be high. Secure you allocation now.
At JancisRobinson.com, this is the ‘Week of Effervescence’. All this week, new articles have been published on all things sparkling. Here we share links to the articles not already featured in our News & Reviews section, including a Cristal vertical and an English sparkling wine tasting.
Read Jancis Robinson’s review of our recent Dom Pérignon Retrospective tasting – including scores, tasting notes and a league table of all 23 champagnes tasted, spanning 1990-2009. Full article on JancisRobinson.com.
With vintage 2008 currently dominating the attention of the champagne trade and associated media outlets, we decided to organise a tasting of champagne pairs from 2008 and 2009 (hosted by Jancis Robinson MW), to objectively compare the merits of both vintages and evaluate the price premium and superiority of 2008.
Are the differences between 2008 and 2009 champagnes blindingly obvious? Read Jancis Robinson’s review, tasting notes and scores from our 2008 vs 2009 champagne tasting – including Dom Pérignon and Louis Roederer Cristal.
With media attention surrounding the new release now somewhat subdued, we evaluate the price premium of Cristal 2008 – “the most Cristal of all Cristals” – versus Cristal 2009, which has just entered an ideal drinking window.
Following the recent release of Rare Le Secret, the 20-year clandestine project of Rare Champagne Chef de Cave Régis Camus, we were invited to a vertical tasting of past Rare Champagne vintages – dating all the way back to 1979 – with the secretive cellar master himself.
In this article, we outline our top picks for Christmas 2018, highlighting some of the best new releases, award-winning cuvées, sparkling magnums, and a selection of the champagnes that we’ll be sipping next to an open fire this festive season.
Our once-in-a-lifetime champagne tasting celebrating Richard Geoffroy’s magnificent achievements over his 28-year career was a roaring success, with guests sampling 23 champagnes from 1990-2009. Read the review from Simon Field MW and browse photos from the event here.
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!
With record-breaking rainfall in the winter, unprecedented sunshine hours in the spring and summer and the earliest harvest on record, 2018 has been a truly exceptional year in Champagne. With harvest now over, we share some feedback from the top winemakers in the region on what is set to be a standout vintage.
At our most recent tasting at 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Krug Grande Cuvée Editions 162-166 NV (2006-2010), and Krug Vintages 2000-2004, including Krug 2000 from magnum. Find out which champagnes were the highest rated on the evening here.
During our trip to Reims last week, we visited Champagne Palmer & Co to meet with Managing Director Rémi Vervier. After hunting in the underground cellars for the biggest bottle we could find, we discussed harvest 2018 and tasted two stunning examples of Palmer Vintage Collection.
Last weekend, we attended a veritable extravaganza of champagne and food: a tasting of 88 champagnes from 1988 organised by fizz fanatic Peter Crawford and hosted at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants Domaine Les Crayères and L’Assiette Champenoise. Read our review of every champagne tasted.
Champagne fanatic and life-long Pol Roger devotee Peter Crawford recently tasted a bottle of Sir Winston Churchill 2008 at the house in Épernay. With its release imminent, Crawford’s tasting note suggests it may exceed expectations.
Since 1988, Nyetimber have been busy revolutionising English sparkling wine and this week they raised the bar again with the launch of their new prestige cuvée range ‘1086’. We tasted the new vintage-dated sparkling white and sparkling rosé at The Ritz launch event.
How well does vintage champagne age? We set out to answer this question last week, under the expert guidance of Essi Avellan MW, during our Evolution of Champagne Masterclass. With vintage champagnes ranging from 1983-2012, it was a night to remember.
Vintage 2008 has been stealing all the headlines lately but what about the future? Despite low yields due to frost and hail in the early season, a perfect August produced exceptionally mature and healthy grapes in 2012. Is this the next outstanding vintage?
Last week, Essi Avellan MW presented an Evolution of Champagne Masterclass at Frederick’s, Islington, during which guests compared old and new vintage champagnes from five leading brands. Read SixAtmospheres’ Tom Hewson’s review of the event here.
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.
Last year, Pol Roger described Sir Winston Churchill 2008 as “the best vintage since 1988 and the most investible Churchill we’ve ever made.” Due for release in Autumn 2018, we look forward to what is certain to be one of the most exciting releases this year.
Record-breaking weather in 2018 is likely to produce one of the largest champagne harvests in living memory that will once again begin early, in late-August. What can we expect from this climatically exceptional vintage?
Last week, we held the most comprehensive Krug Grande Cuvée vertical tasting to date. At 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Grande Cuvée Editions 158-166 NV (2002-2010). We also tasted two Krug Vintages: 2002 and 2004.
The long-awaited Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 was officially launched in London on Monday evening. Jean-Baptiste Lécailon described it as “the most Cristal of all Cristals”. Having already been awarded 100/100 from many critics, is this the best ever vintage?
After much anticipation, Dom Pérignon have finally revealed their latest vintage: Dom Pérignon 2008. Launching what could be one of their best ever vintages at the wonderful La Résidence de France in London on Tuesday, the house also revealed Dom Pérignon P3 1990.
Although not officially launching in London until next week, the long-awaited Dom Pérignon 2008 was revealed – along with veteran Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy’s retirement – in Champagne earlier this week. Here’s what we know so far.
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.
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.
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.
The 2017 vins clairs we tasted at grower house Champagne André Robert were some of the best in the region. Located in the legendary village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, we met with fifth generation family member Claire Robert and her husband Jean-Baptiste.
Rarely is a champagne launch met with as much excitement as that surrounding Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 – tipped to be the best ever vintage. Set to hit the market within the next month, here we provide an overview of our previous tastings and outline what to expect from this remarkable release.
Last week saw the official launch of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2007. New Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy was in London to discuss the latest vintage, which will be a very limited and rare release.
Located in the Grand Cru village of Avize, grower producer Champagne Corbon are a well-known name in the region. Fourth generation family member Agnès showed us some still wines and champagnes, including the “worst of her lifetime” – vintage 1984.
Charles Philipponnat describes 2017 as a “funny vintage”. We visited the house of Philipponnat to taste the vins clairs and find out just what he means. Whilst there, we also sampled an incredible range of champagnes, including new Clos des Goisses 2009.
The 2017 vintage favoured Chardonnay-dominant Laurent-Perrier. We tasted some rich and generous vins clairs with Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet and sampled previews of upcoming Vintage 2008 and future Grand Siècle NV.
Legendary Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon took us on a remarkable tour of the 2017 vintage, sharing trials on organic and biodynamic farming. We also tasted a mesmerising range of champagnes, including Cristal Vinothèque 1995.
As with other houses, the 2017 season was a complicated one for Piper-Heidsieck. We met with current Chef de Cave Régis Camus and his deputy Séverine Frerson to taste a selection of vins clairs and hear their take on the vintage.
Our first tasting of the 2017 Vins Clairs took place at Palmer & Co. Describing it as “a special harvest… quite difficult”, the team took us through the trials and tribulations of 2017 and shared a magnum of Vintage 1995 Collection to conclude.
When in Reims last month, we visited Charles Heidsieck to taste their exciting brand new cuvée Blanc de Blancs NV and sampled a magnum of Champagne Charlie 1982 from their Collection Crayères range.
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…
Yesterday we attended the launch of Bollinger R.D. 2004. A champagne that has aged on the lees for 12+ years is now tasting delightfully fresh and forward, with all the complexity of a recent disgorgment. We also experimented with the effects of different dosages and disgorgements on R.D.
Yesterday, we conducted a vertical tasting of Palmer & Co vintage champagne and a horizontal comparison of five vintage 2005 magnums, including Charles Heidsieck, Lanson and Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs.
New Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2009 is a wonderfully fresh, fruit-forward champagne from a generous and warm vintage. We tasted it alongside the previous release – Pol Roger 2008 – for comparison.
Last year, we blind tasted every vintage of Krug produced since 1988 with Olivier Krug and Jancis Robinson MW. With over ten vintages, a Grande Cuvée and a magnum thrown in for good measure, it was a truly special occasion.
Read Jancis Robinson’s report of our outstanding Krug vintage vertical tasting last November. “This would have been a dream tasting anyway, but I particularly love tasting a group of wines blind.”
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.
The latest iteration of Bollinger R.D. (Recently Disgorged) will hit the market in late-March 2018. Here we share our thoughts on the bottle of Bollinger R.D. 2004 that we tasted with cellar master Gilles Descôtes last year.
After impressing us at several tasting events in the past, we added a range of Palmer & Co champagnes to our website last year. One of the newest houses in the region, what is their history and what do their champagnes taste like? The Finest Bubble reveal all.
After twelve years of waiting, we finally have a new vintage: Blanc des Millénaires 2004. Not yet officially launched, but available to purchase in February 2018, here we share our tasting notes from a bottle sampled with cellar master Cyril Brun.
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.
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?
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!
We were recently offered the opportunity to taste some older vintages of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle: 1) A blend of 1999, 1997 and 1996, and 2) A blend of 1997, 1996 and 1995. Sampled alongside the current release, the results were very interesting.
Did you miss our latest Champagne tasting? Fear not! Full coverage of our spectacular Prestige Cuvée vs Vintage tasting with Jancis Robinson MW is now live. Watch a video footage comparison of each unique pair from the comfort of your home.
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.
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…
Read Jancis Robinson’s review for the Financial Times of our recent Prestige Cuvée vs Vintage Champagne tasting at 67 Pall Mall. “Think seriously about buying a vintage-dated bottling,” Jancis advises.
Our trip to Reims in August included a smorgasbord of Taittinger: over twenty champagne tasted with head winemaker Loïc Dupont, including an interesting look into the future with Comtes de Champagne 2008 and 2012.
Our Prestige Cuvée vs Vintage Champagne tasting with Jancis Robinson MW at 67 Pall Mall on Wednesday evening was a roaring success. Read our review, see the results and browse the pictures.
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.
We met with Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet to visit Laurent-Perrier’s renovated cellars and conduct a vertical tasting of Brut Vintage and Grand Siècle (all from magnum) alongside Jancis Robinson MW.
A comparison of eight vintages of Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon, from newly released 2009 to very old 1995 with their respective winemakers, Benoît Gouez and Richard Geoffroy.
During August bank holiday weekend we stopped in Épernay with Jancis Robinson MW for a comprehensive comparison of Pol Roger Brut Vintage and Sir Winston Churchill, dating back to 1993. All in the name of research!
Yesterday, Krug launched their new Vintage 2004 in London. This latest release completes a special trilogy of Krug Vintages – 2002, 2003 & 2004 – not seen since the late 80s. We tasted it with Olivier Krug today.
We visited Krug over August bank holiday weekend with Jancis Robinson MW. With an unexpected visit to Clos du Mesnil, a tour of the new Maison, a mini-vertical tasting and dinner at the house, it was well-worth the long drive!
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.
Following on from our ‘Definitive Champagne Data’ report last month, here we extend the list and highlight the critics’ Top 25 champagnes from the incredible 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004 vintages.
Dom Pérignon launched their new Brut Vintage 2009 last month before 2008 – the first time in history they have skipped a vintage. We tasted it alongside 2003 and 2006 with head winemaker Richard Geoffroy, who described it as “majestic and persistent”.
We’ve analysed data from over 1,000 ratings of the best champagnes from the top wine journalists, authors and critics to find out which vintage (1996, 1998, 2002 or 2004) and which cuvées are rated the highest.
Champagne Lanson have just released the new Extra Age range! An exciting blend of the 2004, 2005 & 2006 vintages, we tasted them with Lanson UK Managing Director, Paul Beavis at 67 Pall Mall and were seriously impressed with their affordable quality.
Our definitive 2016 Vintage Report, based on Vins Clairs tastings at ten Champagne houses with the winemakers. Extreme weather has produced surprisingly fresh and balanced base wines, but what potential does 2016 really have? Read our full summary.
Dom Pérignon P2 2000 was released this week. We tasted it alongside P2 1998 at the Rosewood Hotel launch in London with winemaker Vincent Chaperon. Lively and energetic, this is really exciting Champagne.
Enlightening, educational and at times jaw-dropping, our visit to Moët was one of a kind. Amine Ghanem showed us the 2016 Vins Clairs, new Grand Vintage 2008, a 1988 magnum and the ultra-prestige MCIII.
Ranked 2nd out of 14 in our recent Rosé Champagne blind tasting, Charles Heidsieck Rosé 2006 is a stunner and great value with a £95 RRP. Definitely one of the best Rosé’s on the market.
“Everything that could go wrong, did.” The most difficult growing season in Champagne for 60 years was saved by late sunshine. A miraculous vintage? Definitely. A future great? Probably not.
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.
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.
Download or Request our new June 2016 portfolio. With all the Champagne brands we list and interesting articles on different vintages, bottles v magnums and overviews of the different Champagnes, this portfolio is a must have when buying Champagne
Read the article and view photos from our Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Vertical Tasting with Philip Tuck MW at Fredericks
The Finest Bubble visited Bollinger to taste 2015 Vins Clairs. Is 2015 a potential to rival the fantastic 2002 vintage?
Read Alice Lascelles FT How to Spend It article on the rise of vintage champagne and vertical tastings
Les 3 Étages: a unique experience of Dom Pérignon. Hosted over three floors, each representing a different Plénitude, this exclusive event offers guests the opportunity to taste Vintage 2005, P2 1998 and P3 1971.