30 Best French Champagne Bottles In 2023
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Champagne is not just a drink; it's an experience! So if you want to take your love for it to the next level, explore the best French Champagne bottles from the prestigious Champagne wine regions of France and open a world of bubbly wonder.
From renowned producers to small houses, these 30 bottles are sure to delight. Whether you like dry and fruity cuvées or rich and creamy sparklers, there's something for everyone on this list. Let's get started!
Our Top Picks
 
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Best Overall - Krug NV Grand Cuvée• Meticulous blending process |
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Best Balanced - Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut• Great mix of pastry and fruit notes |
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Best for Any Occasion - Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Brut Champagne• Go-to option for food pairings |
1. AR Lenoble Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2012
This 2012 AR Lenoble Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is an exceptional example of the skills of such a Champagne house. Arising from a relatively modest beginning, AR Lenoble has become known as one of the most significant houses in Champagne.
This cuvée has all you could want in great sparkling wines as it mirrors their style and the year. It comes exclusively from Chardonnay Chouilly grand cru vineyards, attesting to its high quality and longevity.
It has a full golden color with an elegant bouquet that includes Bramley apples and flowers. The palate shows off an incredible burst of acidity along with a balanced structure. Chalky undertones then offset the citrus flavors.
2. Perrier Jouët NV Grand Brut
In 1856, Perrier-Jouët became the first Champagne house to create dry Champagne. This idea resulted in them making their famous "brut" type of Champagne known today all over France and abroad.
This famous French wine has been crafted from carefully chosen vineyards across the country to ensure that it displays both quality and diversity. The blend features 50 different crus or portions that represent their winemaking tradition.
The first sip of this sparkling wine is full-bodied with elegance. The palate starts as beautifully structured, balanced, and round. Then, it develops into notes of buttery brioche alongside hints of vanilla on the finish which lingers pleasantly long.
3. Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Grand Siécle No. 24
This luxurious bottle of French Champagne is the result of blending grapes from three different years that each has distinct but matching characteristics. The wine has been aged for over a decade before release to provide an elegant complexity.
The Champagne grapes for this wine are grown in 11 different Grand Cru villages, which account for 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir. It's full-bodied yet still offers a certain lightness.
This gold-colored sparkling wine displays persistent bubbles on top. The nose starts with fresh and intense citrus and pastries. Furthermore, the taste lasts for a time after you've taken the first sip.
4. Pommery Cuvée Louise Brut Champagne 2004
The Pommery Cuvée Louise Brut Champagne 2004 was created in honor of Louise Pommery. It embodies the expertise of this prestigious house and is a favorite by many for its beauty and unmatched quality.
This vintage Champagne is crafted from approximately 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir sourced from Avize, Ay, and Cramant, which are all Grand Cru. These plots are for only the most select cuvées, meaning they're worlds away in quality from what you'll find elsewhere!
This wine is full of vitality and features a refreshing effervescence highlighted by yellow and green hues that give it depth. Great mineral notes come from its nose, where you can also detect dried citrus flavors for added complexity.
5. Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2009
Louis Roederer sets the bar for quality in everything they do. From their signature Cristal line to Champagne's most seductive non-vintage cuvées, it is clear that nothing less than perfection will do when you drink Champagne from this world-renowned producer!
Louis Roederer Cristal is a luxury Champagne with a careful balance between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. This provides an elegant and precise flavor profile to the cuvée, making it recognized globally as one of France's best vintage Champagnes.
It has a delicate aroma of white peach and acacia blossom. There are notes of gingersnap biscuits and poached apples with creaminess from pastry sauces on the palate. Then, the satin finish carries honeycomb hints on your tongue with firm acidity.
6. Lanson Le Rosé Brut
The Lanson Le Rosé Brut is not just any old Champagne. This delicate, rosy wine was one of the first to come in this variety and has been, since its inception, renowned for being exquisite. Lanson has over five decades worth of experience in making Rosé Champagne which explains their popularity.
This pink sparkling wine smells of fresh roses on the nose. You can also observe fruitiness, especially red fruits. It has a light, fruity flavor with enough crispness to it. The finish is long and smooth, just what every good wine should be.
The Lanson Le Rosé label features exceptional originality that is attractive and refreshing. It strikes this ideal balance between fullness and freshness - making it difficult for someone else's copycat version to live up.
7. Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé
The Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is considered one of the world's most famous and best rosé Champagnes. Laurent-Perrier winemakers use a certain proprietary maceration technique for their popular sparkling wines.
The history of this luxury beverage is as rich as its flavor profile. In fact, the bottle design was inspired by King Henri IV. The elegance and wit of this bottle have been widely recognized for their high quality.
The Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is a true beauty, with its rich and long-lasting bouquet due to the intricate preservation of fruit aromas. This pink wine comes courtesy of 100% Pinot Noir grapes grown in 10 different crus scattered around Montagne de Reims and Bouzy.
8. Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut
Moet & Chandon's Imperial Brut is a luxurious and sophisticated champagne. It was first created in 1869 as a brilliant yet fruitier alternative to other Champagne brands on the market. To this day, it still embodies its unique style matched with its seductive flavor profile.
This bottle is a tribute to the diversity and complementarity of three grapes varietals - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. This luxurious French Champagne contains more than 100 different types of wine, with the reserve wines ranging from 20% - 30%.
The elegant golden straw color is a perfect match for this Champagne. It has a patiently waiting aroma that reveals itself as you sip on the drink, giving off honeyed tones with floral undertones in every mouthful. The taste lasts long after each swirl because it's so full of life and flavor!
9. G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon
Mumm's Grand Cordon is a rich, elegant wine that seamlessly melds the power and structure of Pinot Noir with other grapes like Chardonnay or Meunier. With more than 100 crus to choose from, this bottle brings all those distinct flavors together.
As the signature of G.H Mumm, Grand Cordon is a maison that sets its style. It celebrates every victory with Champagne toasts in honor of past accomplishments while looking forward to future successes!
This Champagne has a beautiful array of aromas, from ripe peach to vanilla and caramel with hints of yeast or honey. The rich, fruity taste it exhibits is long-lasting, so you can enjoy every sip without feeling like it's just going away after one minute.
10. Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut
This Champagne is a refreshing and versatile drink to enjoy with appetizers. The perfect balance of complexities makes it easy for any palate - from sophisticated connoisseurs to first-timers. Giving you value for your money, it is also one of the best cheap Champagnes.
This exceptional sparkling wine is made from a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay. This wine has undergone aging for 3-4 years in the cellars of Nicolas Feuillatte despite having an age requirement of only 15 months.
The nose of this Champagne is a lush assortment: light, fresh, and vibrant with expressive fruit. It has an exquisite, complex flavor profile that gently beads on your tongue with freshness before concluding in delightful fumes of fruit.
11. Lanson Le Black Label Brut
Lanson is one of the most historical Champagne houses with over 260 years' worth of winemaking history. Lanson Le Black Label Brut was actually made in honor of the Royal Court of England way back in 1937. Ever since they were acknowledged, they've been one of the best houses in Champagne.
This Le Black Label showcases a rich effervescence and is delivered in an elegant straw color. On the nose, you can smell a hint of toast with white flowers which will then transition to something more refreshing on your palate, like crisp citrus flavors.
These combined notes might just make you a tad more confident to serve Champagne during parties.
12. Ruinart Brut Rose
This rosé Champagne is made from two different grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, from two different outstanding vineyards that are considered Premier Crus.
The Chardonnay was grown at Côte des Blancs vineyards, while the Pinot Noir grew in an area nestled between the Reims Mountain and Marne Valley in the Champagne region.
The taste of this wine is a luxurious, delicate balance between sweet raspberry coulis and tangy white peach. In addition to these flavors, you will find chamomile for added beauty, as well as blanched almond notes on the finish which lingers lightly.
13. Paul Bara Bouzy Brut Rosé Grand Cru
The Maison Paul Bara is a well-known Champagne house in Bouzy and was founded over 150 years ago. Today, the sixth generation takes charge of the Grand Cru-certified vineyards over at Bouzy.
This beautiful rosé Champagne is the perfect example of a balanced Champagne. It is the result of a delicious and fashionable marriage between Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and 12% vin rouge from the beautiful commune of Bouzy.
This pink-hued sparkling wine is velvety smooth with abundant, fine bubbles. It showcases a rich bouquet of red fruits, including strawberries and cherries, added with Pinot Noir's signature peppery note.
14. Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron Blanc de Blancs Brut 2014
Pierre Gimonnet's Fleuron Blanc de Blancs Brut 2014 is a luxurious blend of wines from one year, composed like an orchestra in perfect harmony. This Champagne also contains various plots and vineyards according to their varying quality.
This beautifully crafted vintage Champagne is made entirely from Chardonnay grapes sourced from both Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. This, indeed, is an elegant rare wine that offers quality with a price point that won’t break the bank.
Pierre Gimonnet's Fleuron Blanc de Blancs Brut 2014 features complex yet chic aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, lemon oil, and freshly baked sourdough. It has an almost greasy texture that melts on your tongue and ends in a long minerally finish.
15. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2012
Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne is a rare bubbly wine created only in exceptional years. It is crafted from a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that thrives on about 1,000 hectares of vineyards. In addition, the mix spent eight years aging in the cellar.
This sparkling wine is bright and lively that kicks off with a welcoming open. The bouquet becomes more vibrant as it enters your mouth before settling down into notes of acidity. It is then followed by bitter gingerbread on the finish, bringing out exciting tastes like toastiness.
16. Bollinger PN VZ16
The Bollinger PN VZ16 is a luxurious and complex wine that packs quite the punch for its price. The two main factors that determine this distinctive style are from Pinot Noir grapes and all older reserve wines in their arsenal.
The entry to this wine is fruity with apple, rhubarb, and quince notes. It becomes more aromatic as you explore its undertones that reveal mirabelle plum. The palate includes brioche and stewed fruits before giving way again towards saltiness in an endearing manner.
The Bollinger PN VZ16 is a great Champagne to enjoy with any dish on special occasions. It works well independently or as the perfect complement since it's not overbearing. It can still stand out in flavor profile when paired against other stronger dishes such as a rich risotto with lentils.
17. Pierre Gimonnet Selection Belles Annees Brut
Pierre Gimonnet's Fleuron Blanc de Bois is a perfect example of what the Chardonnay grapes offer. The Cotes des Blancs are known for their chalky soil, which produces wines with fantastic focus and soulful minerality–thanks in part to this particular vineyard’s terroir!
The grapes used in the making of this Champagne are grown and harvested in vineyards marked as Grand Cru and Premier Cru alike. The wine is vinified without any oak aging. Before disgorgement, it dedicates 40 months of total bottle time.
Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron Blanc de Bleus Brut 2014 is a deliciously crisp, citrus-flavored young wine. As this Champagne ages, more mineral flavors will come through the fruitiness, giving you that rich impression without any bitterness or astringency in your throat!
18. Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008
Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne is a prestigious wine made from the best Chardonnay in Côte des Blancs. It can only be produced when there are exceptional yield levels and experts undergo rigorous confirmation before proceeding to the Champagne production.
This beautiful wine shows off the attributes of fruit. It has an opulent mouthfeel with notes like apples and pears mixed with peaches for balance. This full-bodied, dry Champagne goes down easy because its flavor has no harshness or astringency.
19. Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Yayoi Kusama Limited Edition in Gift Box 2012
The 2012 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Yayoi Kusama Limited Edition is a beautiful bottle of Champagne that pays homage to the excellence and craftsmanship behind it. The grapes for this specialty were sourced mainly from Grands Crus, with some historic plots thrown in there as well!
This limited edition is a must-have for any collector. Yayoi Kusama is the brain behind the eye-catching design. This artist has been making waves with her iconic symbols - flower and polka dot that she adds both to the gift box aesthetics.
The unique character is beautifully captured in this bottle, which carries both feminine and magnificent notes. It has a bouquet of white flowers and fruity notes such as peach, apple, and pear. A few delicate almond tones complete the fragrance, gaining depth with age.
20. Pol Roger Vintage Brut 2012
The Pol Roger Champagne is still run by descendants of its founder, and it has a reputation for being one-of-a-kind in the Champagne world. It is also among the few houses to hold royal warrants.
This luxury Champagne is made from a unique blend that consists of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. They are harvested exclusively from 20 various Grand and Premier Crus in Montagne de Reims as well as Côte des Blancs in the Champagne region.
The blend sits in Pol Roger's cellars for seven years prior to the disgorgement. The mouthfeel has just the right amount of effervescence, with hints of citrus that linger throughout each sip. It's also got some nice complexity and roundness underneath it.
21. Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Louis Roederer is among the internationally recognized Champagne brands for luxury wines. This particular product line boasts three amazing varieties: Pinot Noir (40%), Chardonnay (40%), and Pinot Meunier (20%), grown in crus chosen by Louis Roederer himself.
Louis Roederer's Brut Premier is a luxurious, fruity drink that tingles your tongue with hints of apple and grapefruit. The texture feels full yet refreshing on your palate. Each sip gives you rich flavors like spice and raspberries and finishes in delicate honey.
22. Krug NV Grand Cuvée - Best Overall
Krug NV Grand Cuvée - Image by danmurphys.com
The creation of Krug Grande Cuvée is a costly endeavor, requiring approximately 120 different wines from 10 or more vintages. Some of these wines have already aged for 15 years which gives the final product its uniqueness and elegance.
The finesse that results from a stay in the cellars for at least another six years is unmatched. For approximately 20 years, Krug NV Grand Cuvée creators carefully craft each bottle of Champagne to perfection before releasing them onto shelves around the world.
As you take a sip of this luxury Champagne, you will be greeted by surprising flavors of barley sugar, hazelnut, toasted bread, nougat, and even jellied fruits! Going further, you will observe the drink's freshness with rich and tangy undertones.
23. Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage Rare with Gift Box 2008
Piper-Heidsieck was first made into a reality by Florens-Louis Heidsieck, who presented his incredible creations to Marie Antoinette in 1785 when he honored her. This particular Brut Vintage Rare captures the majesty and elegance that is associated with royalty.
This rare vintage Champagne is made from 70% Chardonnay grapes and 30% Pinot Noir. It was first fermented in stainless steel tanks before being racked for complete malolactic fermentation to create an elegant wine with rich flavors.
The taste of this wine is full and rich, with notes that are fresh yet long-lasting. After the first sip, you'll get hints of passion fruit as well as kiwi on your nose. Then, it all comes together on your tongue in a perfect sweetness from flavors such as citrus fruits like oranges or lemons.
24. Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs
The crisp, clean taste of the delicate Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine will delight your senses. The pure flavors are inspired by the Chardonnay grapes grown in France's best regions - namely Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs which provide intense aromas.
With an exquisite palate and a powerful personality, this sparkling wine is Ruinart at its finest. The nose sustains robust yet refreshing notes such as dominant citrus hints. Exotic fruits follow these before delivering an exquisite palate with roundness and smoothness.
25. Gosset Grand Millesime Brut 2012
This low dosage sparkling wine has been carefully crafted following Gosset's method. It ages for five years on lees in cellars and undergoes vinification without malolactic fermentation.
This needs to be followed to achieve the house's signature style. The result is a rich, balanced, crisp bottle of sparkling wine.
This beautifully crafted vintage Champagne will leave your mouth feeling refreshed and light. The first sip brings out pear and peach pit fruit notes followed by grapefruit zestiness in the aroma. After a few seconds, the sparkling wine gives you flavorful notes of grapefruit, anise, and licorice.
26. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut - Best Balanced
Yellow Label perfectly represents Veuve Clicquot’s commitment to quality and style. They produce the Yellow Label every year to meet the consumers' demand, which is also possible because of their big collection of reserve wines.
About 45% of the Yellow Label's blend is from reserve wines made from grapes harvested from 50-60 various crus all over the Champagne region. The three grapes included in the blend all work together to provide the product with its signature character and quality.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is not only beautiful to look at, but it smells great as well! From the initial sip, you will love all the freshness and strength you would expect from this sparkling wine. Plus, it features an expressive array of aromas such as white fruits, vanilla, brioche, etc.
27. Deutz Brut Classic
The Deutz Brut champagne is a bottle of glorious perfection. Three different grapes with different characteristics are matured together and blended in perfect harmony to make this award-winning bubbly, which has been appreciated for generations as well!
When drinking this wine, the first thing you notice is its sweet aroma that smells a little bit like confectionary, acacia flowers, and apples.
Moreover, there’s an underlying complexity wherein the freshness of Chardonnay shines through alongside hints of fruitiness from Pinot Noir. It also reveals some vinosity coming exclusively from Meunier.
28. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve
One can taste the depth of age in every sip taken from this precious elixir. The house has been specifying each bottle to be aged for a certain number of years as intended. You are given an insight into how long they have been waiting patiently before drinking the Champagne themselves.
This wine has a complex smell that is both elegant and enjoyable. It starts with notes of freshly baked brioche, then evolves into more decadent toasted scents and sun-drenched fruits for complexity. The palate opens up to give you a velvety cream pastry flavor with both plums and cherries.
29. Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014
The grapes for this bubbly come from a blend of several grand crus, each with its own style. This means that it has some similarities to all these different types but still maintains an individualized character in itself.
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, and Cramant are just some of the grand crus where they source the grapes.
This 2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is floral, fruity, and open to vibrant but delicate aroma such as orchard fruits like verbena. It also displays lemon zest and pastry-like aromas, which give way to slightly reductive notes upon entry into the palate.
30. Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut Champagne - Best For Any Occasion
Piper-Heidsieck produced this Brut Cuvée, focusing on achieving their signature well-structured and fruit-dominated style. The fruit selecting process for this particular blend includes more than 100 acres from across alluvial vineyards to ensure precise quality.
This is a delicate yet robust blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. The last two grapes mentioned are responsible for giving the blend fruitiness, acidity, and fleshiness.
The delicate flavor profile includes bright, crunchy pomelo and juicy white fruits. It is a pleasant sensation that's light yet deep. This delightfully surprising Champagne will have your taste buds dancing through every sip!
Conclusion
Champagne always seems to make things more elegant and memorable in every celebration or dinner party. This is why Champagne is one of the best French wines, among other wine types like red wine and white wine.
So, if you want to treat someone or yourself with a taste of France, give them a bottle or two of the best French Champagnes. You can also try the best organic Champagnes for a healthier and more eco-friendly route.
Which bottle are you going to try first? We would appreciate hearing your comments below.
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