WINE REGION
Champagne
The World's Most Celebrated Wine
Champagne is the northernmost great wine region of France, and the only place in the world where the méthode champenoise — the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle — can legally produce wine called Champagne. It is a wine of extraordinary complexity, built on chalk, patience, and the art of blending.
"Champagne is not just a wine — it is a philosophy. The art of blending across villages, vintages, and grape varieties to create something greater than the sum of its parts."
The region centres on the towns of Reims and Épernay, with the vineyards spread across five main areas: the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, the Côte des Blancs, the Côte de Sézanne, and the Aube.
KEY GRAPES
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay; Blanc de Noirs is made from black grapes only.
CLIMATE
Cool and marginal — the northernmost limit of viable viticulture in France. The chalk subsoil retains heat and drains perfectly, moderating the climate.
AGEING POTENTIAL
Non-vintage: 15 months minimum on lees. Vintage: 3 years minimum. Prestige cuvées: often 8–12 years before release.
FOOD PAIRING
Non-vintage Brut: oysters, sushi, fried chicken. Blanc de Blancs: lobster, langoustines, caviar. Vintage: roast chicken, veal, aged Comté. Rosé: salmon, charcuterie.
APPELLATIONS
Key Appellations
PRODUCERS
Producers to Know
Krug
Reims
The most complex non-vintage Champagne — multi-vintage blends of extraordinary depth and richness.
Salon
Côte des Blancs
Blanc de Blancs only, single vineyard, single vintage — produced only in exceptional years.
Egly-Ouriet
Montagne de Reims
The benchmark grower Champagne — vinous, complex, and built for the table.
Billecart-Salmon
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
The most elegant of the grandes marques — precise, refined, and consistently excellent.
TASTING NOTES
Bottles Worth Seeking Out
Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition
Toasted brioche, dried apricot, hazelnut, and a long mineral finish. The benchmark prestige Champagne.
Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV
Crystalline purity, chalk minerality, citrus blossom, and extraordinary length.
Egly-Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru NV
Rich, vinous, and complex — this grower Champagne shows what Pinot Noir can do in the right hands.
FROM THE JOURNAL