Champagne
Champagne, the epitome of elegance and celebration, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of sparkling wines. As one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, Champagne has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs with its exceptional quality, refined craftsmanship, and iconic vineyards.
Historically, Champagne has been dominated by some world-acclaimed Champagne House, which source grapes and harvest from Champagne growers. These famous Grandes Marques include Louis Roederer (Cristal), Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Bollinger, all of them are revered for their notable names that display unrivalled winemaking prestige and pedigree.
In the recent decade, the emerging Grower Champagne trend in Champagne is shaking up the industry by challenging the dominance of the big Champagne houses. These small-scale producers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" or RM, grow their own grapes and produce their own Champagne, showcasing the unique terroir and character of their vineyards. Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie are among the most prominent names in this trend, producing some truly artisanal and terroir-driven Champagnes.
Champagne is primarily made from three main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully selected and blended to create a harmonious and complex flavour profile. Chardonnay contributes elegance, freshness, and finesse, while Pinot Noir adds structure, depth, and fruitiness. Pinot Meunier brings a touch of roundness and vibrancy to the blend.
The region of Champagne is divided into several distinct sub-regions, including Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. Each sub-region has its unique terroir, characterized by variations in soil composition and microclimates, which influence the style and character of the wines produced.
Champagne offers various styles, from non-vintage blends to vintage cuvées and prestigious prestige cuvées. While Non-vintage Champagnes typically epitomise the house style, the vintage Champagnes are made from grapes harvested in one particular year (top vintages such as 1996, 2002, 2008 etc), in which these wines showcase the unique characteristics of the specific vintage.
The prestige cuvées, often the flagship wines of the renowned Champagne houses, are the pinnacle of excellence. These exceptional Champagnes are created using the finest grapes, the most meticulous winemaking techniques and often benefit from extended ageing to achieve unparalleled complexity and finesse.
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, elegance, and luxury. Its effervescent charm and timeless appeal have made it the drink of choice for countless special occasions and memorable moments. With its rich history, iconic vineyards, and unrivalled quality, Champagne continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
Champagne
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,545.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)The 2015 La Grande Dame, in magnum, is terrific. It offers a bit more mid-palate presence than the wine from bottle. Citrus confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and spice are beautifully amplified by the big bottle. Brisk acids pull it all together on the vibrant finish. In large format, the 2015 Grande Dame is seriously beautiful and vivid. Disgorged June 2024. |
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Champagne | 7 | 96 (VN (AG)) | HK$5,375.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)The 2015 La Grande Dame, in magnum, is terrific. It offers a bit more mid-palate presence than the wine from bottle. Citrus confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and spice are beautifully amplified by the big bottle. Brisk acids pull it all together on the vibrant finish. In large format, the 2015 Grande Dame is seriously beautiful and vivid. Disgorged June 2024. |
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Champagne | 4 | 96 (WE) | HK$4,990.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (96)With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022. |
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Champagne | 3 | - | HK$7,820.00 | |||||
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Breathtakingly complex, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame X Yayoi Kusama 2012 is an exquisite blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Born from the prestigious Veuve Clicquot vineyards in Reims, France, it boasts an impressive palette punctuated by hints of stone fruit, toasted nuts, and spice. The culmination of meticulous selection and assemblage of the Maison's eight historic Grands Crus is masterfully showcased in this edition. Marking the partnership with renowned artist Yayoi Kusama, the bottle is adorned in her vibrant, polka dot artwork, marrying perfectly with the wine's energetic effervescence and luminous clarity. The collaboration pays homage to Madame Clicquot, the Grande Dame de la Champagne. Each bottle encapsulates the house's enduring commitment to push boundaries in wine-making. Revered among the world's top Champagne vintages, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame X Yayoi Kusama 2012 offers unparalleled sophistication, making it a remarkable addition to any collection. |
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Champagne | 18 | 91 (WS) | HK$2,620.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (91)The color of ballet shoes, this offers a floral nose partnered with a rich palate of flavor, subtly woven with brioche, toasted nut, black raspberry, apricot and graphite notes. This vibrant wine maintains a sense of elegance throughout. |
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Champagne | 1 | - | HK$2,000.00 | |||||
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Champagne | 2 | 96 (DC) | HK$4,170.00 | |||||
Decanter (96)It is quite something to be invited to the launch of Champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008 at Clos des Lambrays, one of the finest grands crus of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits and acquired by LVMH in April 2014. It was rumoured to have paid close to €100m. The Veuve Clicquot 2008 is VC Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville’s first solo vintage. What fascinated him at Lambrays was winemaker Thierry Brouin’s consummate talent in capturing from the red iron-rich soil a wonderfully bright character in the wine- so fresh, rich yet elegant, density and delicacy in magical harmony. The same can be said for my two coups de coeur in Clicquot 2008. --- Veuve Clicquot 2008 (Magnum) --- Shimmering green-gold. Easily up several notches from the bottle. Perfect balance of freshness, ripe acidity and complex vinosity to come. Near perfect wine, patina of seasoned spice of subtle oak. --- Elegant and complex Champagne with plenty of fine mousse and flavours of toast, smoke and roasted fruit notes to balance the fresh acidity. A refined and refreshing fullbodied wine in a gastronomic style with the potential to drink well for many years. |
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Champagne | 100 | 92 (WS) | HK$1,985.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (92)Tightly knit, focused by racy acidity and a streak of minerality, this offers subtle notes of white peach, anise, biscuit and kumquat. The refined finish echoes a smoky note. |
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Champagne | 1 | - | HK$15,605.00 | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | - | HK$3,580.00 | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | 93 (VN) | HK$3,695.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)Bright yellow. Room-filling and utterly hypnotic aromas of ripe pear, quince paste, toffeed nuts, smoked meat, buttery brioche, potpourri and pungent flowers. Deep, round and rich, with powerful, densely concentrated orchard fruit flavors complicated by lichee, cherry pit, Asian spices, butter and toasted nuts. Firms up on the finish, with harmonious but substantial acids framing the deep fruit tones and the buttery note repeating on the back. This has the structure to repay many years in a cool cellar. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN) | HK$1,670.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2008 Coeur de Cuvée (magnum) is positively brilliant. It is also likely to require quite a bit of time to be at its very best. Even so, the 2008 shimmers with tension, energy and polish. Lemon confit, chalk, chamomile and white flowers are all finely cut in this chiseled, super-expressive edition of the Coeur de Cuvée. The 2008 boasts incredible fruit density and structure, with distinctly mineral and graphite notes that develop in the glass. In a word: dazzling! Unfortunately, there are just 395 magnums to go around. Disgorged November 2016. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 2 | 96 (VN (AG)) | HK$5,520.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)The 2012 Coeur de Cuvée is magnificent. In this vintage Laurent Champs balances the natural intensity of the year with tremendous energy and vibrancy, making for a Champagne of remarkable beauty. Like all the Vilmart wines, the 2012 Coeur de Cuvée is super-refined. Even so, it is also incredibly tight and nowhere near ready. I find its depth, power and tension absolutely compelling. Bright saline notes, spice and floral accents extend the eternal finish. The 2012 is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Disgorged: February 2019. Don't miss it! |
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Champagne | 3 | 96 (VN) | HK$7,535.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2013 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is fabulous, not to mention and absolute must-buy for Vilmart fans. All of the tension of the late harvest comes through in a Champagne that dazzles with tension and energy. Bright acids drive a core of Chardonnay fruit. Citrus, white pepper, white flowers and crushed rocks abound. Readers should be in no rush to open the 2013, it's a wine for the cellar. Disgorged: December, 2020. |
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Champagne | 7 | 96 (VN) | HK$4,930.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2013 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is fabulous, not to mention and absolute must-buy for Vilmart fans. All of the tension of the late harvest comes through in a Champagne that dazzles with tension and energy. Bright acids drive a core of Chardonnay fruit. Citrus, white pepper, white flowers and crushed rocks abound. Readers should be in no rush to open the 2013, it's a wine for the cellar. Disgorged: December, 2020. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (VN) | HK$4,410.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2014 Brut Coeur de Cuvée impresses with its density and overall energy. Apricot, baked apple tart, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed accents all meld together. The 2014 is deep and beautifully centered, with tons of poise and impeccable balance. It's a pretty big wine by Vilmart standards, and yet all the elements are so well put together. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Disgorged: March, 2021. |
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Champagne | 4 | 96 (VN) | HK$4,855.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 2015 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is a pretty dense wine that belies its deceptively mid-weight structure. What surprises me most about the 2015 is how closed it is. In most years, especially warm years, Coeur de Cuvée is quite a bit more open and voluptuous, but the 2015 does not come across like that at all. Rather, it is super-classic in bearing, with tons of gravitas from the 60-year-old vines just waiting to emerge. There are non of the awkward herbal notes that penalize so many wines. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. The 2015 is a brilliant Coeur de Cuvée. |
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Champagne | 6 | 95+ (WA) | HK$5,195.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95+)With crystalline purity and more tension than any other wine in this year’s lineup, Vilmart’s 2016 Coeur de Cuvée has put up a stellar performance. Disgorged in September 2022 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it hails from 60-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Blanches Voies—the same five-hectare vineyard that provides their Blanc de Blancs. Matured in 228-liter barrels, mostly from Damy, it wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and green apple. Taut and incisive, with impressive mid-palate amplitude, racy acidity and ample chalky structuring extract, it culminates with a long, saline finish. This is an elegant Champagne that will captivate purists, offering greater precision and nuance than the 2017 vintage of this cuvée. As ever, it’s crafted from the least fruit-forward, most acid-driven press fraction—just 68%—representing the heart of the cuvée. |
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