Pop These 25 Bottles and Become a Champagne Master

Champagnelovers, put down that glass (not for long, don't worry), pull up a chair and get ready to transition from enthusiast to know-it-all. Not only has bubbly long been the choice drink of great emperors, royal families, celebrities, world leaders, hip-hop artists, and professional athletes alike, but there is also hardly a wine drinker who would turn down a glass. So, whether you’re a royal or just a fan of a brilliant, celebratory sparkler, it’s time to take a deep dive.

First things first:Champagne必须来自法国东北部的同名地区，该地区围绕着三个主要城镇：Reims，épernay和A²。但是你已经知道了。您可能会惊讶的是，我们今天所知道的，空灵，起泡的香槟是一项相对现代的发明。在17世纪和18世纪，次要发酵（发生在瓶中并创建饮料的泡沫）并不是故意的酿酒技术，被认为是一种滋扰。亚搏电竞是Veuve Clicquot夫人（是的，thatVueve Clicquot) who, in the 19th century, developed techniques to control secondary fermentation and perfect the art of making Champagne.

With this basic information in mind, the next step to becoming a pro is, of course, to pop open a bottle, or in this case, 25. These 25 sparklers are some of the most iconic Champagnes out there, featuring an array of styles and price-points, so study up and become the Champagne know-it-all you've always wanted to be.

With rare exception, most Champagne houses produce a sparkling wine each year. One of those rarities is Salon — a collector’s dream bottle that fetches triple- and quadruple-digit price tags on major Michelin-starred wine lists. Only in exceptional years when grapes achieve a perfect balance between sugar ripeness and acidity does Chef de Caves Michel Fauconnet (who is also the cellarmaster at Laurent-Perrier), declare a vintage and produce a wine. Salon is situated in le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a commune (or village) within the Côte des Blancs, one of the five main regions of Champagne. Grapes from a tiny 2.4-acre vineyard called “Salon’s garden” are harvested along with select bunches from 19 other parcels in Mesnil-sur-Oger, to yield a sublimely complex cuvée revealing decadent citrus, floral, mineral and toasty brioche notes. Since its first release in 1905, Salon has only produced a wine in 40 vintages!

It’s theholy grail of Champagnes- 一个甚至被大师侍酒师法院垂涎的人，该法院在第一次尝试时向所有通过所有三项测试（理论，服务和品尝）的人颁发了金色的“克鲁格杯”。1840年，约瑟夫·克鲁格（Joseph Krug）提出了将储备葡萄酒的较旧葡萄酒融合在一起的想法，以此来克服任何曲线球，大自然可能会在生长季节中投入。亚搏电竞这是一个革命性的想法，是一瓶一瓶克鲁格的格兰德·库维（GrandeCuvéeso unique — no vintage is precisely the same, but each is a work of art. Chef de Caves Eric Lebel begins each year with around 250 different vineyard plots, and 150 reserve wines from up to 12 different vintages, with some wines as old as 15 years of age. From all this, he crafts the next vintage of Krug.

This is the obvious choice Champagne for anyone who is a regular at the poker tables in any of Las Vegas’ major casinos. And when you’ve arrived at eminent high-roller status, the move is to hit the big clubs along the Strip, and when the moment strikes, order abig bottle of Ace of Spades。The room will stop, the spotlight will shine on you, and you’ll get your Vegas 15 minutes of fame. The rest of us will just hope to catch some of the vivid, red-berry and toasty brioche mist from the bottle you’re using to spray down your guests. This just isn’t the kind of Champagne to sip on in an elegant setting. It really calls for raucousness.

For the longest time, Dom Pierre Pérignon, the 17th century cellarmaster of the Benedectine Abbey of Hautvillers, which sits smack in the heart of the Champagne region, was rumored to have invented Champagne. The truth is, he did not. But in the 1600s, bubbles in wine were considered a flaw and Dom was tasked with trying to stop the secondary fermentation, which creates the bubbles. He wasn’t successful, thankfully, but he did master the art of blending—a hallmark of exceptional Champagne. And today, you’ll only ever see avintage-dated bottle of Dom, and typically only about six bottled vintages per decade. That’s because bottles are held at least six or seven years before release, and are a blend of several older vintage base-wines. They typically reveal a mix of toasty brioche, complex citrus, honeyed and terrific baking spice notes.

Chardonnay grapes take center stage in every bottle of Henriot, officially founded in 1808 by a woman named Apolline Henriot. “Blanc de Blancs” translates to “white of whites,” or rather, a white wine made from light-skinned grapes. With fruit from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards rounding out the cuvée, this packs a vibrancy and purity of fruit you’d expect from a much more expensive Champagne.

有一段时间,克里斯特发现itself in the limelight as the glorified Champagne that graced the lips of hip-hop artists like Jay Z and Kanye West. Today, sadly, hip-hop and Cristal are not speaking. But there’s much more you should know about this pillar of bubbly. For one thing, the name “Cristal” is a direct reference to the custom-made flat-bottomed lead-crystal bottles that 19th-century Russian emperor Tsar Alexander II asked Louis Roederer to make for him. The Tsar demanded that the best cuvée be set aside for him every year and bottled in the precious crystal. Today, all the vines that produce this stunning sparkler are farmed biodynamically.

Every Champagne know-it-all should be dialed in to how rosé Champagne is produced. Either a small amount of red wine is blended into a white, or, the freshly-pressed juice of just-harvested grapes are left in contact with the grape skins for a short period as color tannins are extracted, lending that famous pink hue. And once you’ve explained all that, be sure and pop the cork onthis simply quintessential sparkling rosé Champagne— deliciously creamy and brimming with red berry flavors.

So many founders of great Champagne houses came from France’s textile industry, and the Drappier family (cloth merchants in Reims) is no exception. Today, some eight generations later, they’re making some of the greatest bubbly in Champagne. Charles de Gaulle famously served up Drappier for dignitaries, but he likely never tried a “Zero Dosage” Champagne. To counterbalance the high natural acidity in Champagne grapes, the last step in the winemaking process is to add a dosage — a small mixture of sugar syrup and wine (the liqueur d’expédition in French) which balances the wine while determining its final sweetness level.A “Brut Nature” like this Drappier, which offers vivid stone fruit notes finishing with a hint of almond, is a wine that received no dosage at all, and is instead bone-dry.

If challenged to name the oldest established Champagne house, you can rest your laurels on Gosset. In 1584 — just over 19 decades before American Independence — Pierre Gosset established a winery smack in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ. This Brut Excellence is a blend of three of the primary Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) and delivers beautifully delineated stone and tropical fruit flavors.

真正宣称自己是香槟知道的一种方法是放弃像这样的小知识炸弹：Bollinger（香槟的伟大偶像之一）于2005年购买了Ayala。因此，您可以说，您可以说具有相同的质量和专业知识进入一瓶这瓶布鲁特，比一瓶布林少20美元至25美元。这就是为什么你带来的this sparkler—redolent of green-apple skin and pear, and bolstered by lip-smackingly bright acid, with a distinct smoky finish — to the party, while the Bollinger patiently awaits your return, safe in your refrigerator.

While Taittinger produces a classic styled, and moderately priced “Brut” each year, only in the best years do they declare a vintage and produce their “Comtes de Champagne,” which is made entirely from Chardonnay grapes — a distinction of the house. It is one of the few remaining family-owned estates that was actually sold, but repurchased by the family. Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, grandson of the founder, has a note to share with anyone with a wine cellar: "A happy cellar is an empty cellar,” he once told me, adding that he believes in sharing all he can in this lifetime.This Comtesshows beautifully tiny and persistent bubbles giving way to apple, peark apricot and smoky mineral notes. Can’t make it to France? They also own Domaine Carneros in California.

Shakespeare’s King Richard II was not talking to winemakers when he said, “This is no month to bleed,” but if he’d been speaking to the Benoit-Lahaye, who makes a rosé Champagne by the saignée method, he’d have been shown the door. This method involves the “bleeding” of free-run juice from newly-crushed dark-skinned grapes, which is also considered the best and most-prized juice. A 100% Pinot Noir, enticing strawberry and cherry notes mingle with minerality and lively persistent bubbles.

In your arsenal of Champagne knowledge-bombs, knowing this “grower-Champagne” will go a long way with Sommeliers and impress just about anyone working professionally in wine. First of all, Collin is a rising star grower-producer that all the critics have their eye on. Second, “Les Pierrieres” is a tiny 2.9-acre vineyard in a more obscure area southwest of Champagne’s better-known Côte des Blancs region. Typically, “growers” simply grow grapes and sell them. But more and more growers are also making their own wines, and Collin is one of the best. Full-bodied, rich and bursting with citrus and baked tropical fruit notes.

When I forget the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, my favorite reminder is this “Belle Epoque” Brut Champagne, which offers a veritable effervescent journey into the beautiful world of Art Nouveau. Artist Emile Gallé, “one of the movement's most celebrated artists,” according to Perrier-Jouet, is responsible for designing the white Japanese anemone flowers that are outlined in gold and etched onto the label in one of the most famous Art Nouveau images the wine-world around. Napoleon III, Queen Victoria and Princess Grace of Monaco were all fans of this gorgeous bubbly, which boasts classic white-floral notes (hence the label design), along with candied citrus and a creamy mouthfeel.

When it comes to absolutely classic Champagne, Heidsieck is it. Perhaps it has something to do with the Champagne houses' first true “brand ambassador”: none other than Marie Antoinette.这个活跃而充满活力的烟火reveals toasty aromas and flavors along with baked fruit notes and spice.

Remember thatbottle of Bollingeryou've got stashed in your fridge? It's the only Champagne good enough for James Bond. Is that because the vineyard own their own cooperage and make all their own oak barrels — the secret ingredient to their voluminously rich style of Champagne? Hardly. Is it because the primarily Grand Cru and Premier Cru grapes that make up this “Special Cuvée” yield a full-bodied, voluptuous Champagne, bursting with creamy candied citrus, elegant perfumed notes, and a mouthwatering finish? Who knows. Whatever the case, Bollinger offers up a license to...enjoy.

Thebenchmark Champagne roséupon which all other pink bubbly is judged is Billecart. This 200-year-old estate has perfected the art of producing a consistent silky, sensual, red-berry flavored rosé sparkler tinged with toasty oak notes. This is pink perfection.

Without question, thegreatest icon and most recognizable Champagne bottle是神圣的黄色尤乌·克里括拉贝河吗l. So, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of “The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It” by Tilar Mazzeo, and take a deep dive into this legendary bubbly. While you’re at it, you might enjoy reading some spirited blog debates over whether the label is yellow or orange.

Withthis illustrious Champagnefrom a family that was intimate with British Royalty and Sir Winston Churchill comes the defining moment in your Champagne education. Tyson Stelzner, one of the world’s foremost Champagne experts, notes that a hallmark of Pol Roger is a noticeable chalkiness. And the best vineyards in Champagne are planted on calcareous soils — those rich in limestone and chalk deposits. So, let a bottle of Pol Roger ignite the “ah-ha” moment for you, marrying the French notion of terroir (a sense of place) with taste.

With bottles gracing shelves in more than 150 countries, this might be the分布最广泛的香槟from France. After Moet & Chandon merged with Hennessy cognac, the luxury giant LVMH was formed. Today, the Champagne houses of Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, Mercier and Krug, all fall under the same LVMH umbrella company. This bubbly is the bottled essence of luxury, but luckily, it costs a mere fraction of a genuine Louis Vuitton handbag — a company also owned by LVMH. It's precisely made, clean and delicate with pure citrus notes and a lengthy finish tinged with toasted almonds.

Of the few women to lead a Champagne house, Carol Duval-Leroy has built her family business into a pillar of exceptional bubbly. She currently runs the show while priming her three sons to eventually take over the business. A couple years back, this house announced it was vegan-friendly. How? As Champagne wines are intended to be vivid and clear, they generally require a fining agent to filter the wine, and that’s often done with gelatin or egg white protein. But Carol allows her wines to sit undisturbed for three months or more, while natural sediment in the wine settles to the bottom of her tanks and barrels.The wineis then racked off that sediment, clear as a cloudless sky. Think white florals, creamy citrus, apple and pear notes on a fresh-baked bread finish.

这是另一个完全来自Grand Cru葡萄园的“种植香槟” - 该地区最负盛名的景点，反过来通常会产生高价的香槟。是什么使葡萄园成为Grand Cru网站？它必须属于蒙塔尼·德·雷姆斯（Montagne de Reims），瓦莱·德拉·马恩（ValléeDela Marne）和科特·德克斯·布兰克斯（Côtedesdes Blancs）的17个大春季村庄的边界。期待一个decade废的口感，带有令人愉悦的柑橘，白色花香和独特的蜂蜜味。

Most Champagne wines are labeled “brut,” which is a style of sparkling wine that ranges in sweetness levels from bone-dry to off-dry — meaning there’s either zero residual sugar or very trace amounts of up to 12 grams per liter. However, there are also sweet styles of Champagne, labeled as “Extra-Sec” (off-dry), “Sec” (off-dry to semi-sweet), “Demi-Sec” (half-dry or medium-sweet), and the very rare “Doux” (lusciously sweet, dessert-style).This “Harmony” Demi-Sec from Laurent-Perrier完全是才华横溢,拥有丰富的口感,年代piced-apple, honeysuckle and toasted hazelnuts. What’s not to love about that?

This list wouldn’t be complete withoutone of my favorite California sparkling wines。但这是什么在法国占城的列表gne? Two things: First, as a Champagne boss, at some point you’ll have to burst someone’s bubble and explain why only sparkling wines from Champagne can be called “Champagne.” (Refresher: Champagne is not a style a wine. It is a region in the north east of France. So, calling a sparkling wine from California a “Champagne” would be like calling a sparkling wine from Champagne a “Napa Valley sparkler” — really weird.) Best to explain over a bottle or Schramsberg, because when the conversation gets heated, you can turn to history: This was the bubbly that President Richard Nixon served in 1972 at his famous “Toast to Piece” with China's Premier Zhou Enlai. And it happens to be delicious, bursting with granny smith apple, caramelized pear, baked bread and stony minerality.

This explanation leads us to something real know-it-alls should be able to do: Name a handful of other sparkling wine regions as a point of comparison to France’s Champagne bubbly empire. First, you might point out that sparkling wine also comes from the Loire Valley in France, that Cava comes from Spain and Prosecco from Italy. Then you could surprise everyone with a mention of Franciacorta. Made in Lombardy, these brilliant sparklers are Italy’s answer to Champagne. They are made in the traditional Champagne method with secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle. This Contadi Castaldi is one of my favorites — a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco grapes, with lively citrus aromas giving way to tropical fruit notes on a creamy and smooth mouthfeel finishing with just a hint of toasted almonds. Salut!