New Year's Eve Champagne Guide
I can’t think of any other beverage that is more associated with ringing in the New Year than Champagne. And I’m talking about actual Champagne here — the real deal, Holyfield made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. Champagne is the right choice but knowing which bottle to select can be a daunting task. Well, have no fear for I’ve compiled a list of twenty of my favorite selections to celebrate the New Year. For the purpose of this guide, I focused mainly on smaller producers that may not be as well known. While I certainly appreciate the bigger houses, you don’t need a list from me to point out the good ones. Price points are broken down $50 and Under, $50-$100, $100+ and a few nostalgic bottles I couldn’t help but include.
A convenient shopping list can be downloaded here.
All of these wines were sourced and priced at Binny’s in Chicago. Pricing and availability may vary.
If you need a quick Champagne primer, check out this overview from Wine Folly.
Champagne $50 or less
Gonet-Médeville, Tradition Premier Cru, Brut, NV $45: Predominantly Chardonnay, low dosage, lively lemony acidity, pair with oysters and shellfish.
Husband and wife team, Xavier Gonet and Julie Médeville source the fruit (70% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier) for this bright and elegant Champagne from organically farmed grand and premier cru vineyards. Fermented in 60% barriques and aged on the second lees for 36 months. Very little dosage (added sugar) is used so the acidity and structure remains taught and firm. It’s a great first bottle to get the party started.
Pierre Paillard, Les Parcelles, Bouzy Grand Cru, NV $37: 100% Grand Cru, low dosage, organically farmed, incredible value, can handle heavier dishes.
Pierre Paillard is a small grower‐producer of Champagnes located entirely in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. While Bouzy is known for exceptional Pinot Noir, 40 percent of the domaine’s holdings are planted to Chardonnay. Les Parcelles is one of Pierre Paillard’s two NV offerings made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from mostly south-facing vineyards. The riper fruit profile is nicely balanced with low dosage. This is an incredible value and a rare opportunity to experience a Champagne from a single Grand Cru Village.
André Clouet, Grand Cru Brut Rose, No.3, NV $49: 100% Grand Cru, lovely pink color, limited production, try it with barbecued ribs and smoked meats.
I absolutely love this Champagne! The Clouet family were the official printers for the Royal Court at Versailles which perhaps explains their lovely wine labels. The No. 3 Rose is made from 100% Pinot Noir from the Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy. Ten percent of still red Pinot Noir is blended into the Blanc de Noirs base, giving the wine its signature pink color. Notes of pomegranates, strawberries, orange zest and flinty minerals. There’s not much of it to go around so, grab it while you can.
Marie Courtin, Blanc de Noirs, Résonance, Extra-Brut 2015 $50: 100% Pinot Noir, biodynamic, wild yeasts, zero-dosage, small production, enjoy in white wine glasses.
Marie-Courtin is a small, biodynamically certified grower located in the Cotes des Bars. It is a touch warmer here with the style, soil and proximity being closer to Chablis. Dominique Moreau created the estate in 2005 (she named it in honor of her late grandmother) with a vision to produce a series of single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes with zero-dosage. The Resonance is made from 100% biodynamically-grown Pinot Noir and native yeasts are used for both fermentations. Racy, briny and steel-like, Dominque recommends enjoying her Champagne in white wine glasses to appreciate their full aromatic potential.
Champagne Geoffroy, Expression, Premier Cru, Brut NV $50: Do-it-all style, enjoy as an aperitif leading into richer dishes.
The Expression is Geoffroy’s “entry-level” cuvee and represents 60% of the estate’s total production. It is a blend of roughly equal parts Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from the Premier Cru villages of Cumières and Hautvillers. Runs a fine balance between full-bodied with notes of brioche and toast but also tight and lean courtesy of zero malolactic fermentation. Enjoy it as an aperitif leading into more complex fare.
Champagne $50-$100
Pierre Péters, Cuvée de Réserve, Blanc de Blancs NV $60: 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, high-quality, exceptional value, vibrant, warm toast and butter.
Pierre Peters was the first grower Champagne I ever tried and it remains one of my all-time favorite values for Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne. The Cuvée de Réserve is sourced from 67 different parcels of the Côte des Blancs including Avize, Cramant, Oger and the illustrious Les Mesnil-sur-Oger where the chalky soils produce the quintessential Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Pierre Péters rubs shoulders here with the likes of Jacques Selosse, Krug and Salon so you can see why this is a high-quality steal at well less than $100 a bottle.
Vilmart & Cie, Cuvee Rubis, Premier Cru $90: Cult-status producer, mostly Pinot Noir, barrel-aged, a Burgundy lover’s sparkling rose.
Vilmart is a perennial favorite with hardcore Champagne nerds. The Brut Premier Cru Cuvee Rubis is crafted from 90% Pinot Noir (including 15% still Pinot) and 10% Chardonnay aged in medium-sized barrels (Winemaker Laurent Champs works exclusively with oak casks and barriques). Champs is a member of Ampelos, an organization that certifies and promotes sustainable viticulture therefore no herbicides or pesticides are ever used. Beautiful salmon color with tart raspberry and lemon zest notes, this is a Burgundy lover’s rose.
Agrapart, "Les 7 Crus" Brut, NV $55: One of my favorite producers, made from a blend of seven villages or crus, limited production
I love Agrapart (it’s even fun to say). Even though the domaine has been bottling wines under their own label since 1894, it’s a relative newcomer to the US market. I’m assuming since such small quantities are made, much of it gets allocated to its loyal following in France. The "Les 7 Crus" is a mix of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir with 100% of the fruit coming from estate-owned parcels located in each of the seven villages in the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Avenay Val d'Or, Bergères les Vertus, and Mardeuil. Another exception value from a top-notch producer.
Gaston Chiquet, Carte d’Or Premier Cru 2008 $63: no oak, minimum five years on the lees, powerful rich style.
Chiquet! I’m giving you all of my favorites here. Single vintage cuvee of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the Premier Cru villages of Hautvillers, Dizy and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Nicolas Chiquet relies on the ripeness and concentration of their fruit, along with malolactic fermentation rather than oak to add richness and power to his Champagnes. Aged minimum 5 years on the lees. Enjoy with pate and heavier meat dishes.
Henri Goutorbe Special Club 2006 $85: 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from Aÿ, Special Club Bottling, in a class of its own
Special Club is indeed pretty special. The Special Club, or Club Trésors de Champagne, was originally founded in 1971. Since then, the club has grown to include 29 producers committed to excellence in all aspects of production. This exclusive membership is open only to Recoltant Manipulants or grower-producers. Special Club represents each member's top bottling (or Tête de Cuvée) that has been reviewed and selected by the organization. You can recognize a Special Club Champagne by its unique, wide-shaped embossed bottle. If you see it, grab it as you are getting the best of the best as guaranteed by a jury of its peers.
Let’s Splurge! Champagne for 100$ or more
Chartogne-Taillet, Les Barres, Blanc de Noirs, Extra-Brut 2013 $105: 100% Pinot Meunier from organically-grown, ungrafted old vines from a single vineyard, experience Pinot Meunier’s full potential, zero dosage.
Alexandre Chartogne was destined to make great Champagne. Considered a rising star, he was born into a Champagne family but was also heavily influenced by his “Champagne Father”, Anselme Selosse who pioneered organic viticulture in Champagne. And just like his mentor, Alexandre believes in a non-interventionist winemaking philosophy using only indigenous yeast, keeping sulfur additions to a minimum and bottling without filtration. Since taking over in 2006, Alexandre has introduced three single vineyard, mono varietal cuvées to the estate’s offerings including “Les Barres”, made entirely from 60 year-old ungrafted Pinot Meunier vines. This is a rare opportunity to experience Pinot Meunier’s full potential.
Vilmart & Cie, Coeur de Cuvee 2010 $155: Baby Krug, barrel fermented and aged, full-bodied, toasted brioche, chalky minerality, treat Yo’ Self.
Vilmart, like Krug, believes that barrel fermentation and aging is the most effective means of coaxing a full spectrum of aromas, tastes and textures. The Coeur de Cuvee is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir that is fermented in barrique and then given a very long six years on the lees before release. Aromas of baked bread, sweet toasty oak mingling with notes of lemon curd and candied lemon peel. This is an exceptional Champagne worthy of celebrating life’s most momentous occasions.
Delamotte, Blanc de Blancs, 2012 $120: 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, Sister House to Salon, The Insider’s Champagne.
Delamotte is the little sister to Champagne Salon, one of the most sought-after and highly-prized Champagnes on the market. I can’t say Delamotte tastes like Salon (there’s only one Salon) but here’s an insider tip: in the years they don’t declare a Salon vintage (in the last century only 37 vintages were made) the juice goes into the Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. Stylistically, the two wines are quite different. Salon spends 10 years on the lees while Delamotte gets half that amount, Delamotte goes through 100% malolactic fermentation, Salon does not. In summary, you drink the Delamotte while you wait for the Salon to come around. There’s a huge price difference too: Delamotte at $120 with Salon fetching $450 or more, if you can get your hands on a bottle.
Ulysse Collin, Les Maillons, Rosé de Saignée 2013 $100: Single-site Pinot Noir, vibrant color from skin contact, barrel fermentation, low dosage, exciting new producer.
Olivier Collin is another devotee of Anselme Selosse. He took back his family estate in 2003 (his family had leased their vineyards to a large Champagne house) to focus on the production of exclusively single-site wines from thoughtfully farmed fruit, fermented with native yeasts and little sulfur, aged at length in barrel and bottle, and finished with very little dosage. Their saignée rosé comes from a parcel of Pinot Noir in Les Maillons. Unusually, Collin's rosé is made with a maceration of the juice with the skins, as opposed to the addition of red wine to a white base. Fermentation takes place with natural yeasts in oak, aged for 3 years in bottle and finished with a small dosage of 1-2 grams/liter at most.
Egly-Ouriet, Grand Cru, Millesime 2009 $165: 100% Grand Cru Ambonnay, fermented in Burgundian Barrels, Burgundy lover’s Champagne, relative steal considering its pricier neighbors.
Francis is the fourth generation of the Egly family to make wines from their exceptionally located, old vine vineyards in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay – home to some of the greatest Pinot Noir that can be found in all of France. In fact, Krug Clos d’Ambonnay can fetch over $3,000 a bottle! Egly's 2009 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a 100% Ambonnay blend of Pinot Noir (70%) and Chardonnay (30%). Fermented in Burgundian barrels for eight months and disgorged in April 2018 with two grams of dosage. I’ll never say no to Egly-Ouriet, especially considering $165 is a relative steal compared to Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay being the equivalent to a mortgage payment.
A Few Nostalgic Champagnes
Champagne is intertwined with celebrating and marking momentous occasions in our lives. We tend to stay loyal or gravitate towards certain brands to relive these wonderful memories. The following bottles represent time markers in my own life and hold a very special place in my heart.
Bollinger Special Cuvee, NV $60: Consistently good, year-after-year, available almost anywhere.
Bollinger is consistently good, year-after-year and you can find it almost anywhere wine is sold. Aged for twice the required amount of time, it’s a toastier, nuttier style of Champagne but always delicious. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the dawning of the new millennium but Bollinger was the Champagne my friends I chose to usher in the year 2000. We were convinced the Y2K bug was going to wipe us all out but thankfully it didn’t and we kept on celebrating.
Billecart-Salmon Rose, NV $75: Sturdy and reliable rose Champagne, a cult-favorite.
Billecart-Salmon rose was all the rage in the mid-90’s, a time when you couldn’t get people to drink anything pink but this was obviously something very special. As a young 19 year-old waitress in Monterey, Billicart-Salmon Rose was my first introduction to the concept of a cult Champagne. It continues to attract a loyal following and never fails bring back fond memories of my first days in wine.
Henriot, Brut Souverain NV $40: consistent high-quality producer, especially for the price
Somewhere in my box of old press clippings there is an article of me when I was 22 years-old giving Champagne recommendations for the New Year. The article features a photo of me with an unfortunate haircut, holding a bottle of Henriot with my tagline, “Just say no to high Champagne prices and drink Henriot!”. Champagne prices had sky-rocketed at the time and Henriot was one of the best deals going. Nearly twenty years later, my hair situation has greatly improved and Henriot continues to be a consistent, high-quality producer, especially for the price. The Brut Souverain (blend of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) spends 4 years on the lees.
Louis Roederer, Brut 2012 $75: Grande Marque producer, classic vintage style, broad depth and toasty.
My dear friend Xavier Barlier is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Maison Marques and Domaines, the sales and marketing arm for Champagne Louis Roederer. I have known Xavier for over twenty years and he never fails to check in with me whenever he visits Chicago. We have had some truly memorable dinners together, including an occasion where Sting happened to be dining next to us. I was starstruck but Xavier, always the epitome of charm and grace, sent Sting a bottle of Cristal. Towards the end of night, Sting approached our table to offer his gratitude and appreciation and I just about died. True story: I had a root canal while listening to a Police album, I really like Sting. The 2012 is composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from the original estate of Roederer in Verzy, Verzenay and Avize and very much like Xavier, it is 100% charm and grace.
Charles Heidsieck, Brut Reserve NV $60: my 21st birthday toast, renewed effort to revitalize the brand
Founded in 1851 Charles Heidsieck Champagne has been a boutique grande marque house for generations. In 2011 it was purchased from Remy Martin by the Descours family and two of Charles’ descendants with an intention to restore the brand to its previous reputation and luster. I celebrated my 21st Birthday with Charles Heidsieck Champagne. I went to a restaurant with my friend and as soon as the clock struck midnight, the bartender poured us two glasses of Charles Heidsieck and it was absolutely perfect.