The best champagnes round of celebrations and special moments tastefully. We often associate the sparkling drink with elegance and luxury. One of the best Champagne’s that is not on the list is Cristal from Louis Roederer. The Louis Roederer brand makes incredible champagnes with Cristal being loved by rappers for decades. However, Cristal fell from favor due to some racist sentiments from one of their executives. That story is covered here and is well worth the read if you love Hip Hop history.
Really love Champagne? Then try pairing your glass of bubbly with the Gran Champagne Strain. Learn how to drink champagne on a budget.
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Check out these delicious Champagne Cocktail Recipes
Our 9 Best Champagne Selections
Our Flavor Fix champagne experts spent several grueling (super fun) days trying lots of champagne to bring you this guide and to let you know all about these nine best champagnes.
1. Ruinart Brut Champagne
Ruinart Brut Champagne is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir and 11% Meunier. Brut is the French term for tart, meaning brut champagnes aren’t sweet. They contain a maximum of 15 grams of sugar per liter. In terms of taste, it’s comparable to a dry wine.
This champagne is characterized by long-lasting, fine bubbles. The aroma is initially fresh, delicate, and fruity; according to Ruinart, the scent is reminiscent of apricots, almonds, and hazelnuts. Later, the taste becomes more intense, and the sparkling wine should give off hints of biscuit and brioche.
2. The Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne
There are three grape varieties in champagne production: white Chardonnay grapes and red grape varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Black Riesling). The Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label is one of our favorites made only from red grape varieties.
The Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label is elegant and intense, with fine bubbles and lemony richness on a vanilla note.
3. Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Champagne
The Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial is a classic on all the best champagne lists, which is why you can find it anywhere champagne is sold. In addition to Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon also belongs to this brand. It has tiny bubbles, a fruity flavor, and restrained acidity.
4. The Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne
The Taittinger Brut Réserve is an example of the perfect balance of acidity, fruit, and carbon dioxide. It’s the best champagne if you seek something less sweet than Moët & Chandon, with nutty and yeasty flavors, a fine foam edge, and gentle bubbles. Its scent is a mixture of fruity notes and classic aromas of brioche and yeast bread.
5. Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Champagne
Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Champagne tastes fruity, sparkling, and refreshing. It’s made of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, and reserve wines and smells reminiscent of gooseberries, red fruits, and nectarines.
This is one of the best champagnes for summer celebrations, as Ice Impérial is only available in limited quantities during the summer months. The champagne is intended for cool refreshment by the pool or beach, served on ice. Moët champagne is available in blanc and rosé versions.
6. Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne
The 2010 vintage champagne is considered a special year. After a cold winter and a dry spring, the summer was very good for the grapes. After two days of heavy rain, the harvest appeared to be in jeopardy. Mold grew on the vines. According to the manufacturer, the good vintage champagne is thanks to Dom Pérignon’s employees, who saved the grapes with a planned approach and professional assessment.
This vintage champagne is produced exclusively from the best grapes of the year. Upon opening the bottle, the first scent is of tropical fruit and then of tangerine and orange peel. It tastes full-bodied and powerful, with the finish being salty.
7. Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne
The Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne has a long cellar maturation time. Bollinger lets the champagne mature longer than recommended, and the sparkling wine matures twice in the cellar. It’s then stored for over 15 years in bottles with natural corks.
Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne a blend of 60 % Pinot Noir, 25 % Chardonnay and 15 % Meunier. We suggest drinking this best champagne with fish, sushi, poultry, ham, and parmesan dishes. Bonus! The buyer receives the Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne bottle with luxurious gift packaging.
8. Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne
The Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne is light in color, with copper tones. It’s stored in a wine cellar for at least three years. Madame Clicquot invented this delicious mixture of rosé champagne back in 1818.
Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne has a full-bodied taste and fresh aromas of wild strawberries and blackberries. It has notes of dried fruits and Viennese pastries.
9. GH Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne — Our Winner!
Our connoisseurs had no trouble picking their best champagne from this list of nine. It was a landslide. The GH Mumm Cordon Rouge is the winner; you can even find it in most supermarkets. Its scent is significantly more intense than most bottles from this champagne test. The carbon dioxide is intense, making the taste very strong. For all champagne lovers, the GH Mumm Cordon Rouge is the perfect champagne!
The Bottom Line on Our Best Champagnes
The best champagnes are bubbly and palate-pleasing. Each label tells you whether the champagne comes from a trading house, a cooperative, or a winery. We recommend less distinctive varieties for beginners.
Be aware that your champagne will lose quality as it ages. Apart from a few exceptions, you should enjoy high-quality bottles within three years of purchase. In the meantime, store the champagne in a cool dark place, upright.
The best champagnes are the ones that you like! No need to be fancy or spend a lot of money. If you like drinking it, it’s already the best champagne!
