Searching for a special bottle of bubbly? With over 300 million bottles of champagne produced annually from around 16,000 wine growers, the selection is vast. So where do you begin? Why not try looking or something a bit out of the ordinary. Our champagne experts shared their list of the top 5 champagnes you won't find in just any store below. Read on to find out what should be on your 2017 shopping list.
1. David Leclapart
David Leclapart is a fourth-generation champagne house located in the village of Trépail in the Montagne de Reims, run by David himself. David’s farms were certified as biodynamic in 2000 and are run on the principles of purity, energy, pleasure and ecology. These ideologies translate into his work, illustrating how nature has a presence in the creation and end product of champagne. Leclapart makes 2 cuvées out of 100% pinot noir grapes (both rosé champagnes) and one of 100% Chardonay. Due to Leclapart’s focus on nature and lack of intervention when in the cellar, his wines are known for being remarkably pure and extremely high quality. With only 15,000 bottles made annually, we understand why Leclapart’s champagne is like liquid gold to consumers.
2. Krug Clos Du Mesnil 2000
The Krug Clos du Mesnil 2000 is an extremely rare wine sought after by many. The famous ‘walled garden’ where the grapes are grown is located in Mesnil-Sur-Oger, one of the most famous regions in the champagne world. This complex, rich and elegant champagne is known as a stormy indulgence, as it manages to blend sweet, gentle tastes with ashy, smoky tones that gracefully develop with each sip. The 2000 harvest miraculously survived a great hail storm, providing deliciously ripe grapes that produced an extremely elegant chardonnay. Originally created to celebrate the millennium, Krug Clos du Mesnil 2000 is not only famous for being a unique taste explosion, but also for marking a historic milestone.
3. Benoit Lahaye
Benoit Lahaye is a family business based in Bouzy, a Grand Cru village in the Montagne de Reims region, that has been bottling their own wines since 1996. Lahaye became certified organic in 2007. Production quality make the grapes and base of this champagne special. The grapes from each parcel are pressed separately, which gives each of Lahaye’s champagnes a delightfully light yet precise taste. His vines are mainly pinot noir (as to be expected in Bouzy). His Blanc de Noirs Brut and Le Jardin de la Grosse Pierre are the cuvées to try. The delicate preparation, attention to detail and the fact that less than 40,000 bottles are produced per year is why these champagnes are difficult to track down in your average store.
4. Egly-Ouriet
Based in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, home to some of the greatest Pinot Noir in France, Egly was one of the producers in the champagne grower movement and remains at the top of the business. Egly-Ouriet is most famous for its highly sought-after 100% pinot noir champagne made of vines planted in 1946 called "Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes". They follow an extremely gentle extraction process and a pure grape pressing technique. This is why the Brut Tradition Grand Cru and other champagnes are so refined, complex, fresh and promise length on the palate. The Brut Tradition Grand Cru remains small in terms of production, but is a true treat to any lucky buyer.
5. Salon
Convinced that he could produce a wine with more texture, elegance and depth without adding any Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier, Eugène Aimé Salon started his own champagne in the early 20th century, which he named Salon. What makes this wine so unique is the intense focus on production. In 1905, Salon was originally made with one grape variety, from one region and in one single cru. Today, a bottle from each vintage is still kept in the cellar, to remind visitors of the champagne’s heritage. In order for Salon to develop its famous complexity and finesse, it’s bottled and held in the cellar for around 10 years. With no more than 60,000 bottles produced each year, Salon is a rare yet exquisite find.
Now that you have a good start for your champagne shopping list, where do you look? At our weekly Champagne auction you might just come across one of these extraordinary bottles or other exquisite champagnes.
If you have a bottle of one of these, or any other champagnes, wines or whiskies that you'd like to offer up for auction, you can easily become a seller and start offering up your champagnes for auction straight away. Our experts can't wait to see what you have to offer!