11 “Must Know” Champagne Brands

Dom Perignon, recognised globally as one of the most prestigious Champagne brands, has maintained its unwavering symbol of luxury, class and flawless quality in Champagne over the years. It is named after Dom Pierre Pérignon, a French monk who is named as the “spiritual father” of Champagne. Dom Pérignon is now part of the LVMH group – the world leader in the luxury spectrum. Dom Pérignon is only produced in years when the finest fruits are harvested, and is only released into the market after at least 7 years of ageing. Many royal members and superstars including Marilyn Monroe are fans of Dom Perignon.

From Ernest Hemingway to Coco Chanel, these influential celebrities are all big fans of Krug. The House was established in Reims in 1843 by Joseph Krug whose dream was to craft the world class Champagne every year regardless of climatic changes. Therefore, each bottle is produced by blending over 100 kinds of wines across vintages. The Krug house style is rich and complex, and generally features aromas and flavours of citrus, toast, apricot and peach.

Louis Roederer Champagne is one of the most famous Champagnes in the world. It was once the official wine supplier for the Imperial Court of Russia. The brand was best known for one of its wines, the Louis Roederer Cristal, which was created for Tsar Alexander II. Since the exceptionally prestige Champagne came in a flat-bottomed and transparent lead-crystal bottle, the new brand was named after this precious packaging. Louis Roederer Cristal is produced uniquely during the best years and aged for at least 6 years. It has a silky texture and fruity scent, complemented by a powerful mineral taste with white fruit and citrus notes.

Being the oldest Champagne wine house, Gosset Champagne has always been the favourite of the Kings and Queens of France. Gosset is well known for preserving the “balance between freshness, fruit and vinosity, without masking the wine’s character or purity.” Besides the high reputation of the top-quality Champagne, Gosset’s “Antique Bottle” has an elegant, distinctive and well-rounded bottle design that makes it to become a symbol of the house since 1760 and cements its unique position in the heart of Champagne lovers around the world.

Since 1743 when it was founded, Moët & Chandon has been one of the most famous and best-selling Champagne brands in the world. Being the House’s iconic champagne, Moët Impérial embodies Moët & Chandon’s unique style that can be distinguished by its bright fruitiness, a seductive palate and elegant maturity. Many historical celebrities are a big fan of Moët & Chandon including the Napoleon and Queen Victoria. More than that, it has been designated as the exclusive Champagne for many award ceremonies including the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards.

Perrier-Jouët is founded by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët, who both had a soft spot for Champagnes. After getting married in 1810, they founded the Champagne House and named it after their last names in French. Perrier-Jouët was a pioneer in Champagne who was one of the first to make Champagne in a brut style. Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut is a vibrant, stylish cuvée characterized by delicate floral aromas, and is rounded out by fresh fruit and hints of buttery brioche and vanilla. Though crisp and light, it combines freshness with a lingeringly rich and generous finish, preserving its distinctive balance and harmony to the very end.

Veuve Clicquot manages to reconcile strengths and silkiness, holding them in a perfect balance with aromatic intensity and freshness. Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot has been a favoured drink of haute bourgeoisie and nobility throughout Europe. It is now part of the LVMH group. Worth to mention that Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label is the symbol of the House with a perfect balance between power and finesse.

Being the official supplier of Champagne to the British court, Bollinger was established in 1829 by Jacques Bollinger and has been family owned until now. Bollinger uses a majority of Pinot Noir with aromas of oak and fruits. The Bollinger Champagne has been featured 14 times in 24 James Bond films, undoubtedly making it to be one of James Bond’s favourites.

The Pierre Peters estate is one of the most sought-after, highly acclaimed “Grower Champagne” producers worldwide. Since 1919, it has been a family house for six generations that produced Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagnes. Some critics believed that the quality of Pierre Peters’ Les Mesnil Blanc de Blancs is highly comparable with that of Salon and Krug’s Clos du Mesnil, but at a much affordable price! Pierre Peters uses Chardonnay grapes exclusively from their own vineyards, so that their Champagne expresses the richness, subtlety and the elegance of the excellent terroirs of the Côte des Blancs.

Franck Bonville is a Champagne house specialized in making Blanc de Blancs. Its vineyards are located in Grand Cru classified villages that give credit and assurance to its quality. The Prestige Grand Cru Cuvee is made from the best parcels, with a blend of 2 vintages that perfectly pair together; its Pur Avize, Pur Mesnil & Pur Oger collections are each made with grapes from respective vineyards, expressing site-specific terroir and unique personalities. Pur Avize is fresh, fruitier and more floral; Pur Mesnil has crisp acidity and lovely minerality; Pur Oger is round and pleasant. And most importantly, all of them are worth a try!

Located on the very chalky slopes of Sezannais, the House of Le Brun de Neuville has been offering a great range of elegant and sophisticated Champagnes since 1963. Le Brun de Neuville is a specialist in producing the famous “Blanc de Blancs” Champagnes and uses Chardonnay of their own vineyard as the major grape variety to give delicate aromas, floral notes, citrus and a bit of mineral.