Champagne needs little introduction, nor does it require a celebratory occasion to pop open — but this Champagne Day, held annually on the 4th Friday of October, we can think of a few exceptional examples worth discovering.
Year after year, results from the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) attest to the quality of Champagne, and the 2024 competition was no exception with 28 Gold, seven Platinum and two Best in Show medals awarded to this classic region.
Champagne’s two Best in Show medal winners are of particular note: Castelnau, Brut 2006 and Charles Heidsieck, Blanc Des Millénaires Brut 2014. Both vintage wines, with the former coming from a warmer vintage that judges note is beginning to be hard to find. The wine shows harmonious aromas of cream and white mushrooms yet retains freshness and nerve. Contrary, the latter is a 100% Chardonnay from a cooler year, offering aromas of cream, flowers, nuts and quiet orchard fruits.
Scroll down to see a top selection of 96-97 point Champagnes from DWWA 2024
Vintage Champagnes saw a majority of top medals awarded, with 25 of the top 37 (Gold, Platinum and Best in Show winners) awarded to sparkling wines from a vintage. The 2013 vintage stands out with seven Champagnes awarded 95+ points from this exceptional vintage.
Of the seven Platinum medal-winning wines, all receiving 97 points, one was awarded to a vintage rosé expression: Laurent-Perrier, Alexandra Rosé Brut 2012. Polished and refined, this sparkling wine is deeply gastronomic with a lush crunchy texture, vivacious mousse and an engaging flow of acidity.
Below find a selection of 96-97 point Champagnes, well worth discovering, from the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, with many more to discover at awards.decanter.com
Champagne Day: 96+ point wines to try
Best in Show
Castelnau Brut 2006
Best in Show, 97 points
50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
This Champagne – a classical blend of all three main Champagne varieties, with 50 per cent Chardonnay complemented by 30 per cent Pinot Noir and 20 per cent Pinot Meunier – comes from a warmer vintage than our Blanc de Blancs winner, and one that (with its fifteenth birthday now behind it) is beginning to be hard to find. Most remember the sunny, trouble-free June and July in 2006, but great Champagne needs a season with minor-key moments as well as major, and August of that vintage provided plenty of storm clouds and cool rain. The wine is still pale gold in colour in 2024, and its aromas are harmonious and enticing: look out for cream and cut white mushrooms as well as plump summer fruit. The palate has breadth and almost autumnal amplitude, yet retains freshness, nerve and poise. As we go to press, it’s at peak maturity and will stay there for a year or so. Alc 12.5%
Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millénaires Brut 2014
Best in Show, 97 points
100% Chardonnay
The 2014 vintage was a mixed one in Champagne – a cool, wet July lingered into an indifferent August – and some parts of the region (notably the Marne Valley) struggled as they coped with twice the normal rainfall total. It soon became apparent, though, that the Côtes des Blancs was a winner zone in 2014, and time has only amplified the merits of this coolish but ultra-classical year for Blanc de Blancs from well-sited vineyards. Here’s a great example. Pale and fine-beaded, with a sumptuous aroma of cream, flowers, nuts and quiet orchard fruits – though it’s stealthy as yet, and further cellar time will certainly amplify the charm. On the palate, the wine is crystalline in terms of its focus and balance, while the flavours evoke the plant world – pressed spring leaf and sweet angelica – as much as fruit. The structure is impressive for a Blanc de Blancs, too. Stylish and assured Champagne. Alc 12%
Platinum
Cordier, Dival Cotel Blanc de Blancs Brut Premier Cru NV
Platinum, 97 points
100% Chardonnay
Capacious notes of baked apple, meringue and hazelnut praline set the luxurious tone here with a ravishing satin mousse and gossamer acidity which lap gently across the palate and harmonise towards the rippling saline finish. Alc 12.5%
Laurent-Perrier, Alexandra Rosé Brut 2012
Platinum, 97 points
80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay
Glistening red cherries and macerated strawberries meet creamed vanilla biscuits and pastry. Deeply gastronomic with a lush crunchy texture, vivacious mousse and an engaging flow of acidity which sails through to the long savoury finish. Alc 12%
Palmer & Co., Grands Terroirs Brut 2015
Platinum, 97 points
50% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, 12% Pinot Meunier
Ravishing swirls of red fruit and coated nuts dance joyously over the nose and palate with a melting lemon-pith acidity and billowing foam. Smart and complete with chalky mineral and savoury notes on the long finish. Alc 12%
Philippe Gonet, Ter Blanc Extra Brut NV
Platinum, 97 points
100% Chardonnay
In fine fettle with exquisite lemon blossom and smoky brioche leading the way, with a simmering core of silky bubbles and sumptuous pastry which deliver panache and grace. Very long with a mouth-filling acidity which glides and endures. Alc 12%
Rare Champagne Brut 2013
Platinum, 97 points
70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
Incredibly rich and smouldering with savoury nuts, toast and a piercing tang of bitter lemon with a fabulous silky texture imparting finesse and stature. Full of verve with gleaming waves of acidity and a lavish long length. Alc 12%
Taittinger Brut 2016
Platinum, 97 points
50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay
Outstanding elegance and finesse pervade this exceptional wine with its well-honed toasty sourdough, gunflint and grilled citrus notes, razor sharp acidity and mouth-filling mousse. Brilliantly poised and brimming with potential, the long and zesty finish runs and runs. Alc 12.5%
Telmont, Blanc de Noirs Brut 2015
Platinum, 97 points
61% Pinot Meunier, 39% Pinot Noir
A medley of shining red cherry, wild strawberry and apple skin aroma navigates confidently over the taut acidity and abiding freshness and contrasts perfectly with the complex brioche and walnut characters which melt into the lengthy finale. Alc 12%
Gold
Chassenay d’Arce, Confidences Brut 2012
Gold, 96 points
83% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, 2% Pinot Blanc
An exemplification of poise and delicacy with its sheer finesse and finely tuned intensity. Honeyed lemons, ripe apples and a racy acidity simper towards the noteworthy finale. Alc 12%
Jacquart, Cuvée Alpha Brut 2014
Gold, 96 points
53% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir
Ample spice, rich plum and quince sit atop a slick tobacco underbite. Buttery and plush with brisk lime acidity, a persistent mousse and long saline drive at the end. Alc 12.5%
Maison Mumm, RSRV Cuvée Lalou Brut Grand Cru 2008 (Magnum)
Gold, 96 points
50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay
Spectacular layers of white blossom, crunchy apple, wood smoke and sea spray with a beautifully firm structure and searing acidity which ripple towards the cool menthol finish. Alc 12.5%
Marie de Moy, Brut Grand Cru NV
Gold, 96 points
100% Chardonnay
Stylish yellow apple, apricot and vibrant citrus is gently laced with vanilla pastry cream and brioche. Crisp and mouth-watering with a pervading mousse and an impressive finish. Alc 12%
Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2018
Gold, 96 points
51% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir
Sublime sourdough, grilled almond and brioche with a surge of ripe peach and lemon judiciously blended with a shapely mousse and excellent bite of acidity. Gloriously long. Alc 12%
Saint-Réol, Elégance Brut Grand Cru 2012
Gold, 96 points
61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay
A hit of baked yellow apple, pastry and toasted bread which magnifies well on the palate building a dried flower and sea breeze freshness. Glossy and long. Alc 12.5%
Sébastien Lefèvre, Constellation Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2016
Gold, 96 points
100% Chardonnay
Rich grapefruit marmalade, lemon peel and dried hazelnut with a lick of truffle-scented evolution which adds depth and mystic. Creamy and abundant with a bittersweet citrus finish. Alc 12.5%
