On the Mount Rushmore of the world’s best sparkling wines, Champagne might just take a clean sweep of all four spots. The undisputed champ of bubbly is (essentially) universally beloved, both by wine pros who analyze the terroir and technique behind each cuvée and by drinkers who just want to pop a celebratory bottle.
But within the region of Champagne, which bottles are the most iconic? The well-known names from the big houses? Or the small grower-producers who help push the region forward? Perhaps both? To get an idea of which wines truly stand out as the most legendary in this region, we asked sommeliers, winemakers, and other industry experts from across the country to share their top four picks.
From niche, single-vineyard wines to coveted baller bottles and (you guessed it) a lot of Krug, these bottles represent the “Mount Rushmore” of Champagne, according to 12 wine pros.
Ian Smedley
Wine manager, Coqodaq, NYC
@gooddocreverso
Krug ‘Clos du Mesnil’: Truly iconic and inimitably singular, this wine stands as the ultimate expression of what one vineyard, one vintage, and one impression of place can achieve. It is a titanic wine to brood upon and treasure. Since its legendary 1979 release, it has served as a focused, complex treatise on greatness.
Dom Pérignon: Dom Pérignon demonstrates a benchmark of consistency and quality over time. It is a tribute to the man credited with Champagne’s creation, featuring fruit from all of the Grand Crus, and some Premier Cru from the Abbey of Hautvillers, where he once resided.
Salon: A return to Grand Cru grandiosity, Salon is the most recognizable and magical representation of Chardonnay throughout the Côte des Blancs. It is long-aged, always intense, and deeply pleasurable, revealing layers that unfold slowly over time. In its finest years, Salon may stand above all.
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: Substance is the true essence of the Grand Cru elegance of Avize. Its magic is born from a solera begun in 1987, gifting us with a wine that is both timeless and ever-evolving.
Gabi Gimson
Co-owner, Liar Liar, Brooklyn
@liarliarbk
Georges Laval: This is a family-run, six-acre estate in Cumières that produces impeccable Champagne with minimal sulfur and no herbicides or pesticides. They’ve been around since the ’70s, making wines in a very traditional method, with a tiny vertical Coquard press. Dark, chalky soils retain heat from the region’s sun-facing slopes, creating a ripe, delicious wine mostly without chaptalization. The wines are dynamic but pristine. Really mineral and chalky, with a richness and concentration to balance.
Jacques Selosse: Selosse’s wines stand out in what can otherwise be a pretty homogeneous region. Anselme Selosse approaches vinification in a more Burgundian style, opting for fermentation in old barrels instead of stainless steel. He ages on the lees for longer than many other producers, giving the wine some really toasty notes and nice complexity. His wines have a slightly oxidative quality, a hazelnut, caramelly thing that’s just a perfect complement to acidity. Everything is minimal-intervention, never chaptalized — just late-harvested grapes and low yields.
Egly-Ouriet: This is another cult-y grower Champagne. Egly-Ouriet has Grand Cru holdings in Ambonnay, Bouzy, and Verzenay, and the vines are old, some of the oldest in Champagne — which means that the grapes are concentrated and the wine is intense. They use a lot of Pinot Noir, which lends the wine a dark complexity and layered texture. These wines are powerful, with more depth than some people I know.
Ulysse Collin: This is such an obvious choice, but no one’s doing it like Ulysse Collin. Another winemaker heavily influenced by his time in Burgundy, Olivier Collin is making single-parcel, monovarietal Champagnes, which is all but unheard of. For that reason, his wines are a pure expression of terroir, but always texturally beautiful with a creamy, dense mousse and depth of flavor for days. Like the other producers mentioned, Collin ferments in barrel, and the wine sits longer on its lees.
Michael Cruse
Founder and winemaker, Cruse Wine Co. and Ultramarine, Petaluma, Calif.
@crusewine
Louis Roederer Cristal: Roederer’s chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has forgotten more about Champagne and sparkling wine than I will ever know. The estate’s focus on biodynamics and permaculture generally is extremely impressive, but for me one of the most impressive things is that for a tête de cuvée, Cristal is generally extremely approachable.
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: Though the oxidation and the solera process get all the attention, the impressive part for me is the focus on the vineyards. Anselme and his son Guillaume are looking at how best to express “site” with an interest in permaculture. To hear them talk about their processes is to hear a craftsman who has thought deeply about process and execution.
Marie-Nöelle Ledru ‘Cuvée du Goulté’: This wine knocked me off my feet the first time I had it, and now continues to impress. Though retired, Marie-Noëlle Ledru’s focus on her work and vineyard was always so impressive to me — basically everything was done by her, by hand. These are wines of great power that show what’s possible in Pinot Noir, made only more impressive by her modest upbringing. She told me that “goulté” is an older Ambonnay term for “coeur de cuvée.”
Frédéric Savart ‘Expression’: There are a dozen more people I could add to this Mount Rushmore, but I think for my final spot, I have to pick Fred. His work in the vineyard is impressive and underappreciated. He is a kind, helpful, gregarious ambassador for the growers of his region. There is a grace to how he works with Pinot Noir that is a constant inspiration.
Nader Asgari-Tari
Director of wine, BCB3 Hospitality, Boston
@naderasg
Jacques Selosse: No one has had a more profound impact on the aesthetics of Champagne winemaking than Anselme Selosse. His approach to viticulture and more aptly key decisions in the cellar have influenced multiple generations of Champenois winemakers to be inspired and be informed by his aesthetic choices on just how he conceives of his wines and their unique character. Look for his “Substance” single village Avize bottling featuring a solera going back to 1987.
Pascal Agrapart: Pascal Agrapart has been quietly fashioning some of the most delicate and poignant wines that whisper and exude a quiet force of nature. After having split the family estate, he and his brother have decided to go on their own respective ways. The nobility of Pascal’s winemaking requires a patient and attentive eye and nose. His son Ambroise is now joining Pascal at the helm. Look for his “Venus” bottling featuring single-site, mid-slope Chardonnay from Avize from a 1.5 acre plot.
Eric Rodez: Eric Rodez is a winemaker’s winemaker. He presides over Ambonnay with the dexterity of a jazz pianist. He made his bones as chef de cave at Krug, leaving to start his own label and not looking back. He has mastered the art of blending as well as crafting singular focused expressions in his range. A master of the decorative, ornamental touches that make his winemaking both so pleasurable and exciting. Look to his Cuvée de Crayeres for a great representation of his style and philosophy. The wines age with such grace after disgorgement, I often find them to be so gastronomic and the perfect food Champagne.
Louis Roederer: An industry insider and member of Roederer since ’89, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has had a great deal of influence in both the preservation and evolution of Louis Roederer as well as advancing the quality and bar of farming, [and] pushing style and fashion forward, despite the challenges of running a large house. He has been chef de cave since ‘99 while also holding the title of managing director and head of vinification for all Roederer estates. The winemaking and viticulture of Roederer have never been better.
Dan Weber
Wine buyer, Flatiron Wines, NYC
@flatironwines
Cédric Bouchard ‘La Bolorée’: Champagne is one of the most dynamic wine regions in the world. Over the last 30 or so years, the growing influence of small growers has completely transformed the way we understand and drink Champagne. Bouchard has played an essential role in shifting the conversation towards the unique qualities of Champenois terroir and away from the big houses and their focus on uniform consistency. In many ways, Bouchard has helped to redraw the map of Champagne itself by bringing attention to the potential deliciousness present in his tiny corner of the Aube. I love all of Bouchard’s wines but Bolorée is the most singular. It’s a rare 100 percent Pinot Blanc Champagne from a tiny lieu-dit on pure limestone soils. It’s vinified and aged all in stainless steel tanks to capture all of that bright fruit, electric acidity, and raw stony minerality. It’s a wine bursting with personality and emblematic of Champagne’s dramatic evolution.
Pascal Agrapart ‘Avizoise’: Agrapart is always high on the when it comes to capturing wines that are ultra-complex, profoundly terroir-expressive and, at the same time, super refreshing and easy to drink. This wine comes from old plots in the Côte des Blancs Grand Cru village of Avize, which is one of, if not the greatest terroirs for Chardonnay on Earth. The wine is intense, vinous, and rich yet finely detailed and loaded with vibrant acidity and pure chalky crunch. This wine delivers the true Grand Cru power and elegance with an unmistakably luminous energy that is impossible to resist.
Marie-Nöelle Ledru ‘Cuvée du Goulté’: When I was just embarking on my Champagne-drinking journey, the wines of Marie-Nöelle Ledru absolutely blew my mind. She is now retired, so what was already quite a rare wine is now more or less impossible to find, but, for me, this is one of the absolute finest expressions of Grand Cru Pinot Noir. From old vines in Ambonnay, Goulté is golden in color and laden with powerfully concentrated fruit and unending depth and complexity. This is not a low-key, easy-drinking aperitif wine but rather a serious terroir wine that shines at the dinner table. It needs plenty of air to unfurl all its layers. When on its game, Goulté is heartbreakingly beautiful stuff.
Champagne R. Pouillon ‘Solera’: Perhaps I’m biased because I worked for Fabrice Pouillon’s importer for many years, but I truly believe that he is one of the most talented farmers and gifted winemakers in Champagne today. His Solera cuvée is pure magic. It’s 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Pinot Noir from top sites on clay and limestone soils in the Marne Valley village of Mareuil-sur-Ay. The current release incorporates every vintage starting from 1997. Each year, Fabrice takes half of the solera and bottles it for the prise de mousse and then tops it off with wine from the current vintage. The use of reserve wines has been an essential part of shaping the flavor of Champagne from the beginning, but Pouillon takes this to new heights by letting the reserve wine speak for itself. The character of the individual vintages fade into the background and what you’re left with is a pure, unadulterated expression of Mareuil-sur-Ay terroir. It’s rich, nutty, toasty, slightly oxidative, and wildly complex — a meditation on time, aging, and deliciousness.
Pascaline Lepeltier
Beverage director and co-manager, Chambers, NYC
@pascalinelepeltier
Jacques Selosse Rosé: Anselme Selosse forever changed the aesthetic and philosophy of Champagne, with a deep quest for terroir expression as a sense of place and time. His work on meticulous farming and mindful winemaking was visionary. His whites are extraordinary, but so is his rosé, which is for me the most multi-dimensional in this style. I would suggest to enjoy it with a few years of post-disgorgement, not too cold, and to spend a few hours with it, if you can refrain yourself from drinking it too quickly!
Cédric Bouchard ‘La Bolorée’: The Aube, Pinot Blanc, the early 2000s, a winemaking family but far from the limelight — nothing on paper could have hinted 25 years ago that this wine would be among the idiosyncratic cuvées in Champagne. There is a lift and ethereal quality to this bottle, due to the low level of carbonation Cédric Bouchard is known for, the aromatic delicacy, pear-blossom fragrance, and the old vines.
Marie-Noëlle Ledru ‘Cuvée du Goulté’: One can only admire the work and passion of Marie-Noëlle Ledru, one of the very few women leading her little Champagne house since 1984 (a very, very rare breed for a long time!), producing incredible, soulful wines in Ambonnay. Once an insider’s secret, her wines are now considered some of the most sincere. Her “Cuvée du Goulté” (a term referring to the best pressed juice) captures the essence of this special terroir.
Krug Collection 1981: Historically, Champagne is a wine of blends: grape varieties, terroirs, years. If one house has mastered the art of blending, it’s Krug. I particularly enjoy the wines from the 1990s and before, with some fond memories of the 1981 (my birth year) enjoyed multiple times and different disgorgements which never disappointed. The length, the contained power, the vinosity while with this intoxicating aromatics of older Krug that time and patience created.
Gabriel Corbett
Assistant general manager, head sommelier, and wine director, Jônt, Washington, D.C.
@gabrielbcorbett
Krug ‘Clos d’Ambonnay’: The Clos d’Ambonnay isn’t Krug’s first foray into single-vineyard winemaking. The Pinot Noir coming from this minuscule plot shows more depth than nearly any wine in Champagne. Krug’s style, being focused on Pinot Noir in their grande cuvées, makes this one of the most interesting and sought-after wines in the region.
Salon: Using only Chardonnay from Le Mesnil sur Oger, this is one of the most age-worthy examples of Champagne. While it takes a long time to come around, those who get to try well-aged examples are rewarded for their patience with one of the most complex wines in the world.
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: When Anselme Selosse took over from his father in 1980 he slowly began transitioning from a winemaker to a winegrower. Spending more time out in the vineyards and converting them to organic practices. Then in 1987 he began to create a wine that would break the mold of what Champagne is and can be, using a solera system like one would find for sherry production. To drink Selosse’s Substance is to understand Avize.
Philipponnat ‘Clos de Goisses’: The idea of a single-vineyard Champagne is gaining momentum in the 21st century but for Philipponat, they’ve been doing this for 90 years. This parcel was purchased in 1935 and bottled separately, which was a novel idea at the time. Only skipping 12 vintages since 1935 and being produced every year since 1988, this wine offers a rare glimpse into the true character of Champagne.
Katie Morton
Wine Director and buyer, Eliza and Kingston Wine Co., Kingston, N.Y.
@mortoncharlemagne
Champagne Marguet ‘Les Crayères’: While Marguet isn’t the oldest family-run estate in Champagne, it’s surely one of the most influential in regards to farming in the region. Benoit is highly engaged in ecological discourse, and strives to find the best herbal tinctures to spray on his vines. As a result, he farms some of the best fruit in the region. If one should be lucky enough to visit, they will immediately understand the intensity to which he believes in the type of non-chemical approach he takes to crafting some of the greatest Pinot-dominant wines in the region.
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: Selosse is perhaps one of the most iconic and controversial figures for Champagne aficionados, but to taste these wines is to truly understand some of the most contemporary thought behind the solera method. Vigneron Anselme Selosse does everything by hand and is truly dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the tastes and concept of single-vineyard wines.
Laherte Frères ‘Les 7’: It’s a rarity in Champagne to bottle a wine utilizing all seven grapes grown in the region. “Les 7” is a wine that Aurélien Laherte believes captures what Champagne might have tasted like 250 years ago, before production was dominated by Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. It’s definitely one of the most intriguing Champagnes produced today and has caught the attention of many well-respected critics.
Chartogne-Taillet ‘Heurtebise’: Once a student of Selosse, Alexandre Chartogne took his time there learning about vineyard care, and now directs it toward his own vines and has developed incredible singular expressions from his own zip codes. He has helped to push the story of single-vineyard Champagne even further with his bottlings, and this cuvée stands out as one of the most deep and mineral expressions of Chardonnay from a very old-vine site, an incredible representation of the height and profoundness to be found in his small village of Merfy.
Mini Byers
Co-owner of Johan Vineyards and Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden, Oregon
@johanvineyards
Krug ‘Clos du Mesnil’: A legendary single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs from Mesnil-sur-Oger, produced only in exceptional years. It’s intensely precise, powerful yet austere; it’s often cited as one of the greatest expressions of Chardonnay in Champagne.
Salon ‘Le Mesnil’: The ultimate purist Champagne: 100 percent Chardonnay, from a single village and only made in the very best vintages. Ethereal, long-lived, and quietly monumental, Salon has become synonymous with elegance and rarity.
Dom Pérignon Rosé: One of the most iconic prestige rosés ever made, combining power, depth, and finesse. It represents Dom Pérignon at its most expressive, with remarkable aging potential and global cultural cachet.
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: A cult, grower-producer Champagne that redefined what Champagne could be. Made using a perpetual solera system, it’s oxidative, complex, and profoundly expressive of terroir, standing as a benchmark for artisanal, avant-garde Champagne at the highest level.
Yonatan Chaitchick
Beverage director at Shmoné and Shmoné Wine, NYC
@shmonenyc
Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut: The first vintage from the most legendary Blanc de Blancs producer. No Champagne embodies luxury quite like Salon. Based in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, they have produced this Champagne since 1921, and is the most sought-after Chardonnay-based Champagne in history.
Krug ‘Clos d’Ambonnay’ 1995: Birth-year wines are always a bit more special, and as a lover of Blanc de Noir Champagne, it doesn’t get more iconic than this. This is the first vintage of the most sought-after Blanc de Noir by my favorite big Champagne house. Krug, if you’re reading this, you can send me a bottle!
Jacques Selosse ‘Substance’: This is one of the most interesting and distinctive bottles, and it has influenced a new generation of Champagne makers. Since 1987, Jacques Selosse has made this Champagne from a blend of every vintage since that year. Using their cellar system, they take a little from each barrel and add more vintage wine each year. It is oxidized and nutty, a distinct bottle that an entire generation of Champagne makers is trying to emulate.
Dom Perignon ‘P3 Plenitude’ Brut Rosé: P3 is the most ambitious creation developed years ago by former chef de cave Richard Geoffroy. Unlike most Champagnes, which are aged for three to five years, P3 is typically aged for 30 to 40 years. The idea is that Champagne experiences three “plénitudes,” or three lives. P1 usually ages for eight to nine years, P2 for about 12 to15, and P3, aged on the lees for 30 to 40 years, represents the third life and is released at that stage. Also, pink bubbles rock!
Ronan Duchêne Le May
Co-owner, Le Chêne, NYC
@thatsronan
Dom Pérignon 2008: It is the most famous label on the planet for a reason. While Dom Pérignon screams “celebration,” the wine inside is actually serious business. The 2008 is a total knockout. It is razor-sharp, smoky, and living proof that the biggest brand can still make a masterpiece.
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2008: Before it was a club anthem, Cristal was created for a paranoid Russian Tsar who needed a clear bottle to spot poison. It is the ultimate “bling” bottle with a serious pedigree. The 2008 is widely considered a “perfect” wine. It is liquid gold that tastes as expensive as it looks.
Salon Cuvée ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1996: This is the wine geek’s ultimate trophy. They almost never make it (seriously, maybe four times a decade), and when they do, it vanishes. The 1996 is legendary for being electric and intense. If you see one, don’t ask questions, just buy it.
Krug ‘Clos du Mesnil’ 2002: This is the “mic drop” of Champagnes. It comes from a single, tiny walled garden the size of a large backyard. It is incredibly rare, aggressively expensive, and the 2002 delivers a mind-blowing complexity that ruins you for all other wines.
Hannah Staab
Managing editor, VinePair
@hannahstaab_
Olivier Horiot: With its textured, slightly oxidative flavor profile, Olivier Horiot’s Métisse bottling is one of the first wines that made me see what Champagne could taste like outside of the more typical big-name brands. Based in Riceys, Olivier and Marie Horiot biodynamically farm 17 acres of vines, mostly planted to Pinot Noir. The Métisse bottling incorporates some Pinot Blanc and is fermented in oak, giving it a nice richness and distinct quality. Horiot also produces a wide range of still wines, leading the way in unique Coteaux Champenois expressions in the region — particularly with its dense rosé.
Frédéric Savart: I’m continuously drawn to the expressive Blanc de Noir wines of Frédéric Savart. His entry level L’Ouverture bottling is made with 100 percent Pinot Noir from the village of Écueil and is fermented half in barrel and half in stainless steel. It’s truly one of the best values out there, consistently delivering a complex, layered experience for under $100, which, to me, makes Savart an all-star.
Billecart-Salmon: Dating back to 1818, Billecart-Salmon is one of the oldest continuously family-owned houses in Champagne. While considered one of the big names in the region, Billecart-Salmon’s wines still come across as thoughtfully crafted and intentional. This estate consistently delivers elegant, precise wines that can appeal to every type of Champagne drinker.
Krug: Of course, I can’t round out my picks without mentioning the ever-iconic Krug. Its metallic label is a beacon to all those who love luxury — whether that be in aesthetics, price tag, or the flavor profile itself. Krug delivers one of the most indulgent, rich, layered Champagnes. And in the fight between big house Champagnes and smaller producers, Krug always feels like the great equalizer: If someone pops a bottle of Krug, all wine pros, from classically trained to new-wave natural wine geeks, will come running.
