Champagne

93 Points! Crafted from the 2022 vintage and disgorged in August 2024 without dosage, Sergent’s NV Blanc de Blancs Prés de Dieu originates from two northeast-facing parcels: Les Prés in Vrigny and Les Vignes Dieu in Coulommes-la-Montagne, both defined by sandy soils. Vinified in 400- and 500-liter barrels, it wafts from the glass with a bouquet of grapefruit zest, white flowers and crisp green apple. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, tensile and luminous, with a piercing spine of acidity, a youthful and chiseled core and a long, saline finish. It is the tautest, most linear expression in Sergent’s range—a study in purity. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

93 Points! Informed by high-maturity Pinot Noir sourced from a vineyard in the village of Aÿ-Champagne, which is pressed slowly and gently, delivering a subtle pink hue, and complemented by Chardonnay from Avize, Doyard’s 2019 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millésime Œil de Perdrix has turned out very well. Vinified in 228-liter barrels of different ages and disgorged in October 2023 with three grams per liter dosage, it wafts from the glass with aromas of orange zest, roses, sweet berries and spices. Full-bodied, concentrated and enveloping, with ripe but vibrant acids, delicate phenolic structure and a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. It’s a vinous, gastronomic Champagne. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

93 Points! A blend of 50% Pinot Noir from the commune of Mareuisur-Aÿ, 15% Pinot Noir sourced from Louvois grand cru and 35% Chardonnay from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Chouilly, the 2020 Brut Premier Cru Special Club Millesime offers up aromas of lemon oil, lime, verbena, herbs and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, textured and structured, it has good freshness and is enhanced by a charming, delicate mid-palate, concluding with a saline, tense and ethereal finish. Dosage: five grams per liter. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

93 Points! Crafted from old vines of massal selection planting on a south-facing site in Mareuil-sur-A , the NV Brut Premier Cru Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes offers up an elegant, complex bouquet of white peach, pear, herbs, lemon oil, pastry and tangerine. Fleshier and deeper than its siblings, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and charming and has a delicate, vinous core of fruit that leads to a long, saline and slightly anise-inflected finish. This blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay (based on the 2019 and 2020 vintages in equal parts) was disgorged with a dosage of 5.5 grams per liter. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! The latest release of Taittinger's NV Brut Folies de la Marquetterie is showing superbly, bursting from the glass with aromas of fresh bread, crisp stone fruit, buttered toast, citrus oil and mirabelle plums. Full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit, racy acids and a pillowy pinpoint mousse, it's a gourmand, concentrated wine with the substance to evolve with grace in the cellar. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

94 Points! A vibrant rosé Champagne, with firm, well-honed acidity deftly wrapped in a smooth texture and rich notes of marzipan, dried white cherry, blood orange peel and salted Marcona almond. Reveals hints of ground ginger, lemon thyme and wet chalk, with a long, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! This is a old Champagne with an almost earthy profile, offering culatello , candied lemon, a lot of winter apple and restrained viennoiserie. Super fine, pinprick mousse with relaxing yet refreshing acidity, medium body, evolved flavors such as zabaglione and a long, nutty aftertaste. Slightly off dry. Drink now. - James Suckling

94 Points! Exhales stunning aromas of lemon, menthol, white flowers and orchard fruits. Tense and very fine, the palate is medium-bodied, with a perfectly layered structure and a delicate, saline, mineral finish. The aromas of Moka coffee and pastry are particularly elegant on the aftertaste. Dosage of 6 g/L, and a blend of 65% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier and 15% Pinot Noir. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! A structured and creamy-textured Jacquesson NV with a very fine-bubble texture and lovely polish. It's medium- to full-bodied with length and sophistication, in a friendly and approachable way. Yet there is something that tells you it's going to deliver more with aging. More pinot in the blend than in other years, because the chardonnay was affected by frost, and it is impressive. Chewy at the end with phenolic tension and a slight bitterness, though in a good way. 2019 base. Three years on the yeast. Dosage 1.5g/L. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 747 (2019 base) marries textural richness with notable vibrancy. Lemon confit, mint, white pepper, tangerine peel and graphite lend energy throughout. All the elements are very nicely balanced. I especially admire the textural depth here. Spring frost was particularly damaging to the Chardonnay, so the blend is distinctly Pinot-leaning in this release. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 2023. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94+ Points! Disgorged in May 2022, the Paillard NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is superbly fresh, offering up aromas of orchard fruit, lemon, spring flowers and menthol touches. Medium to full-bodied, expressive and precise with a delicate mousse, it’s seamless, vinous, chalky and harmonious with a clean and precise finish. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! Freshly squeezed lemon, green apples, oyster shell and white apricots with subtle brioche and exquisite yeastiness. A fruity entry followed by a medium to full body where you find the fine perlage carrying the intense chalky flavors to a nicely dry but approachable finish. Lovely length with spot-on balance between chalky fruit and autolysis. Disgorged in March 2022. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! This is a stunning new release from Fleur de Miraval. The best year. Aromas of peaches and flowers with cotton candy and citrus. Hints of cherries and other berries. It’s full-bodied with very fine bubbles and a creamy texture. It’s fluffy on the palate, like feathers floating through the air. Salted caramel and sweet pastry in the aftertaste. Some earthy, soil character, too. So complex. This has been made from a base of the 2018 vintage. 25% pinot noir and 75% chardonnay grand cru (50% is proprietary reserve blends from 2007 onwards, and 25% is from opened bottles of blanc de blancs Champagne, dating back to 1998) This is really unique. Dry at the end with 4g dosage. - JamesSuckling.com

This is another stellar set of Champagne from Christophe Baron. The 2018s are simply lights out. Readers will note the addition of a new wine in this range, the Closeaux, which rounds out the collection of four pure Meunier Champagnes, all bottled in magnum only. Mignon and his cousins practice a decidedly Burgundian approach to winemaking. The wines are fermented in 600L Taransaud demi-muids (25% new), with heavy lees stirring, an approach Baron favors for building the wines, especially on the mid-palate and that allows for bottling with no dosage. As for 2018, Baron calls it a typical modern vintage for Champagne marked by climate change. “You better get used to it, because this is the future!” he told me emphatically. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This is another stellar set of Champagne from Christophe Baron. The 2018s are simply lights out. Readers will note the addition of a new wine in this range, the Closeaux, which rounds out the collection of four pure Meunier Champagnes, all bottled in magnum only. Mignon and his cousins practice a decidedly Burgundian approach to winemaking. The wines are fermented in 600L Taransaud demi-muids (25% new), with heavy lees stirring, an approach Baron favors for building the wines, especially on the mid-palate and that allows for bottling with no dosage. As for 2018, Baron calls it a typical modern vintage for Champagne marked by climate change. “You better get used to it, because this is the future!” he told me emphatically. - Antoni Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Fragrant, with wafts of lime blossoms and exotic cardamom, anise and saffron spices, this weaves a firm streak of racy acidity with a satiny texture and finely detailed notes of crushed blackberry, ripe yellow peach, blanched almond and a crackle of fleur de sel, which lingers on the lively, lasting finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged March 2022. Best from 2025 through 2033. - Wine Spectator

94+ Points! The swan song vintage of this cuvée, Doyard's 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru mingles aromas of citrus oil with notions of buttery pastry, dried white flowers and warm biscuits. Medium to full-bodied, layered and structured, with chalky dry extract and lively acids, it's a taut, compact wine that will require a bit of bottle age to unwind. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The effusive nose of candied citrus, ripe pear and brioche pulls you into this fresh and creamy champagne that hits all the pleasure buttons for a non-vintage Brut. Then the chalky freshness at the finish pulls you back for another sip. Excellent balance! 100% pinot noir. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish. - Stacy Slinkard, Decanter Magazine

94 Points! The 2012 Brut Collection d'Auteur is deep and vinous, unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, white flowers and freshly braked bread mingled with subtle hints of citrus zest and bee pollen. Full-bodied, elegantly muscular and seamless, with a deep and concentrated core, bright acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it's a seamless, understated blanc de blanc derived from holdings in prime lieux-dits Les Vaucherots, Les Coullemets du Midi, Les Finciarts and Les Chétillons. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs is an excellent introduction to the estate’s Chardonnays. Disgorged in August 2024 with three grams per liter dosage, it’s composed of 20% from the 2021 vintage (vinified in tank), 50% from 2020 and 30% from 2019, with half of the reserve wines aged on the lees in approximately 30-year-old demi-muids. Heavily based on Oger (around 40% of the blend), with the remainder coming from Oiry, Cramant and Avize, it’s already expressive, offering aromas of honeysuckle, nectarine, bread and fresh hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied with bright acidity and complemented by a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. - Kristap Karklins, robertparker.com