Pictures by: Gemini AI; Midjourney AI
Text by: Gleb King
Almost every country has one product representing it in the world. For example, there are no better cigars than in Cuba, no better fast cars than in Germany and no better pasta than in Italy. The France’s Champagne seems to be #1 in this list. There’s no clear historical record of why and when humanity began to celebrate big dates with Champagne. Some say that in the 5th century, when King Clovis I united France, he sipped Champagne but what does it have to do with billions of people having dates and signing big contracts in 2024? Today the French sell a bottle of Champagne to every 20th human on Earth yearly (except children).
The French sell a bottle of Champagne to every 20th human on Earth yearly (except children)
Every 20th of 8.2 billion people in the Solar System’s population gets a bottle of Champagne once a year. The French know this. And also they know that Champagne creation technology is an open-source thing – there are many Champagne-inspired wines like German Sekts, Italian Franciacortas and so on. So, France created a special committee to, ironically, protect the product from the world, so that only they can earn money from our celebrations. And yes, it works. There’s still no better wine to celebrate stuff than Champagne. There are many types of Champagnes that suit any big date – from divorce with a wealthy ex – to a Global Champagne Day that will happen this October. We made this list for all occasions – find yours and pick the right bottle. Symbolicwines.com has a particularly big collection of Champagnes, go check it here.
Price indication guide:
Around $20 – *
Around $100 – **
Around $500 – ***
Around $1000 – ****
More than $5000 – *****
Pierre Peters Cuvee Les Montjolys 2012
Celebration type – Noble
Price range – ***
Pierre Peters Champagne house is known as an ambassador of Côte des Blancs in the world. They make wines of Chardonnay with unbeatable terroir expression. Their second name is Minerality. The chalky and flinty-driven soils bring to the world some of the cleanest, strictest and most weighted Champagnes. Though, this particular cuvee comes from a small and quite unique terroir with a fair amount of clay. Les Montjolys is held on sediment for 6 years and, compared to other Perre Peters’ Grand Cru cuvees, provides more round mouthfeel and generous aromas of freshly baked bread, biscuits and citrus. All of that is held together with a strong mineral backbone. Those who know it – they know it. This is a hidden gem of Côte des Blancs.
Chavost Blanc d'Assemblage Brut Nature NV
Celebration type – Hip
Price range – *
This Champagne is a story how, with a fresh view, a regular company may convert into a super-fancy brand. Until 2019, when a young and ambitious winemaker Fabian Daviaux started to make natural wines, Chavot-Courcourt used to be one of the many Champagne cooperatives. Now this Champagne is super popular in natural wine bars – it attracts both the newcomers and old-time wine lovers – with its colorful label and unconventional production technique. This very bottle is made of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Meunier – no sulphites, only indigenous yeasts, no dosage, no filtration. Only Côte de Blancs and Vallée de la Marne’s raw power in a funny and friendly package. What a trap!
Dom Pérignon Cuvee Lenny Kravitz Rose 2006
Celebration type – Rock’n’Roll
Price range – ***
This is what happens when one of the most fancy and luxurious Champagnes cooperate with a rock star. Lenny Kravitz himself has re-designed the renown Dom Pérignon’s shield label into the hand-hammered piece of art. Look at this bottle and the guitar riff from “American Woman” will start playing in your ears. Inside there’s another piece of art – Moët & Chandon’s legendary vintage rose with a perfect balance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine is reserved for 10 years before release and is produced only in the years of great inspiration. Just like any big artwork. This Champagne is for all the creative souls – artists, musicians and other dreamers.
Pertois-Lebrun Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs 2015
Celebration type – Unique
Price range – **
For those who are into Champagne that deep – that good old NV from a big house is too boring. Petrois-Lebrun is an old Champagne maker with a modern attitude – low intervention, biodynamic, organic and very careful. This bottle is an ultimate expression of chalk-driven Chardonnay from the very heart of Côte des Blancs – the Chetillons village. The wine is rare – only 1650 bottles produced – and very strictly terroir-focused. For some Champagne lovers this one may seem a bit too nerdy and complicated – because it is. This bottle is for intellectual drinking and therefore – for very well prepared celebrators.
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 1999
Celebration type – Posh
Price range – ****
Let us first quote mr. Robert Parker here: «One of the finest Champagnes I have ever brought to my lips». It scored 98 points from Bob and earned more praises from other critics. Though Cristal is still a luxurious and exceptional Champagne, loved and and squandered on by show business stars, it is also the seamless and perfectly crafted wine with intellectual depth and complexity of those made for Champagne experts. Today the 1999 vintage is collectible and the price of it rises. There’s no need to drink it, you may invest in it! But if you anyway want to pop the cork – that would be a decision of a grown man. This wine was made long ago, 8 years after the Cold War and 1 year prior to Millenium.