Moët & Chandon Collection Impériale Création No. 1 | $380

The world’s most famous Champagne house unveiling a brand new collection? We’re all ears. This month, Moët & Chandon launched Collection Impériale, with Création No.1 the first release in the collection to commemorate the maison’s 280th anniversary this year.

It’s a prestige cuvée that exemplifies the art of blending, meticulously crafted from a complex blend of vintages sourced from the maison’s extensive reserve wine library. With the fresh 2013 as a base, complemented by some of the best vintages since 2000, this Champagne treads a delicate line between youthful freshness and elegant maturity. 

It is described as the highest expression of the house’s art of ‘haute oenologie’: a concept of winemaking precision and craftsmanship. The first release from Moët & Chandon without dosage, cellar master Benoît Gouez has expressed it simply as, “the ultimate of what we can craft with the knowledge we have today”.

Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2015 | $420 (in wooden gift box)

Lily Bollinger famously expressed her reluctance to produce a rosé Champagne unless it could be extraordinary. 

Bollinger’s La Grande Année (‘the great year’) is Bollinger’s label to reflect the quality of exceptional vintages. 2015 in Champagne is best known for its heat, sunshine and drought, and this rosé demonstrates the richness of those conditions. 

It is created by adding five percent still red wine from the steep and mythical La Côte aux Enfants vineyard in Aÿ, one of Champagne’s most famous vineyards, to the blend of white La Grande Année. The result: a gastronomic champagne with attractive spice and savoury characters. We recommend drinking from a red wine (pinot noir) glass, not a traditional champagne flute, for full aroma appreciation.

This opulent rosé is a labour of love: vinification in old oak, seven years of ageing on lees, and all cellar processes performed by hand. Madame Bollinger would approve.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Special Club Cuis 1er Cru 2018 | $195

Pierre Gimonnet is one of Champagne’s finest grower-producers. ‘Special Club’ is a distinct label and bottle shape used by Gimonnet and other Club Trésors de Champagne members, an association of significant Champagne growers. It is used for Champagnes considered to be the finest that the members have to offer: the grower equivalent of a prestige cuvée.

The village of Cuis is Gimonnet’s heartland, where the family home and half of their vines are situated, so it is remarkable that this is the first Special Club release with grapes only from Cuis.

One hundred percent chardonnay from 2018, it has all that Gimonnet precision, perfectly showcasing the chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs.  One village, one grape variety, one year. 

There’s no need for patience here: it is drinking superbly for a recent vintage, so either cellar or simply savour now. Special by name, exceptional by nature.

Lallier Réflexions R.020 | $95

Lallier was one of the first houses to depart from the traditional non-vintage brut category that seeks consistency each year. By contrast, Réflexion cuvées are the cellar master’s reflection on a specific harvest. These Champagnes are crafted to highlight the unique character of a particular year, while incorporating reserve wines to ensure the faithful expression of Lallier’s signature style: freshness, purity, intensity and depth.

Lallier’s R.020 is the 10th iteration in the Réflexion range of expressions, and the first blend by the highly-regarded Dominique Demarville in his role as Lallier’s cellar master. It’s made from a base of grapes harvested in 2020: a year with near-perfect growing conditions, courtesy of dry and sunny weather, setting the stage for an intense and precise wine.

The quality here belies the attractive price point. We’re also enamoured with this graceful new bottle design, set to debut across the Lallier range.

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2014 and 1996 | $450 for 2014, $1100 for 1996

It’s double the fun at Charles Heidsieck this year, with a dual release of their prestige Blanc de Blancs: the first time the Maison has released two different vintages of this cuvée in the same year.

There were no real surprises with the 2014: a good year for chardonnay, and in the expert hands of this maison, we see a pure expression and one of the best releases from this vintage.

But the 1996 is where the real story lies, representing a journey through time with the involvement of three cellar masters. With acidity that for years was considered too pronounced, it has waited patiently in the age-old Charles crayères (chalk cellars) for its moment to shine. 

CEO Stephen Leroux graced our shores in March, so Australia could be the first country to taste these standout siblings, but they’re not available for sale until October. All good things come to those who wait.

Billecart-Salmon ‘Louis Salmon’ Blanc de Blancs 2012 | $450

2012 is one of Champagne’s most lauded recent vintages, distinguished from other greats such as 2002 and 2008 for its versatility: ready for immediate drinking pleasure but with a strong acidic backbone for serious cellaring potential.

This Billecart-Salmon prestige cuvée is named in honour of Louis Salmon, a passionate winemaker for the maison and the brother of Elisabeth Salmon who, with husband Nicolas-François Billecart, established the house. 

This release has all of the 2012 vintage hallmarks and is an instant classic. One hundred percent chardonnay, mostly from the hallowed grand cru of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, with almost 10 years on lees and a minimal dosage that allows its minerality and depth to shine through. 

This 2012 is both vibrant and delicate, and at $450 a bottle is not one to use in your mimosas! Bubbly bliss.

Frequently asked questions about Champagne

How many glasses of Champagne can you expect in a bottle?

There are 6 glasses of champagne in one 750ml bottle, based on the standard Champagne serving size of 125ml per glass.

Those in the know have abandoned the traditional champagne flute in favour of a tulip-shaped glass, now hailed as the gold standard in Champagne service. With its wider bowl tapering towards the top, reminiscent of a tulip flower, this glass enhances the tasting experience by allowing the full aromas of the cuvée to develop and concentrate towards the nose, unlike the narrow flute which can limit flavour expression. The tapered top helps preserve effervescence.

The perfect temperature for serving non-vintage brut Champagne is 8-10°C, but the complexity of vintage Champagnes can be best appreciated at a slightly warmer 12°C.

Does Champagne go off, and how long does it last once opened?

Champagnes should not be kept indefinitely. In proper conditions, non-vintage cuvées can be kept unopened for around four years, and vintage cuvées for five to 10 years, although many prestige cuvées will age gracefully for much longer. 

Proper storage is key to preserving the quality of a Champagne. Keep Champagne away from heat, light and vibrations, and store it on its side. Sunlight is its worst enemy, especially for clear bottles such as Roederer’s Cristal or Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs. 

How long does Champagne last once opened? By sealing the bottle with a Champagne stopper and storing it upright in the refrigerator, you can typically enjoy it for three to five days after you’ve popped the cork.

What is the difference between Champagne and prosecco?

Champagne and prosecco are both sparkling wines, but that’s where the similarities end. They differ in origin, grape varieties and production methods, with each boasting its own dedicated fan base.

Hailing from the Champagne region in France, Champagne is made using three main grape varieties: chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. Prosecco originates from regions in northwestern Italy and is made from glera grapes, which must make up at least 85 percent of the blend. 

Each uses a distinct method for bubble creation. In Champagne, the ‘méthode Champenoise’ or traditional method is used. The base wine is bottled with yeast and sugar, causing a second fermentation and creation of C02 in the bottle. The wine then remains in contact with the dead yeast cells (lees) for minimum periods mandated by regional laws.

In the production of prosecco, the ‘tank method’ is typically employed for the second fermentation. Here, rather than undergoing fermentation in individual bottles, the base wine is transferred to a pressure tank where yeast and sugar are introduced. This process generates the essential bubbles before the sparkling wine is finally bottled.

These production methods result in unique flavour profiles. Champagne has notes that develop during the lees ageing process: think a French boulangerie with wafts of brioche, pastry and biscuit. Prosecco is fruit-forward, typically with pronounced flavours of apple, pear and floral notes, also making it a perfect bubbly base for sparkling cocktails like mimosas and bellinis.