Champagne Brands and Houses
Champagne - It's not just for celebrations
Big Champagne producers are commonly called Champagne Houses, and they make the well known Champagne brands. Even when they own substantial vineyards like Moet and Chandon, they still buy lots of grapes from farmers as many produce oceans of wine, often with remarkable quality & consistency. For example, we do not know how much Dom Perignon is produced, but an incredible amount is and it is of extremely high quality. Most Champagne is produced by the Champagne Houses, as opposed to usually smaller co-operatives and much smaller grower producers. Many of the big brands, the names that are in our minds when we think Champagne, are the Champagne Houses, as well as the prestige cuvees they produce like Cristal, Dom Perignon, and La Grande Dame. Below are articles on our favorite and popular Champagne brands and houses.
Billecart-Salmon - Wines of "finesse, balance, and elegance" - they are best known for for their Non Vintage Rose.
- Bollinger Champagne - A great
producer whose wines are very dry, powerful, and toasty.
- Cristal Champagne - Cristal and Cristal
Rose are phenomenal wines of great finesse, delicacy, elegance, and
plenty of flavor with lots of tiny little bubbles.
- Deutz Champagne - A wonderful range of
wines, and their Amour de Deutz Blanc de Blancs and Cuvee William Deutz
are amazing. There entry level wines kick butt too.
- Dom Perignon - Moet and Chandon makes
an ocean of this, a shockingly large amount, and quality is very high.
It's famous for a reason. It tastes great and is a long ager as well.
- Champagne Drappier
Big friendly Champagnes designed to please the palate and gut, with
plenty of intellectual pleasure as well. A favorite reportedly of
Charles de Gaulle.
- Champagne Duval-Leroy - A 100% family
owned house in La Cote des Blancs since 1853 and I am a fan.
- Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte - The biggest Champagne co-op, and third
biggest and rapidly expanding producer.
- Gosset Champagne - A small very traditional
Champagne house that is "under the radar" and produces dry and full
bodied wines that age well. Often compared to Krug, and half the price.
- Charles
Heidsieck - A medium bodied and complex Champagne from
"Champagne Charlie" who popularized Champagne in the US long ago.
- Heidsieck & Co Monopole
- One of the three Heidsiecks, with their well known NV Blue Top and Diamand
Bleu Prestige Cuvee.
- Henriot Champagne - A Chardonnay dominated
style and often a good deal, as well as very tasty. I have a few bottles
in my cellar.
- Krug Champagne - There is Krug, then there
are other Champagnes. Very big, very dry, very traditional, with a cult
like following.
- Champagne Charles Lafitte
- Inexpensive "Supermarket Champagne" from Vranken-Pommery. I found
the Rose to be a good deal.
- Jacques Lassaigne Champagne
- Wonderful fruit forward and classy wines from this small negociant
in the very Southern Aube region of Champagne.
- Champagne Lenoble - A
small negociant making Chardonnay dominated wines from the Cote des
Blancs .
- Moet and Chandon - The biggest
producer period. And their quality is high across there range of
offerings.
- Champagne Moutardier - A
surprising large Pinot Meunier specialist in the village of Le Breuil, west of Epernay,
making what he calls "Modern Meunier."
- Mumm Champagne -
A fruity and light to medium bodied style. One of the biggest
Champagne hosues and best known for their NV "Corton Rouge."
-
Bruno Paillard - The
youngest Champagne house, making lighter weight, very well balanced and
elegant wines.
-
Piper Heidsieck - Lively,
fresh, and fruity Champagnes from of of the three Heidsieck houses.
-
Rare Wine Company Le Mesnil
Champagne - From a nearly mythic vineyard, the Rare Wine Company has
crafted a very reasonable priced Blanc de blancs.
- Ruinart Champagne - The oldest established
Champagne house known for very elegant Chardonnay dominated Champagnes.
- Salon Champagne - One of the best
Champagnes. They make only a vintage Blanc de Blancs, and only in great
years.
- Veuve Clicquot Champagne
- Pinot dominated, smooth, rich, and powerful and widely available.