With just three leading grape varieties, the Champenois have developed and mastered blended cuvées and varietal expressions alike, embracing vintage variation while balancing sweetness or dryness levels and acidity to deliver consistently good quality.
It’s determining the best that takes an extra level of scrutiny.
The genius of this northerly French region comes to fruition annually at Decanter World Wine Awards, where quality and versatility of style abound. Leading Champagne specialists taste and rate more than 500 samples yearly to flag up outstanding quality, without reputation influencing ratings.
In a region where house names are synonymous with the effervescent liquid they produce, DWWA’s system of blind judging establishes a level playing field among producers, be they major names, cooperatives, négociants or small growers.
Scroll down to discover 14 top-scoring Champagnes from DWWA 2023
For the greatest objectivity, wines are organised for tasting by region, colour, grape, style, vintage and price level, so it’s really just about the quality of the wine in the glass.
Given the high standing of Champagne, often matched by the price tag, this level of judging and subsequent results become particularly important for those looking to buy the right wine.
‘We’re not influenced by anything outside when judging,’ explains DWWA Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW, ‘and that, for me, is the fundamental marvellousness of Decanter World Wine Awards.’
With the above in mind, whether looking for an outstanding Champagne to mark a celebratory occasion, impress the most discerning of palates or simply for memorable sipping, let top results from DWWA be your trusted guide.
Below discover a selection of rigorously reviewed 96-97 point Champagnes to seek out now, with more recommended at awards.decanter.com
Champagnes to impress, and where to find them
Collery, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
Best in Show, 97 points
£54.99-£60 Majestic, Must & Lees
Taut, mouthwatering scents of ivy leaf, plant sap, green apple and green grape. Pure, deep, vinous and driving on the palate with fine-bladed intensity. Pristine, structural acidity carries it towards a high-focus, faintly saline finish. It’s youthful, but you could age this pure, refined blanc de blancs for up to a decade if you have cool cellaring conditions. Alcohol 12%
Moët & Chandon, Grand Vintage Collection Extra Brut 1999
Best in Show, 97 points
£343 Clos19, The Finest Bubble
Complex, articulate aromas, enticing and classical. Bread dough, green malt and apple fruits have developed into something softer and more harmonious over two decades without losing their finely sketched charm. Pure, limpid, expressive: green fruits and chiffon textures, supported by a Pinot-derived bone structure. Alc 12.5%
De Saint-Gall, Orpale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2008
Platinum, 97 points
£89.95-£118 Banstead Vintners, Carruthers & Kent, Haynes Hanson & Clark, St Andrews Wine Co
Figs, bruised apples and toasted nuts with a stylish, smoky quality. Elegant and complex, tension and finesse from the brisk acidity and understated, silky mousse. Seductive and long. Alc 12.2%
Henriot, Cuvée Hemera Brut 2008
Platinum, 97 points
£147-£170 Averys, Berry Bros & Rudd, Corney & Barrow, Jeroboams, Laithwaites, Millésima, The Wine Society
Baked peach, toffee apple and roasted nut aromas, an unctuous explosion of toasty lemon acidity and a bustling mousse. Dynamic and exciting with a graceful whisper of savoury smokiness. Alc 12%
Legras & Haas, Grand Cru Chouilly Blanc de Blancs Brut 2015
Platinum, 97 points
£61.50 Private Cellar
Layers of golden apples and pears, succulent honeyed peaches and intense roasted praline with a luxurious nut-oil texture and an enticing citrus crunch. A serious, savoury treat with an enduring mineral finish. Alc 12.5%
Moët & Chandon, Grand Vintage Extra Brut 2015
Platinum, 97 points
£59-£76 Widely available
An inviting nose shows a symphony of nutty aromas, mouthwatering vanilla, toast, green apple and pear skin. Beautifully creamy texture supported by an energetic, shimmering acidity. Alc 12.5%
Pommery, Cuvée Apanage Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
Platinum, 97 points
£60-£69.50 Champagne Direct, Champagne One, Lea & Sandeman, Matthew Clark, Ocado, The Fine Wine Co, The Finest Bubble, The Great Wine Co
Polished and refined, with delectably ripe stone fruit and a fine, persistent mousse, underpinned by subtle, fragrant mineral character. Lengthy and vivacious. Alc 12.5%
Regi, Ekleipsis Grand Cru Brut 2008
Platinum, 97 points
cregi.fr
Pristine aromas of bergamot and candied citrus, toasty complexity of coffee, macaroon and buttered toast, with notes of butterscotch and rounded mango fruit. Delicious and plush on the palate, with cleansing, vibrant acidity. Alc 12.5%
Abelé 1757, Le Sourire de Reims Brut 2009
Gold, 96 points
abele1757.com
Perfumed white cherry, bright lemon and green apple licked with anise and beaming with a compelling citrus energy. Chalky, crunchy and streamlined with impressive length. Alc 12.5%
Ayala, La Perle Brut 2013
Gold, 96 points
£140 Vinum Fine Wines
Radiant limes, berries and red apples lying over a bedrock of freshly baked dough and sweet liquorice spice. Soft and poised with a fine-beaded, lingering mousse. Alc 12%
Dumont-Terrillon, Vendange 2010
Gold, 96 points
dumont-terrillon.fr
Captivating cream and powder-puff tones with an infusion of aromatic linseed; gossamer soft, finessed with a gentle mousse and showstopping briary fruit finish. Alc 12.5%
Jacquart, Mosaïque Brut NV
Gold, 96 points
£36.95-£54 Asda, Blas ar Fwyd, The Fine Wine Co, The Great Wine Co, Winestore Eccleston
Effortlessly composed with abundant sunny stone fruit, ripe apples, honeysuckle and a backbone of nutty praline; expressive and with focused a fine-spun, silky mousse. Alc 12.5%
Perrier-Jouët, Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012
Gold, 96 points
£425-£460 Champagne Direct, Hedonism, Master of Malt, The Wright Wine Co
Statuesque, with a fine profile of creamy orchard fruit, nougat and fig and an embracing, frothy mousse. Vivid and pure with a lovely, long finish. Alc 12%
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012
Gold, 96 points
£150-£200 Widely available via UK agent Hatch Mansfield
An enthralling integration of apple strudel and smoky, nutty savoury tones with a flawless structure, delicate mousse and high-toned nobility ensuring a long-lived evolution. Alc 12.5%
