Champagne has become the go to drink for special occasions and has become synonymous with celebration. With so many important occasions to mark throughout life, from weddings to birthdays, births to a new job, expensive champagne can mark the occasion in an unforgettable way. Not just a simple sparkling wine, champagne from the Champagne region of France undergoes specific treatments and processes including secondary fermentation to allow it to be classed as a champagne. The luxury brands listed below give a comprehensive list of expensive champagnes along with their key features and history.
5. Pol Roger
Pol Roger founded the Pol Roger champagne house in 1849 with the first champagne released in 1853. The Pol Roger luxury brand champagne house is still run by the descendants of Pol Roger in the Champagne region of France in the town of Épernay. The deepest cellar is at 33m below street level, keeping the champagnes very cold resulting in the signature fine bubbles associated with Pol Roger’s expensive champagne. Approximately 110,000 cases of expensive champagne are produced annually by Pol Roger champagne house. The prestigious luxury brand produces the vintage champagne vintage Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. It was introduced in 1984 in memory of Sir Winston Churchill, who was an avid fan of Pol Roger champagne. This expensive champagne is released around a decade after the vintage is collected. Pol Roger also sell three non-vintage champagnes.
4. Veuve Clicquot
French champagne brand Veuve Clicquot is based in Reims and was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron. Veuve Clicquot was the first champagne house to produce rosé champagne, which was achieved in 1775 through the addition of red wine during production. Another historic claim to fame for the brand is that Madame Clicquot, the widow of Philippe’s son, became the first woman in charge of a champagne house. Her business skill and acumen enabled the brand to focus and enjoy great success for centuries to come, culminating in the formation of the luxury brand selling expensive champagne that it is today. Madame Clicquot also developed the riddling rack, which made the process of dégorgement more economic and efficient. She is therefore credited with having enabled the start of mass production in champagne.
3. Champagne Krug
The Krug Champagne House was founded in 1843 by Joseph Krug. It is located in the Champagne region of France in the main city of Reims. Joseph Krug began his expensive champagne house after moving to France from Germany in 1834. Krug champagne utilises a mix of Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes. Krug Grande Cuvée is the most popular of the Krug champagnes, and is formed from at least 10 different vintages forming a blend of at least 120 different wines. The vintages are anything up to 15 years of age. The Krug Grande Cuvée is produced over a 20 year period and is often voted as one of the world’s best champagnes worldwide. Krug champagne is fermented in a traditional manner in small oak barrels. The luxury brand has an appreciation for the tradition and history of champagne and this shows through in its formulation process.
2. Armand de Brignac
Armand de Brignac, more commonly known as the Ace of Spades due to its logo representing a spade, is an expensive champagne brand owned by rapper Jay Z, who acquired it in 2014. The champagnes produced by Armand de Brignac are of a multi-vintage style, and contain a range of grape varieties, often blended together, including Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The first bottles of Armand de Brignac, founded by the Cattier family, went on sale in 2006. All champagnes are produced from a combination of three separate vintages. The Armand de Brignac champagnes are made in France in Rilly-la-Montagne, a village located in the Montagne de Reims area of Champagne. Around 60,000 bottles of Armand de Brignac are produced each year.
1. Dom Pérignon
A notoriously expensive champagne luxury brand is Dom Pérignon. The French champagne brand boasts only the finest vintage champagnes, with grapes only being harvested in years where the crop is of the best quality and all grapes are harvested during the same year. Dom Pérignon is the prestigious line of champagne produced by Champagne House Möet & Chandon. Dom Pérignon is named after a Benedictine monk who was a pioneer for high quality champagne, inventing many wine making techniques and storage methods for champagne in the late 1600’s. Dom Pérignon uses a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes using up to 60% of each. At least 2 million bottles are produced from each vintage.
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