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James Suckling95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Champagne Charles Heidsieck
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Charles Heidsieck Vintage Brut 2012"The nose shows subtle toasted and smoked notes with a touch of liquorice and ..."$209.99 -
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James Suckling92 points
- Variety Rose Blend
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Ashton Hills
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Ashton Hills 'Piccadilly Valley' Vintage Sparkling Rosé 2018"Hand-picked fruit was chilled before gentle, whole bunch pressing. Fermented ..."$40.00 -
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Tyson Stelzer97 points
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James Suckling97 points
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Wine Enthusiast95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Billecart Salmon 'Extra Brut' 2008"Extra Brut Vintage was conceived in 2004, a good vintage but without the stru..."$338.99 -
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James Suckling99 points
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James Halliday98 points
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Huon Hooke98 points
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Antonio Galloni96 points
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Jancis Robinson19 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2002
- Brand Bollinger
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Bollinger R.D. 2002 Gift Box"Bollinger R.D. will enhance all gourmet cuisine but its aura is such that it ..."$429.99 -
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James Suckling95 points
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Antonio Galloni94+ points
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Wine Spectator93 points
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Jancis Robinson16.5 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2006
- Brand Champagne Deutz
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
CHAMPAGNE DEUTZ 'CUVEE WILLIAM DEUTZ' BRUT 2006"This Cuvée William Deutz is a tribute to the brand's founder. Its distinctive..."$270.00 -
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James Suckling93 points
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Wine Enthusiast91 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Champagne Jacquart
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2013"A finely crafted and wonderfully complex Champagne demonstrating fantastic ri..."$129.99 -
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James Suckling94 points
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Decanter94 points
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Wine Enthusiast94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2014
- Brand Taittinger
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2014"A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Produced only when the harvest ..."$139.99 -
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Huon Hooke96 points
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James Suckling93 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Charles Heidsieck
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Charles Heidsieck Rose Nv"This wine is a tour de force in rosé wine making - it just makes perfect sens..."$170.01 -
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James Suckling94 points
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Mike Bennie92 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2006
- Brand Champagne Charles Heidsieck
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Charles Heidsieck Vintage Rose 2006"Charles Heidsieck Rosé is intensely perfumed with a complex nose immediately ..."$210.00 -
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The Wine Advoca94+ points
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Antonio Galloni94 points
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James Suckling93 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne 2012"With a history of more than 250 years, Delamotte is the 5th oldest champagne ..."$179.00 -
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Huon Hooke92 points
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James Suckling91 points
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Wine Spectator91 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Delamotte Brut Nv Champagne"Simply one of the best NV Champagnes around, made by the famous Champagne Salon."$79.99 -
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Jeb Dunnuck98 points
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James Suckling98 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Dom Pérignon
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Dom Perignon Champagne 2008"Dom Pérignon could very well be the most celebrated champagne brand in the wo..."$549.99 -
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Jancis Robinson18.5 points
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Antonio Galloni97 points
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Antonio Galloni94 points
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James Suckling97 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2000
- Brand Dom Pérignon
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Dom Perignon Œnotheque/'P2' Champagne 1998"Formerly known as Œnothèque Dom Pérignon now releases this special vintage un..."$809.99 -
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James Suckling93 points
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The Wine Advoca91 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Frederic Savart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Frederic Savart Bulle De Rose NV"The Champagne Bulle de Rosé by Frédéric Savart is a very special Champagne Ro..."$205.00 -
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The Wine Advoca94 points
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James Suckling93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Frederic Savart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Frederic Savart L'accomplie NV"Frédéric Savart is regarded as one of the most interesting producers in all o..."$200.00 -
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The Wine Advoca93 points
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James Suckling92 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Frederic Savart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Frederic Savart L'ouverture NV"Fruit for Savart’s ‘l’Ouverture’ cuvée comes from the clay-based soils of Ecu..."$165.00 -
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James Suckling97 points
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Wine Spectator96 points
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Decanter95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Jacques Selosse
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Version Initial NV"Blend of Avize, Cramant and Oger. 100% Chardonnay. Three consecutive years 20..."$975.00 -
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James Suckling98 points
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The Wine Advoca96 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Jacques Selosse
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Version Originale NV"Base 2015, disgorged August 2020. Version Originale (VO) is, as always, a ble..."$850.00 -
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The Wine Advoca94 points
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James Suckling95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Jacques Selosse
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Jacques Selosse Le Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru Les Carelles NV"Base 2015, disgorged January 2021. This is a blanc de blancs from a single, e..."$750.00 -
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Decanter99 points
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Gary Walsh97 points
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The Wine Advoca97 points
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James Suckling100 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2002
- Brand Krug
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Krug Vintage 2002"The Krug family share the credit for this wine with the expression "Vintage K..."$799.99 -
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James Suckling94 points
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The Wine Advoca93+ points
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Wine Spectator92 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Collection 242 NV Champagne"Collection 242 is the new multi-vintage cuvée which replaces the Brut Premier..."$90.00 -
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James Suckling100 points
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Decanter99 points
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The Wine Advoca98 points
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Vinous98 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Cristal 2008"Long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has produced yet another in a..."$799.99 -
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James Suckling98 points
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The Wine Advoca96+ points
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Decanter95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Champagne Pol Roger
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Pol Roger 'Winston Churchill' 2012"Champagne Pol Roger created their Prestige Cuvée in homage to Sir Winston Chu..."$375.00 -
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Roger Voss100 points
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James Suckling99 points
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Wine Spectator98 points
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Richard Hemming20 points
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Antonio Galloni97 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2002
- Brand Champagne Salon
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Salon 'Cuvee S' Blanc De Blancs 2002"There were just thirty-seven vintages made in the 20th century and that’s it...."$1,049.99 -
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine, is a type of wine that contains bubbles of carbon dioxide. The bubbles are created by a secondary fermentation process that occurs inside the bottle, which gives sparkling wine its characteristic effervescence. There are several different types of sparkling wine, including:
- Champagne: Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region of France using specific grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) and winemaking methods. Champagne is known for its complexity and elegance, and it is often considered a luxury product. Click here if you wish to read more about what makes Champagne so special.
- Prosecco: Prosecco is a sparkling wine that is produced in the Veneto region of Italy, it is made from Glera grape variety. Prosecco is known for its fruity and floral aromas, and it is often considered a more affordable alternative to Champagne.
- Cava: Cava is a sparkling wine that is produced in Spain, it is made from the grape varieties Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada. Cava is known for its dryness and minerality, and it is often considered a good value alternative to Champagne.
Sparkling wine can also be made in other regions, such as England, Australia, and New Zealand. These sparkling wines are known for their fruit-forward flavors and have a wide range of styles, some are made using traditional method similar to Champagne, while others are made using the charmat method, where the secondary fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks.
Sparkling wines can vary in sweetness and dryness, the most common terms used are Brut, Extra Brut, Sec, Demi-Sec and Doux, which indicate the sweetness level. Brut is the driest, Extra Brut is the driest of all, Sec is a medium sweet, Demi-Sec is quite sweet and Doux is the sweetest.
Sparkling wine is created by:
- Grapes: Sparkling wine is typically made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes for Champagne, Glera for Prosecco and Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada for Cava.
First Fermentation: The grapes are harvested and then pressed to extract the juice. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, depending on the winemaker's preference. This process converts the sugar in the grapes into alcohol and carbon dioxide. - Secondary Fermentation: The wine is then bottled and a small amount of sugar and yeast is added, this is called the liqueur de tirage. The bottle is then sealed and stored in a cool and dark place, where the secondary fermentation takes place. This process is called the traditional method or Méthode Champenoise. The yeast consumes the added sugar and produces carbon dioxide, which dissolves into the wine, creating the bubbles.
- Aging: The wine is then aged for a period of time, usually several months to several years, depending on the style of sparkling wine. During this time, the yeast cells and sediment settle to the bottom of the bottle, and the wine takes on a more complex flavor and aroma.
- Riddling: The bottles are then placed in a special rack called a pupitre, where they are slowly turned and tilted over a period of several weeks. This process, called riddling, causes the sediment to collect in the neck of the bottle.
- Disgorging: The neck of the bottle is then frozen, and the frozen sediment (called the "lees") is removed by a process called disgorging. The bottle is then topped up with a small amount of wine and sugar, called the dosage, which determines the final sweetness level of the sparkling wine.
- Corking and Labeling: The bottle is then corked and labeled, and it is ready to be sold and enjoyed.
It's important to note that there is another method of making sparkling wine, it is called Charmat method, the secondary fermentation process occurs in a large stainless steel tank rather than in the individual bottles, after this process the wine is then bottled and ready for consumption, this method is faster and less expensive than the traditional method but it can produce less complex wines.
Sparkling wines are typically enjoyed as aperitif, or during special occasions such as weddings, New Year's Eve, and other celebrations. They can also be paired with a variety of foods, including seafood, fruit, and desserts.