Most Memorable Champagnes of 2024
Though Champagne sales have continued to slide worldwide, Goode and I have done our best to buoy the market this past year, drinking and tasting a few hundred bottles between us.
Champagne shipments in the first half of 2024 totaled 106.7 million bottles, down 15.2% compared to the same period in 2023. As such, the Champagne Committee (CIVC) set the available yield for 2024 at 10,000 kg/ha, a lower level than for the previous harvest (11,400 kg/ha) to reflect the situation on the export markets. This adjustment is expected to cap production at under 290 million bottles, one of the lowest levels seen in recent decades.
2024 wasn’t just dampened in sales, however. Mother nature made it outright wet. When I visited the region in January / February, it had been raining every single day since October 2023. An average year sees 750mm rainfall in Champagne. From October 2023 to October 2024, cumulative rainfall reached 1250 mm, making vineyard work messy and complicated at best.
The mild, wet winter led into a cooler, wet spring. Parts of the Côte des Bar were blitzed by late April frosts (up to 80% losses reported), while a swath of the Marne Valley (500 hectares) were knocked with May hail damage.
Months of dampness and humidity set the stage for widespread downy mildew that kicked off in early summer, making dedicated and regular spraying (whether organic or conventional) a must.
After a moderate summer, bar an expected heatwave in late August that sunburnt some unsuspecting grapes, the rain returned again during harvest, diluting hopes and wine. 72mm of rain fell on September 25 and 26 in the Côtes des Blancs. According to Didier Gimonnet, of Pierre Gimonnet et Fils, 2024 was “one of the most difficult years in the last 40 years.”
When you sum up losses from frosts, hail, and mildew, some producers, especially in the Aube, are facing losses of 95%. Many across the appellation are still reeling from the widespread devastation of Pinot Meunier in 2023. Many producers will certainly be dipping deeply into their reserve wines, if they carry any, which will alter the plan for future years’ blends and programming.
For us, it’s all the more reason to seek out wines and producers to support and share. In this annual collab, here are the most memorable Champagnes we’ve (JG and TR) had in 2024. Cheers ~
Champagne Frédéric Savart Le Mont des Chrétiens 1er Cru Extra Brut 2017, Montagne de Reims
Situated 10 km west of Reims, Frédéric Savart is based in the village of Écueil, in the Val de Reims. Continuing from his father’s work with their ‘laboratory of terroirs,’ Savart has made the 4 hectare property his own and has become one of the first and leading superstars of the Grower Champagne movement. Le Mont des Chrétiens is a lieu dit in Écueil planted to Chardonnay. This was native fermented and aged in 500L barrels. This bottle was disgorged in February 2021 with 2g/L. Powerful and concentrated, with wood toast scenting white cherry, lemon pith, green apple, and deep chalk. A vein of flinty reduction grows in the glass as the wine opens, yet still a driving, racy chardonnay acidity spires this long through the saline finish. Contemplative, give this time to open and unravel. 2047 bottles made. 95/100 (TR)
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2008 France
8 g/l dosage. Eight years on lees. This has a full pink colour. Powerful, lively and intense with lovely structure. Taut cherry and lime with amazing fruit intensity. Structured with good acidity, this is tight and expressive with a youthful personality. Such intensity and concentration to this wine with a lovely saline twist on the finish. Pure and fine. 98/100 (JG)
Champagne Jacquesson Avize Champ Gain Extra Brut 2008 France
This is a plot selection of 1982-planted Chardonnay that spends 9 years on its lees. Bold but so refined with powerful citrus fruit, and notes of orange peel, mandarin and some saltiness. There’s a hint of bread and toast, but not too much, and a nice umami character. Very refined and quite serious. 96/100 (JG)
Champagne Bérèche & Fils Rosé Campania Remensis 2019, Montagne de Reims
Created in 1847, Champagne Bérèche et Fils is a grower with 9.5 biodynamically farmed hectares of vineyards, predominantly situated in Montagne des Reims. Brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche are the current generation running the family estate. Terroir-focused, they farm without herbicides, and all wines undergo tirer à liege, where the second fermentation takes place under cork rather than capsule. Campania Rememsis is the first name given by the Romans to the land around Reims. This rosé blends 75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, and 5% still red Pinot from Ormes, in the Petite Montagne de Reims. This was native fermented in older wood, with no MLF, before heading to bottle for 36+ months sur lattes, under agrafe. This bottle was disgorged in early 2023 with 3 g/L. Pouring a subtle crimson hue, this streams ample white cherry, raspberry meringue, wild strawberry, bright lemon peel, and bergamot along its finessed, lengthy frame, finishing with lingering chalky salinity. So very complete, this feels incredibly detailed and entirely effortless, which makes it all the more impressive. Such a stunner, sip after sip. 95/100 (TR)
Champagne Hélène Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut NV, Côtes des Blancs
Descended from a long line of winegrowers in Cramant since 1891, Pierre Hugot has worked with highly respected domains in France including Comte Liger-Belair, Chavy-Chouet, Jean-Marc Roulot, and Vaccelli, before coming back home to the family estate and implementing sustainable, organic, and biodynamic viticulture. He now oversees the family’s small holdings in the Côtes des Blancs. This is the first release of his inaugural cuvée, and only 2000 bottles were produced. This cuvée, from vintage 2017, is from old vine vineyards in GC’s Cramant, Avize, and Oger, and was native fermented and vinified in a mix of tank and barrel. My bottle was disgorged October 2023 with 2 g/L. Structurally fine boned, with a striking lightness of being, this epitomizes the graceful power of the Côte des Blancs, weaving deep chalk, lemon, and ample salinity, with a whisper fine line of reduction drawing this through the lingering finish. Precise, finessed, and impressive, this is certainly a producer to watch. 94/100 (TR)
Champagne Philipponnat La Rémisonne Mareuil-sur-Ay Extra-Brut 2015 France
This is from a plot just above Clos des Goisses and is a continuation of the upper terrace, facing S/SW, so it’s slightly more west-facing and has some deeper soils with a bit more clay. Disgorged in March 2024. Fine, fresh, structured and intense with lovely precision to the lemon and red cherry fruit, showing elegance but also some power. Very fresh and fine, with tapering lemony acidity and a little structure, too. This has a crystalline quality and is chiselled and transparent, expanding in the mouth. Such length. 97/100 (JG)
Champagne Cédric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne UR/R18 Dégorgement 2022 France
From a single plot, Les Ursules, of less than a hectare in the Côte de Bar. Very low yield, 100% Pinot Noir. This is fine, chalky and mineral with lovely precision on the nose. It’s vinous with real purity on the palate. Chalky and fine with notes of lime and honey, and a slight saltiness on the finish. So pure, fine and elegant, this is almost perfect. 97/100 (JG)
Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2013, Côtes des Blancs
Comtes is a remarkable wine, very vintage dependent, but hallmarked with undeniable finesse. For a tête de cuvée, very little of this is produced (around 150K bottles), and certainly not every year (there will be no Comtes 2022 or 2023). 2013 was the 38th vintage of Comtes since 1952. With GC fruit from Côtes des Blancs’ Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Les Mesnil-sur-Oger, this was primarily fermented in stainless, though 5% from estate vineyards in Chouilly was fermented in new 225L barrels for 6 months. Once in bottle, this spent 8 years on lees, and was dosed with 9 g/L when disgorged in 2022. Fine lemon, meringue, marzipan, subtle smoked stone and toast is chiseled by lemon pith and peel, and run by driving minerality. The core is quite generous, though shaped and bracketed by chalk, which lingers on the buzzing, saline finish. Supremely finessed and drinking now, but will certainly hold in cellar for some years ahead. 95/100 (TR)
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Oenophile Non-Dosé 2018 Côtes des Blancs
Oenophile is the same cuvée as Fleuron, but with zero dosage. Didier Gimonnet believes dosage is an important part of vinification and Champagne, so is typically against the style, although he was one of the first to make a 0 dosage champagne back in 1985. This is from Cramant, Chouilly, Oger, and Cuis, fermented in stainless with full MLF. It was disgorged in October 2023. Like all their wines, this is precise and poised, though this particular cuvée streaks across the palate like a lightning bolt. Smouldering stones, chalk, green apple, and lemon pith rule the taut, straight palate, finishing with a lingering buzzy salinity. Electric. 7500 bottles produced. 93/100 (TR)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru NV France
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, with 50% 2018, 30% 2017, 20% 2016. 90% Ambonnay, then 10% Bouzy and Verzenay. Wild ferment in barrel, 10% new, aged 48 months on the lees and then disgorged with dosage of 1g/litre. Complex, intense and fine with powerful lemon and lime, as well as some cherry and apple. Notes of toast, aniseed and a touch of wax. Precise and linear with good concentration and great precision. Profound. 96/100 (JG)
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Cramant Grand Cru 2016 France
Since 2012 Didier has been doing a few bottles of each specific terroir he works with. This comes from 14 different plots in seven different lieu dits in Cramant. It’s lively, focused and bright with depth to the citrus fruit, and notes of pear and white peach adding extra layers. Great depth and balancewith some structure, fine texture and a long chalky finish. 96/100 (JG)
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Fleuron RD 2005 Côtes des Blancs
Fleuron, meaning flagship, was created to capture the spirit of the vintage, and represent the year. This 2005 is part of a late release, disgorged in early 2024 after nearly 18 years sur lattes (!). I tasted in this Champagne, one week post-disgorge. Exceptionally saline, with multiple layers of chalk, smouldering stone, lemon pith, white cherry, and fragrant subtle raspberry blossoms across a deep, savoury palate. The freshness here is incredible, holding this complexed wine easily aloft, and long on the palate. A beautiful bottle. 95/100 (TR)
Champagne Emmanuel Brochet Extra Brut NV, Vallée de la Marne
Previous vintages were labeled Le Mont Benoit, though in 2019 this dropped the name on the label (and the secateurs), but remained the same wine. From a small organic plot named Le Mont Benoit, in the calcareous soils of Vallée de la Marne’s Villers-aux-Noeuds, this was based on the 2020 vintage, with 20% reserve wines. This blended 35% Pinot Meunier, 35% Pinot Noir, and 30% Chardonnay, and was vinified and aged 11 months in wood before going to bottle unfined and unfiltered, and with 24 months sur lattes. Tight and taut, with cherry blossoms, Rainier cherry, wild strawberry, and crunchy green and red apple relaxing into a slender palate of fresh dough, red apple peel, subtle anise, and lemon rind, dusted with chalk. The buzzy texture runs long on the palate through a lingering salinity. Quite a compelling wine, and one I’m always thrilled to come across. 12825 bottles produced. 94/100 (TR)
Champagne Emmanuel Brochet Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut 2019 Montagne de Reims
Emmanuel Brochet became a 1st generation Champagne grower in 1997 with vines located in Villers-Aux-Noeux, in the Montagne de Reims, and on the lieu-dit Le Mont Benoit. The single vineyard of 2.5ha is planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and situated on a slope divided in two parts; on the upper level the oldest vines were planted in 1962, on the lower level the youngest in 1984. For this rosé, the pinot meunier comes comes from a neighbouring organic grower in the village in the lieu dit La Motelle planted in 1965. This receives a 24 hour maceration before a native ferment and 11 months in older barrel. It goes into bottle unfined and unfiltered, and after 2 years is disgorged with 0 dosage. Pouring a deep rhubarb hue, this pours a fruity, frothy, and actually fun dry rosé champagne, with structured red apple, cherry shaped with a chalky, meringue mid palate, lit with pink cranberry acidity, and finishing with an astringent pink grapefruit twist. I enjoy this playful meets serious rosé champagne with casual bites every time. 91/100 (TR)
Champagne Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières Blanc de Blancs NV Coteaux du Petit Morin
The Collin family’s winemaking roots in Congy can be traced back for generations, dating back to 1812. Current generation Olivier Collin reclaimed the family vineyards, which had been leased out to Pommery, in 2003, after years of working to break the lease. He turned the near 9 hectare estate into organic viticulture, and ushered in the start of the label Ulysse Collin, one of the stars of the grower champagne movement. Their three vineyards are located in the Coteaux du Petit Morin and Côteaux du Sézannais. Olivier’s time working with Anselme Selosse can be seen in the low-intervention winemaking, and use of large foudres and 225L barrels. Les Pierrières is a single vineyard of old vines in the Coteaux du Petit Morin, with soft, chalky soils distinctively laced with black flint. The base of this Chardonnay is 2017, and it spent 48 months on lees prior to a disgorge February 2022. Olivier releases his wines with different lees aging periods (36, 48, 72 months for some years). This is polished and poised, with white cherry, patisserie, lemon peel, and savoury stoniness humming along through a lengthy, saline finish, with a brief kiss of anise at the very end. Quite a profound, remarkable wine, drinking now, and with time ahead. 95/100 (TR)
Champagne Ulysses Collin Les Enfers Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV France
This is base 2014, 48 months on lees, and disgorged March 2019, so it has been ageing under cork for more than 4 years. Full yellow colour, with nice intensity, harmony and richness. Notes of toast, pear, peach and citrus with a lovely acid line and some salinity. Hints of ripe apple and toast. Nice brightness with crystalline citrus fruit, but also some depth and richness. 95/100 (JG)
Champagne Bollinger PN VZ19 France
12.5% alcohol. This is 100% Pinot Noir, base wine 2019 and reserve wines going back to 2009. It’s mostly from Verzenay, hence the code name. This is a beautiful expression of Pinot with lovely fruit focus, showing mandarin, cherry and lemon notes, as well as subtle toastiness and a nice saline underlay. This is linear with nice bright acidity, but it also has the Pinot Noir richness. I really like the saline undertow here. Very serious and utterly delicious, justifying its high price tag (just a shade under £100 in the UK). 95/100 (JG)
Champagne Leclerc Briant Les Monts Ferrés 2019, Côtes des Blancs
This new release from pioneering organic / biodynamic producer Leclerc Briant is a single vineyard BdB from 1er Cru Vertus (and the first plot over from GC Le Mesnil sur Oger). The 4 year old vines are rooted mid-slope in chalky, iron laced soils, hence the name of the vineyard. This was native fermented and vinified in oak over 10 months before going to bottle unfined and unfiltered, and 4 years sur lattes. It was disgorged in November 2023 with 1.5 g/L. Burnished lemon, chalk, anise, and herbal verbena streak through this textural, structural wine, based on crushed stone and deep chalk which lingers on the long finish. Quite striking and impressive. Fewer than 5000 bottles were produced. 94/100 (TR)
Champagne Marie-Noëlle Ledru Extra Brut NV, Montagne de Reims
Champagne Marie-Noëlle Ledru retired after the 2017 vintage, after decades of making highly lauded wines from her home base in Ambonnay. Ledru, a 4th generation viticultrice (her title), inherited the vineyards from her parents in 1984, and crafted wines from her organically farmed 2.5 hectares in Ambonnay and Bouzy. She is / was known as the Lady of Pinot Noir. With every year, the wines become more coveted, as stocks dwindle. The Extra Brut is 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, native fermented in enamel-lined tank, and spent a minimum of 3 years sur lattes before disgorge, with a low dosage. This certainly presents as pinot noir, structural and pure, with smouldering white cherry, fragrant raspberry, and lemon pith through a stately, creamy, expansive, and finely spiced palate. A deeper wine of contemplation, especially now. Quietly confident, and as memorable as the bold label, this cuvée sings true to her Pinot Noir name. A joy to come across in Champagne. 92/100 (TR)
Champagne Mumm RSRV Cuvée 4 5 Grand Cru NV France
This is from five terroirs: there’s Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Bouzy, and Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize. Bottled in 2015 and disgorged in May 2023 after 8 years on lees with a 6 g/litre dosage. 12% alcohol. Quite fine and delicate with aromatic cherry and citrus fruit as well as subtle honey and toast. In the mouth it shows lovely delicacy and refinement with pure fruit and subtle bitter hints on the finish that add interest. Not a blockbuster, but beautifully balanced. 94/100 (JG)
Champagne Billecart Salmon Vintage Extra Brut 2016 France
This is 100% Grand Cru, with 24% Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and 66% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. Disgorged after 64 months on lees with a dosage of 1.9 g/l Bright and linear with nice pure citrus fruit. Focused lemon notes with some subtle toast, and a hint of cherry on the finish. This is bright and linear with great balance, finishing fresh. Superb stuff. 94/100 (JG)
Champagne Jérôme Blin Les Ports Complantation Zero Dosage 2020 France
From an organically farmed parcel called Vincelles, planted in 1986, and it is an unusual blend of Pinot Meunier, Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc, bottled in May 2021 and disgorged in July 2022 with no dosage. This is fresh, lively and bright with pear, apple and lemon fruit. Expressive and juicy with a lovely chalky, mineral edge. Ripe, transparent, delicate and pure. 94/100 (JG)
Champagne Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut 2002
From the cellar. In 1967, Bollinger released R.D. 1952, the first of the Recently Disgorged champagnes, and the first labels to show the disgorge date. Since that time, and up to today, a portion of La Grande Année has been kept in the cellars for a later disgorge, after up to 20 years on the lees. Though showing obvious age, with tertiary autolytics, plus ample maillard reaction caramelization, the 2002 RD has worn very, very well. It’s 60/40 Pinot Noir / Chardonnay was sourced from 23 Crus (all GC or 1er Cru), and was disgorged with 3-4 g/L. This was a pristine bottle, showing no oxidation, and great purity, opening with subtle burnished lemon curd, patisserie, apricot fuzz, and yellow plum on the nose before carrying into cushy meringue and roasted hazelnut on the deep palate. Though the mousse is gentle, the driving acidity and chalky buzz underneath is driving and persistent, carrying this at least half a minute on the palate after the last drop finishes. A stunner, still now, and with time yet ahead. *The 2007 / 2008 RD is currently in market in Canada. 95/100 (TR)
