# Best Champagne URL: https://tastessence.com/drinks-alcohol/best-champagne Category: Drinks & Alcohol Published: 2011-03-18T09:49:00 Updated: 2026-08-05T12:38:48 There are approximately 12,000 brands of Champagne available. But which are the best and at what price? To get a good Champagne for your wine cellar, read on. Champagne is a sparkling white wine, made exclusively in the Champagne region of France. White wine, made from anywhere, outside France cannot be called Champagne, by law. It is made by a second fermentation process, after primary fermentation and bottling. The fame of Champagne is primarily due to its marketing strategies, used throughout history. It was first promoted as a royal beverage, and indeed, it seemed to be a favorite among the titled and nobility. By the 19th century, it was marketed to women and the middle class, as a luxury drink for the masses. Today, it is a compulsory, celebratory drink, with a reputation for being pricey. The best Champagne brands are Bollinger, Perrier Jouët, Dom Perignon, Krug (most [expensive Champagne brand](https://tastessence.com/drinks-alcohol/expensive-champagne-brands)) and Cristal to name a few. But wine lovers, do not fear, the best Champagne need not be the most expensive. In this article, we take a look at the different divisions of Champagne, and the best Champagne for any price range. ## Types of Champagne There are 4 primary types of Champagne: ### Prestige cuvée A proprietary blended Champagne, which is the best of a producer’s range. The first _prestige cuvée_ was Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon. ### Blanc de noirs The term means “white of blacks” and is used to classify Champagnes made entirely from black grapes. The 2 permitted black grapes used to make this wine are _Pinot Noir_ and _Pinot Meunier_. These are full-bodied, robust and a deep yellow-gold in color. They go good with heavy, flavored foods including meats and cheeses. This is a rare type of Champagne. ### Blanc de blancs Champagne which is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, are this type. The term is French for “white of whites”. It is the lightest and most refreshing of Champagnes, and are popular accompaniments to light courses like soup. Noted producers are Taittinger and Ruinart. ### Rosé Champagne There are 2 methods to make this type of Champagne. One is to add a small quantity of _Pinot Noir_ wine to the base wine. The other method is skin contact, where the grapes skins are pressed, so they soak into the grape juice. This is done before fermentation. This type of Champagne is a popular romantic wine, due to its pale pink hue. ### Vintage and Non Vintage Champagne can also be judged by whether it is vintage or not. Vintage is used to classify Champagne, in which 85% of grapes used are from a single year. Each house decides whether to produce a vintage Champagne in any given year. Vintage Champagne must be aged for at least 3 years. 85 to 90 percent of Champagnes produced are non vintage, which is less expensive than those produced in a vintage year. Non vintage Champagne is composed of grapes from different harvest, as opposed to vintage, which is from a single harvest. ## Best High-end Champagne The best Champagne in the world, with prices above $200, are listed below. **Name** **Type** **Year** **Price** Roederer Cristal Brut Rosé Rosé 2000 $500 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de blancs, vintage 1996 $1,500 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne Rosé Rosé 2002 $300 Henriot Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Cuvée 1996 $215 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée 1998 $225 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay Cuvée 1996 $2,250 Dom Ruinart Champagne Rosé 1996 $325 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé Vintage, Rosé 2003 $350 Dom Pérignon Cuvée 1996 $320 Dom Pérignon Oenotheque Cuvée 1990 $390 Dom Ruinart Cuvée 1996 $250 ## Great Midrange Champagne Willing to splurge, but not too much? Here is some of the world’s best Champagne, in the $50-$200 range. **Name** **Type** **Year** **Price** Champagne Delamotte Rosé Non vintage $105 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1998 $145 Pol Roger Brut Chardonnay Extra Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs 1998 $95 Bruno Paillard Réserve Privée Blanc de Blancs Non vintage $88 Saint-Chamant Millésimé Brut Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Blancs 1999 $80 Ayala Perle D’Ayala Millésimé Brut Cuvée 2000 $150 Gonet Medeville NV Blanc de Noirs Blanc de Noirs Non vintage $60 Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvée 225 Millésimé Cuvée 2003 $96 ## Best Budget Champagnes Cheap Champagne? How is that possible? Not all Champagne brands are for the rich and richer. Here is some of the best Champagne under 50 dollars. **Name** **Type** **Year** **Price** Leclerc Briant Cuvée Extra Brut Cuvée Non vintage $24 Henri Abelé Soirée Parisienne Brut Mixed Non vintage $20 Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée 2004 $46 Collet Brut Rosé Rosé Non vintage $45 Alfred Basely Brut Mixed Non vintage $25 Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rosé Non vintage $48 Gosset Brut Excellence Mixed Non vintage $44 Don’t dismiss Champagne as a celebratory drink. Like any wine, it makes a wonderful companion to food, by enhancing flavors and tastes. It is good for company (a bottle of bubbly can impress even the most snobby) and solitary introspection. It has a reputation for making one very tipsy, very fast. But carbonated alcohol does have that effect, and it can be said of any sparkling wine. So for the next occasion, or simply a quiet evening at home, break out your Champagne bottle and let the bubbles work their magic. Cheers!