6 exceptional vintage champagnes according to Gault&Millau
Discover 6 must-have vintage champagnes selected by Gault & Millau. Exceptional cuvées that sublimate special occasions and testify to the unique expertise of the Champagne houses.
During the festive season, champagne is usually served as an aperitif. It can also be enjoyed at the table to accompany the refined dishes served at Christmas. Take a closer look at vintage champagnes, which will be your best bet for top-flight food and champagne pairings. Here's an explanation of this beautiful beverage and a selection of 6 favorites to make your loved ones' eyes shine.
How is champagne produced?
To go back to basics, champagne is an effervescent wine made from black and/or white grapes. A first fermentation takes place, giving rise to a "still" wine (without bubbles). This still wine is then bottled with a liqueur de tirage (a mixture of wine, sugars and yeast), which leads to a second alcoholic fermentation in a closed bottle. This is when effervescence begins - the famous "prise de mousse". After several months, or even years, of ageing, the champagne is disgorged. This stage involves expelling the deposit from the bottle. The vacuum left by this deposit is replaced by liqueur de dosage (or liqueur d'expédition), a mixture of sugar and wine. The bottles are then hermetically sealed with a cork held in place by a wire corkscrew.
Vintage or non-vintage: what's the difference?
Champagne can be non-vintage. This cuvée is commonly called Brut Sans Année (BSA) and is made from a blend of several years. A vintage champagne is made only with grapes from the year in question.
A minimum ageing period (or "élevage sur lattes") for the wine after foaming is imposed by the champagne appellation's specifications, and depending on whether the champagne is vintage or non-vintage, this time on lath will be shorter or longer. A vintage champagne is only marketed after a minimum ageing period of 36 months from bottling.
This long ageing period allows the wine to remain in contact with its lees (the yeast) for longer, giving it greater structure and richness. What's more, champagne is not vintage every year; only the best years are vintage. The rigorous selection of grapes during the harvest enables us to capture the full complexity of each great vintage.
Finally, if you'd like to offer a bottle of champagne for the holidays, don't forget that vintage champagnes have the particularity of having excellent ageing potential.
The Gault&Millau selection of 6 great vintage champagnes
- Vintage Brimoncourt, MMIX (96/100)
- Billecart-Salmon, Louis Salmon 2012 (95/100)
- Frèrejean Frères, Cuvée des Hussards 2013 (95/100)
- Mailly Grand Cru, Les Echansons 2014 (94/100)
- Lanson, Le Vintage 2013 (92/100)
- Alfred Gratien, Cuvée Paradis 2015 (96/100)
Discover all the cuvées tested, approved and rated by Gault&Millau in the Champagnes section of our website and in the latest Livre des champagnes.
These news might interest you
Pâtiss'Art announces its first edition with Nina Métayer as godmother
Normandy goes pastry. From October 26 to 28, 2024, the first Pâtiss'Art show will be held in Deauville. For the occasion, the godmother will be none other than Nina Métayer.
Should we trust the medals on the bottles?
On a supermarket shelf, similar-looking bottles of wine are lined up at slightly contrasting prices. Without a salesperson, in a time-constrained food shopping area, a sticker placed like a jewel cuts through the act of purchasing. Gold, silver or bronze medals flash more brightly than a label that's not always easy to decipher. Award-winning wine, featured wine An award-winning wine is one that has been presented by the winery at one of the 127 competitions that award these precious badges (in 2024, according to the DGCCRF). The famous Concours Général Agricole, founded in 1870, the world's best Chardonnay or Sauvignon competitions, the Brittany or Mâcon wine competitions, the Millésime Bio challenge... There's an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with no limit on participation, but not without a heavy hand in the wallet. For each cuvée entered, you'll need to pay between 10 and 150 euros, depending on the competition, not including postage and packaging costs and the purchase of macaroons in the event of victory. Attractive spin-offs A potentially interesting calculation, given the commercial visibility these awards bring. In the year following the award, sales of the vintage tend to increase by between 20% and 40%. A boon for the estate, event organizers and supermarkets alike. All the more so as the medals are pouring in. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, of the 12129 wines entered, 3361 were awarded medals, almost half of them gold. French legislation prohibits the awarding of more than a third of the samples presented. A quota with which most competitions flirt. Amateur jury Who awards these accolades? A volunteer jury, at their own expense. Mostly amateurs. The great need for people leaves little room for rigor or traceability. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, over 7,000 people were needed to taste charcuterie, cheeses, jams and wines. At this year's Chardonnay du Monde competition, more than 300 jurors took part, with a limit of 20 samples per person. The most famous estates, which don't need to boost their sales, tend to neglect these competitions. Artisanal wineries, on the other hand, may shy away from these competitions as a matter of distinction, since the shiny stickers are associated with supermarkets. A place where it takes the place of good professional advice. A wine merchant, for example, capable of selling the uniqueness of a cuvée he has followed over the years.Our partners
Food products, kitchen equipment, tableware, service solutions...
See the full list of partners who place their trust in Gault&Millau
All our partners
