Published by Jeremy.
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We will be the first to admit that sparkling wine, like Champagne and Cava, doesn't have to just be reserved for special occasions.
Sparkling wine, particularly bottles that come from Champagne in France, often has a history associated with parties, milestones, and good times. But it is also versatile with food and darn good to drink on its own, too- so much so that you can and should open them up just because it is a Monday and you want wine just as easily as celebrating a milestone.
In this one, we thought we would share 10 bottles of Champagne, Cava, and other sparkling wines that have made the biggest impression on us for their quality. So whether you are gearing up to have a nice bottle of sparkling wine with a meal, are celebrating something special in your life, or planning ahead of that one celebration everyone around the world is looking forward to, we've got you covered.
Note: This list only features bottles of sparkling wine we've personally tried and enjoyed. We consider them our top 10 favorites; however, we recognize that this list is incredibly subjective. We will likely update this list more over time as we try more sparkling wine!
Champagne vs Cava vs Prosecco – What's the Difference?
Before sharing our 10 favorite sparkling wines, we wanted to take a quick step back and share a refresher that not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Champagne is a regulated style of wine produced in the Champagne region of France. The method, sometimes referred to as the Champagne method and other times as the traditional method, requires bottles to be aged on the lees for a period of time, often giving the wine more complex flavor profiles like toast, brioche, and more.
Many other sparkling wines, like Cava, Cremants (non-Champagne French sparkling wines), Cap Classique (South Africa), and more, are often made in this same style. They just can't call themselves Champagne because, as previously stated, they aren't in that geographic area. So if you see phrases like traditional method, methode Champenoise, or Champagne method on a label, recognize that you'll have a similar style to Champagne- just from a different region of origin.
Other sparkling wine styles exist as well, like Prosecco (Italy), Sekt (Germany and Austria- sometimes aged on lees, sometimes not), and others that may use different grapes, different production techniques (tank method, CO2 injection method, etc.), and more. While many characteristics may be similar to Champagne, they are distinct, and that is worth keeping in mind.
Originally, we were going to make this list only about the best bottles of Champagne that we've tried. But since we have had some killer bottles of non-Champagne sparkling wine that would give the region a run for its money, we decided to share our ten favorites within all categories of sparkling wine. Although we are still partial to the Champagne region as a whole, as you'll likely see below, there is just some really good sparkling wine out there!
Champagne Dumenil Les Pecherines
We've been fortunate to try many bottles produced by Champagne Dumenil, and we really like their portfolio, starting at entry-level bottles all the way to their more premium vintages (the 1999 is stellar, if you're ever so lucky to find one).
But for us, the best quality-to-price ratio is their Les Pecherines Prestige Vieilles Vignes bottle. Made from grapes grown on old vines that were formerly surrounded by peach trees, this one has a balance of strong flavor intensity, rich lees notes, and, depending on the bottle, some tertiary age notes like almond as well. It is one of those bottles that pleases very well at its price point, and is the kind we always like to have a few in our cellar at any given time.
If we could have a bottle as our house Champagne, for its price, we'd likely choose this one!
Pares Balta Cava Cusine (Blanca and Rosa)
Although Cava is made using the same methods as Champagne, we often shy away from it. Bottles we've tried over the years, which we will admit are limited, have not quite had the intensity we enjoy from what is produced in nearby Champagne (likely a mix of the grapes being different, warmer climate overall, and more).
But Cava produced by Pares Balta is special. Their premium lineup, the Cusine series, is a masterclass lesson in how intensely flavorful Cava can be, and how it can hold up to (and in some cases, exceed) great Champagne.
The wines in this series, both the Blanca and Rosa, are intense in all the best ways possible. The Blanca is aged on the lees for a minimum of 80 months, whereas the Rosa requires a minimum of 48 months of age on the lees. We've been fortunate enough to find bottles of these hitting upwards of a decade of total age (and then some), particularly for the Blanca, and were really quite impressed by just how the lees notes hold up as more tertiary flavors develop. Even the Rosa bottle holds on to its flavor intensity here, which is something we are not used to saying when it comes to older rose wines!
Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut, Extra Old
One mass-produced bottle of Champagne that we've always enjoyed, when we can get it for a reasonable price at least, is Veuve Clicquot's Brut NV. Its balance of fruit, lees, floral character, and subtle residual sugar notes makes it an all-around crowd pleaser that, for us at least, is always a joy to have when in Europe (primarily because it is a fair bit more reasonably priced in Europe than when we find it in the USA).
This led us to visit Veuve Clicquot while touring Champagne wineries, and our premium cellar tour let us sample more bottles in their line-up that we hadn't tried before (like their 10-year vintage blanc and rose). But it was a bottle we didn't even know existed in their portfolio that really won the day for us, their aptly named Extra Brut, Extra Old.
For those who love intense lees characteristics, this one is about as perfect as they come. It is a blend of six reserve wines, which for the 4th edition release (the one we sampled) included wines from 1996, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Coupled with lower sugar (3 g/L for Extra Brut status), this one hits you with an intensity of lees that is among the best we can recall tasting. Even better? The bottle price at the cellar door was not that much more than we were used to paying for the regular Yellow Label Brut at home, so it was an easy sell to pick up a bottle.
What a treat!
Contratto Pas Dose Novecento
Although we generally avoid Italian sparkling wines made in the Prosecco style, we do have to admit that when we find traditional method wines, they can be quite good.
Piedmont's resident sparkling wine powerhouse, Contratto, is one of the most well-known. We visited this Piedmont winery to check out their historic (and massive) cellars, which you really should see for yourself when visiting, and, as a result of that tour, got to sample several bottles in the Contratto lineup. While most bottles were conventionally good, when we ended with the Pas Dose Novecento, we knew we were onto something special.
This one is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, aged on the lees for about seven years, and is typically found available with a decade of total age or more. The best way we can describe this one is having quite the strong lees concentration that we would've blindly guessed as a top-tier Champagne, not a sparkling wine from Piedmont. But then we saw the price. Every time we've found this bottle, it's been very reasonably priced (both in Europe and in the USA), so much so that we'd argue similar-quality bottles from Champagne would cost double, if not more!
So if you're looking for a high-quality wine that is a bit more reasonably priced than others on this list, seek out Contratto's Pas Dose Novecento.
Domaine Mure Cremant d'Alsace Grand Millesime
Alsace-based Domaine Mure may be famous for its Grand Cru Riesling, Pinot Gris, and other classic grape varieties of the region. But during our visit, we were also fortunate enough to sample their Grand Millesime vintage Cremant d'Alsace.
This one shows how Cremants can truly sing!
This bottle is a bit unconventional for traditional method wines as it is a 50/50 blend of Riesling and Chardonnay, offering excellent acidity and fruit notes from the two flavorful grapes. But throw on the fact that it ages on the lees for more than five years, and an incredible intensity of lees characteristics is present. Even better? The price point is one of the most reasonably priced bottles on this list, making it a stellar value if you ever come across it.
We really regret not having more suitcase room for this one.
Schramsberg's Blanc de Blanc and J. Schram
Much like not typically drinking wines in Prosecco style, we are also first to admit that we typically don't drink much sparkling wine made in California. Part of this is simply because we don't make much of an effort, we will admit, but also the warmer climate and elevated price points found in California wines often beg the question- if I am paying that price, can't I just buy Champagne?
Calistoga-based Schramsberg offers the best of all worlds with its traditional-method sparkling wines. The entry-level Blanc de Blanc, widely distributed in the USA, showcases quality California sparkling wine well, and is available at a fairly reasonable price for its quality.
Their premium vintage line, J. Schram, may come in at a price point that rivals some of the more premium bottles of Champagne we tried (think $100-$200+), but it has a flavor intensity and complexity that would rival top-tier producers in Champagne. So, although we think the entry-level bottles are the best for everyday consumption, if you want something special to celebrate with, the J. Schram series is quite killer, too.
Varnier Fanniere Grand Cru Brut Vintage
Varnier-Fanniere was a real surprise for us when visiting Champagne wineries. Not only does their Grand Cru line-up offer a large range of flavors, but their Vintage series offers an intensity and complexity that we could only describe as remarkable.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about Varnier-Fanniere's Champagnes is the price. When shopping at the winery directly, as we did during our visit to Champagne, they offered some of the most reasonable prices of any Champagne house we visited. Much like how we've noted other non-Champagne bottles would go toe-to-toe with bottles more than two times the price, this is one of those bottles that should be sold for two times its price, but isn't, and we respect the producers for wanting to keep their wines accessible to all.
The only downside? During our visit, we were told Varnier Fanniere wasn't currently being distributed in the USA. So we stocked up. But if you ever see a bottle on the shelves, of any bottle in their portfolio (and Grand Cru especially), grab it!
Jacques Selosse Substance
For many, a bottle of Jacques Selosse's Champagnes are like a unicorn bottle. Rare to find, and even less likely to justify the price. But if you are in the mood for a splurge and are lucky enough to find one available, a delicious bottle of wine is in your future.
We visited the estate for lunch at Hotel Les Avizes, on Thanksgiving Day no less, and decided to splurge on a bottle of Substance- containing a mix of solera-aged wines dating back to 1986 (however small that amount may be in the final blend, that is).
Much like the final wine in this list, Substance hits you with a wealth of complexity from lees characteristics, tertiary notes like nuts and marmalade, all the way to mushroom and soy sauce starting to express itself. Was it worth the splurge? For a unicorn bottle, absolutely. Are we stocking this one in our cellar? As much as we want to, the most expensive bottle of Champagne we've ever tried may have to stay just that- the rare unicorn we may never see again.
But if you're flush with cash, spot a bottle, and want something spectacular, Substance is truly an incredible Champagne.
Philipponnat Clos de Goisses
Finally, we end with Philipponnat's Close de Goisses- arguably the best bottle of Champagne we've ever had.
Philipponnat, if you're unfamiliar, is a premium Champagne producer in Mareuil-sur-Ay with impressive holdings that yield high-quality wine. Their acclaimed Clos de Goisses has one of Champagne's most prominent slopes, a south-facing aspect, and a unique microclimate considered among the sunniest in the region.
Not only was the bottle rich in lees characteristics, thanks to being aged for upwards of eight years, this one came with a wealth of toast, brioche, almond, and madacamia, as well as richer characteristics like soy sauce, mushroom, and other earthy notes in considerable proportion. It truly hit all the marks for us for a hallmark wine, and if you are in need of celebrating a large milestone, like retirement or freedom from tyrants, this bottle is a winner- if you can stomach the price point at least.
That said, unlike Jacques Selosse Substance (above), we left the winery with two bottles of these, and are saving them for a very, very special occasion (that we hope comes soon enough!).
Do you have a favorite bottle of sparkling wine? Comment below to share!
Are you looking to pick up a new sparkling wine to enjoy? Grab a bottle on Wine.com! Although most of the bottles featured above are, sadly, not available there, they have an incredible selection of sparkling wine!
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