Best Champagnes tasted by our experts in 2021
We've rounded up the top-scoring Champagnes tasted by our team of experts so far this year, all scoring 96+ points...
The list below is a compilation of the best Champagnes tasted by our experts so far in 2021 – the cream of the crop of new releases, as well as mature bottles that are ready for drinking and enjoying now.
The top scoring Champagne was tasted during Decanter’s recent virtual Billecart-Salmon Masterclass hosted by Peter Liem and Mathieu Roland-Billecart, owner of the Billecart-Salmon Champafbe house and the seventh generation of the family.
In his notes Liem says of the Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008: ‘Despite ageing on its lees for 10 years, it remains almost shockingly youthful, its vividly primary flavours of red cherry, strawberry and nectarine wrapped up in a taut, tense frame.’ One for the cellar then.
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Three Krug Champagnes make the list, all were tasted by Yohan Castaing for his First taste: Krug new releases feature in mid-May. The top-scorer of these was the Krug, 159ème Édition which he describes as enthralling with incredible length. ‘The texture is silky and quite fleshy but remains surprisingly delicate for this great Champagne.’
The top scoring of the list below is Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses 1979, with 100 points, tasted as part of the Champagne Philipponnat vertical of recently-disgorged Clos des Goisses, published on Decanter Premium in June 2021.
Five more wines make the list – all scoring 96 points – including Dom Pérignon 2006 and Cristal 2013 from Louis Roederer. See full tasting notes and scores for all the wines below.
100 point Champagnes tasted in 2020
Krug, Clos Dambonnay, Champagne 2002
Salon, Cuvee S, Le Mesnil Blanc de blancs, Champagne 1996
Salon, Cuvee S, Le Mesnil Blanc de-blancs, Champagne 2008
Decanter’s best Champagnes of 2021 (so far…):
The below wines were all tasted in 2021 and scored 96 points and above.
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Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses, Champagne, Champagne, France, 1979
Everyone was astonished by the pure aromatics and gorgeous palate precision from this regularly-sized bottle, delivered with pleasurable creamy texture and toffee notes. Disgorged 31...
1979
PhilipponnatChampagne
Billecart-Salmon, Elisabeth Salmon Rosé, Champagne, France, 2008
<p>Ripe berries on the nose with red apple, peach and tangerine notes over hazelnut and pastry nuances. Fresh and compact on the palate with zesty...
2008
Billecart-Salmon
Krug, Brut, Champagne, France, 2008
Krug 2008 is monumental champagne - too young to drink, but still a great pleasure. The wine has tightly wound aromas of lemon peel, marzipan,...
2008
Krug
Krug, 159ème Édition, Champagne, France
Enthralling scents of white truffle, hazelnut, almonds and candied citrus fruits. On the palate, there are notes of honey, almonds, a hint of toast, and...
Krug
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses, Champagne, Champagne, France, 1986
A top wine. Complex aromas include biscuit, white truffle and wet stone, with ripe pear and red berry fruit. Like the 1993, the bubbles are...
1986
PhilipponnatChampagne
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses, Champagne, Champagne, France, 1964
Disgorged in March 2008 – 44 years after the harvest – this seemed remarkably fresh and yeasty for its age, with complex aromatics and flavours...
1964
PhilipponnatChampagne
Tarlant, La Vigne d’Or, Champagne, Champagne, France, 2004
A superb champagne. This wine is produced from vines planted in clay soils in 1947 in the single vineyard called Pierre de Bellevue, located in...
2004
TarlantChampagne
Louis Roederer, Cristal, Champagne, France, 2013
The peak of drinkability is between 15 and 20 years from the harvest; so says Jean-Baptiste, but he has not spared the taster the wondrous...
2013
Louis Roederer
Ruinart, Dom Ruinart, Champagne, France, 2007
Made of 80% Chardonnay (75% from Côte des Blancs grands crus and 25% from Montagne de Reims) and 20% Pinot Noir vinified as a red...
2007
Ruinart
Dom Pérignon, Rosé, Champagne, France, 2006
The 2006 Dom Pérignon rosé, which contains more than 20% still red wine, has a fascinating colour and a beautifully delicate bouquet of red fruits,...
2006
Dom Pérignon
Philipponnat, L.V. Clos des Goisses, Champagne, France, 1995
Philipponnat keeps back a small number of bottles of Clos des Goisses that are disgorged after a lengthy period of cellaring. The complex and magical...
1995
Philipponnat