Starting from the very top, I awarded 98 points to three wines in this Report, with both Dom Ruinart 2010 and Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé 2012 reaching great heights, both wines delivering big on drinking pleasure right now. Last year, Rare Champagne 2008 was at the top of my Report scoring 98 points; now, its newly released 2013 vintage has jumped right to the top – and even more impressive, the 2013 is showing promise of more to come with additional time spent in bottle.

From my tastings, it seems Bollinger was right to keep back significant volumes of La Grande Année 2008 for later release under its R.D. label, as this refined vintage is showing unprecedented elegance and longevity worthy of 97 points. I was equally enchanted by Bollinger’s stunningly deep and soulful Vieilles Vignes Françaises 2012, one of its all-time best vintages. Another of my top discoveries from the tastings was Moët & Chandon’s long lees-aged Grand Vintage Collection 2006 (scoring 97 points). Despite coming from a vintage that, on the whole, delivered rather heavy and super-ripe Champagnes, this magnificent wine showed such yeasty complexity, utterly disarming me. If Dom Pérignon P2 prices are out of your reach, do invest in its ‘little brother’. These bottles are the most reliable performers in the late-disgorged Champagne universe, regardless of the vintage – a point that was proven by the fine 1999 Grand Vintage Collection that I also tasted for this Report.

This year, the blanc de blancs category had plenty to offer and there were three non-vintage cuvées that excelled in tastings: Bruno Paillard’s impressive Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Laurent-Perrier’s bone-dry and pure Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature and Henriot’s creamy, caressing Blanc de Blancs. When it comes to vintage Champagne, I’d put my money on Delamotte’s classic 2014 Blanc de Blancs. As for the prestige cuvées, I was happy to welcome Taittinger’s new-release Comtes de Champagne 2013 to my blanc de blancs top three, together with Dom Ruinart 2010 and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2012.

The dynamic and ever-expanding blanc de noirs category came with two delightful non-vintage novelties: Bruno Paillard Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru and Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Noirs. The best-scoring blanc de noirs for me was the category’s icon and pioneer, Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises from the magnificent 2012 harvest, as mentioned above. However, its little brother, Bollinger PN AYC 18, was not left far behind, representing the best yet in the house’s novel PN series. Do also look for G.H Mumm RSRV Blanc de Noirs from the fine 2013 vintage and Lombard Brut Nature Verzenay Grand Cru from the same village. Even if Pinot Noirs dominate the blanc de noirs category, there are more and more exciting 100% Meuniers to choose from. For me, the best Meunier blanc de noirs of the tasting was Leclerc Briant Blanc de Meuniers 1er Cru.

Leclerc Briant is also increasingly excelling in single-vineyard Champagnes. Clos des Trois Clochers 2016 comes from a tiny Chardonnay vineyard next to the house’s villa in Villers-Allerand and impressed me with its vinosity and energy. I am excited to see more and more site-specific Champagnes coming to market from the grandes marques. Another standout blanc de blancs in this category was the Clos Lanson from the excellent 2008 vintage, which is gracefully maturing.

The ever-improving rosé Champagne category boasts some of the region’s ultimate wines, as seen with Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé 2012, Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2014 and Krug Rosé 27éme Èdition prestige cuvées. The title of best vintage rosé in this Report goes to Louis Roederer Rosé Vintage 2016; for non-vintage, Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve is hard to beat. Late-disgorged vintage rosés are rare finds and non-vintages even more so, and yet Gosset came up with an interesting, highly gastronomic novelty this year: 12 Ans de Cave a Minima NV, which has built its impressive gravitas over 12 years on lees.

Last but not the least, we have oaked Champagne styles, with Krug and Bollinger excelling, as expected. In addition to these usual suspects, do go for Henri Giraud MV 18 for the signature flavour of Aÿ with an added layer of spicy depth, or Alfred Gratien Brut for harmony and precision. There is much more to say about this growing trend, and I will be looking at more closely in a forthcoming feature for the website.

But for now, read on for the Champagne Report 2023 – and stay tuned over the coming weeks as I continue to dissect the trends unearthed from across these tastings.

Tasting notes and scores from Club Oenologique’s Champagne Report 2023 (featuring only those wines scoring 88 points and above) are available to all registered users of The Collection, the online home of our premium wine and spirits content. To register for free, click here. Don’t forget to consult the Grower Champagne Report 2023, for further analysis of the latest releases from the region.