Read more: The Grande Marque Champagne Report 2024

It was the producers themselves who opted for the secrecy: take the pioneering multi-vintage prestige cuvée, Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, for example. As an homage to the art of blending, Bernard de Nonancourt envisioned the perfect assemblage, bringing together wines from three consecutive Laurent-Perrier vintage years. He first crafted the blend from the 1955, 1953 and 1952 vintages, but strictly eschewed declaring the vintages that made up each edition. De Nonancourt’s word was law, and the page turned only after his passing and with the house’s bicentenary celebrations in 2012, when his daughters unveiled a special re-release from the cellar: Les Réserves Grand Siècle N° 571J. This mysteriously coded bottle (made up of 1995, 1993 and 1990 wines, they revealed) encouraged Laurent-Perrier to discreetly reveal the secrets of Grand Siècle to its drinkers. As a result, a Grand Siècle bottle first came with an iteration number in 2019.

The move came in the nick of time: today’s consumers demand transparency and value easy access to information. Thus, now we can appreciate that the sensuously toasty and fragrantly floral Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No. 26 is a blend of the vintage years 2012, 2008 and 2007. And many more technical details are now shared with those who are keen to crack the code. Equally thrillingly, there remains stock of each iteration of Grand Siècle, and every now and then Laurent-Perrier treats its fans to some majestic, late-disgorged magnums and jeroboams. In tasting for The Grande Marque Champagne Report 2024, I was swept off my feet by the magnum of Les Réserves Grand Siècle No. 20 (a blend of 1999, 1997 and 1996) – for me, it was worthy of a sky-high 99/100 points.

Krug used to carefully guard the secrets of its blends too, but with Maggie Henriquez as president, the ways eventually changed. I can remember back in 2010 when Olivier Krug had to publicly declare Grand Cuvée’s base year for the very first time. While he struggled a great deal then, he very quickly became the most avid ambassador of the Krug ID concept that enables fetching technical information on each bottle. After all, what is there to hide at Krug, a house with perfection written in its DNA? Take the strikingly expressive 2016-based Grand Cuvée 172ème Edition, where 146 carefully nurtured wines from 11 vintages between 2016 and 1998 meet – it offers layer upon layer, all in perfect harmony.

Even if mystery seemed to be the 20th century Champagne marketing tactic, there were some that dared swim against the current. Cattier had released its first Clos du Moulin back in 1955 but started stating the vintage information on the back label with the 1982/1980/1979 blend. When launching the aspirational Armand de Brignac brand in 2006, Cattier relied on the multi-vintage style once again. Yet, for reasons unknown, only its Blanc de Noirs version carries an edition number.

Champagne aficionados also appreciate the multi-vintage classics Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne MV, Palmer & Co Amazone de Palmer and Henriot Cuvée 38; However the most ambitious multi-vintage release in recent times has been Moët & Chandon ‘s Collection Impèriale. The prestige cuvée from Champagne’s mightiest house is built to impress, digging deep into the vast vintage archives of Moët. The concept has its origins in cuvée Esprit du Siècle, which blended 11 great vintages between 1900 and 1995 in celebration of the new Millennium. Collection Impèriale evolved from the short-lived MCIII prestige cuvée, offering something more elegantly vivacious and contemporary. In addition to combining wines from six different vintages between 2013 and 2000, it incorporates base wines from stainless steel and reserve wines from oak vats – even some 2004 Grand Vintage bottles are being emptied to enrich the blend. Vive l’assemblage!