You don't need a special occasion to enjoy the best Champagnes, but they certainly make any event more festive. Bubbles are for nearly every occasion, and they go with almost anything. So, whether you're trying to jazz up your night in with takeout and bubbles, or you're going all out for a big celebration, these top Champagne picks will strike the perfect note.
Our Top Champagne Picks
Take a quick glance at the list of top picks if you're in a hurry, or scroll down for a more in-depth look at each of these sparkling choices.
- Best Overall: Bollinger "La Grande Annee" 2012
- Best Vintage: Dom Pérignon 2010
- Best Value: Jacquart Brut Mosaique
- Best Inexpensive: Piper-Heidsieck NV Cuvée Brut
- Best NV: Krug Grande Cuvée
- Best Rosé: Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé
- Best Blanc de Blancs: Chartogne-Taillet, Blanc de Blancs "Cuvée Heurtebise" 2016
- Best Blanc de Noirs: Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne "Les Ursules" Blanc de Noirs 2016
- Best Sweet: Pol-Roger Rich Demi Sec
- Best for Cocktails: Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée"
- Best Gift: Bollinger Special Cuvée NV
- Best Extravagant Gift: Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut
1. Bollinger "La Grande Annee" 2012: The Top Pick
Bollinger is one of France's top Champagne houses, and its crisp and delicious vintage brut, La Grand Anée, is the perfect example of how they've managed to stay on top of the game. The bottle comes at a cost - about $180 - but it makes memorable bubbles. It's a toasty, dry Champagne with hazelnut, apricot, and almond notes and a subtle honey tinge. Chill the glasses while you head to the store for a bottle.
2. Dom Pérignon 2010: Top Vintage
Vintage after vintage, Dom Pérignon is a consistently good Champagne in addition to being a well-known name around the world. Expect to pay around $300 for a bottle. The 2010 vintage was definitely something special - it's a finessed wine coming from a difficult weather year that's a testament to the skill of the winemakers. If you enjoy a vintage Champagne with a little spice, this is the bubbly for you.
3. Jacquart Brut Mosaique: MVP in Value
Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV Champagne is proof positive you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to enjoy a very good bottle of Champagne. It's bright, zippy, and thoroughly enjoyable. At under $40 a bottle for a highly-rated Champagne (Decanter awarded it 90 points), it's a top value as well. Bottoms up!
4. Piper-Heidsieck NV Cuvée Brut: Inexpensive Yet Tasty
Any time you can find a good French Champagne under $50 per bottle, you're doing well. And the NV Cuvée Brut from Piper-Heidsieck is not only a great value, but it's also a spectacular Champagne. In fact, it made Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2019 for its lively, fruit-forward flavors and fine, fizzy bubbles, earning it 92 points.
5. Krug Grande Cuvée: Envy of the NV
Krug's Champagnes are always something interesting and special, and their NV Grande Cuvée shows the style and finesse that characterizes all of their wines. It'll cost around $140 for a half bottle, but it's a small price to pay for these beautiful sparkles. It's toasty and layered with notes of apples and pears. This is a beautiful Champagne worth every penny.
6. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé: Pop the Rosé All Day!
You'll enjoy a crisp rosé with hints of apples, berries, and grapefruit, a soft pink color, and a fine mist of bubbles in the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. You can't brut rosé all day if you don't start in the morning. It'll cost around $100.
7. Chartogne-Taillet, Blanc de Blancs "Cuvée Heurtebise" 2016: Buttery Bubbles
Nothing beats a glass of buttery wine. Unless it has bubbles. Organic and unoaked, this is a lively all-chardonnay Champagne with bright acidity and crisp, fresh notes of citrus and mineral. A bottle of Cuvée Heurtebise runs around $100, so don't miss out!
8. Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne "Les Ursules" Blanc de Noirs 2016: Red, White, and Bubbles
Citrus, tree fruits, beeswax, and toast: these are the flavors that characterize this all-pinot noir Champagne. It's a treat for the senses. A bottle will cost around $300, but Wine Advocate awards it 96 points and Cellar Tracker gives it a 94. Pop the cork and try a sip.
9. Pol-Roger Rich Demi Sec: For the Sweet Tooth
If you prefer your bubbly a bit on the sweeter side, then this demi-sec from Pol-Roger is perfect for you. Whether you sip it with dessert or drink it as dessert, this is a round, fruity, well-balanced wine with sweetness and acidity. Grab yourself a bottle for around $150 and make a suite, sweet night of it with a staycation.
10. Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée": Top Off With Bubbles
The trick to a good cocktail Champagne is that it's something you'd drink by itself that isn't breathtakingly expensive. It's also best if it has a clean, classic flavor profile. Laurent-Perrier's "La Cuvée" NV hits on all counts, making it perfect for your next mimosa or French 75. Best part? A bottle costs around $55, making it the most versatile and valuable bottle you can have on hand.
11. Bollinger Special Cuvée NV: A Gift From Me to You
The Bollinger Special Cuvée NV is a highly-rated Champagne at a really good price. So, when you give it as a gift, it definitely has the "something special" vibe without you needing to empty your wallet. It's the perfect, delicious, special occasion gift - it even has "special" in the name. It'll cost about $80, and you know they'll think of you with every sip. It's the gift that keeps on sipping.
12. Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut 2012: A Gift From Me to You, but With Emphasis
If you'd like a gift that looks, feels, and tastes extravagant, then the Belle Epoque is perfect, ringing in at about $180. The beautiful hand-painted floral bottle is instantly recognizable as an iconic luxury Champagne brand. It turns the bottle into a work of art, so not only can the receivers drink the art, but they can display it, too. The Champagne it contains is also something special. So, celebrate the Belle Epoque - the beautiful age - with a distinctive and beautiful gift.
Pop the Bubbles With These 5-Star Champanges
Get out your glass and pop the bottle to give any night (or day!) a celebratory mood. Tickle your palate with bubbles as you sip any of these enticing French Champagnes and have a bubbly good time.
