Top Champagne

"...Six glorious grand marque wines and six Champagnes with mouth-wateringly modest prices."

The following wines were chosen from a total of 44 submitted.



NV Champagne Heidsieck & Co Monopole Blue Top Brut

From the third Heidsieck-named house, Charles and Piper the other two, and better known than this. Light straw-green; well balanced and long; citrus blossom, Granny Smith apple, good mouthfeel and length. 89 points | $60 | Cork | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Vranken Pommery

NV Champagne Duval-Leroy Brut Réserve

A 60/30/10 per cent blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay; the full straw colour reflecting the blend, not the age. Savoury texture; good length; overdelivers, perfect balance; complex aftertaste again reflecting its pinots make up.
91 points | $70 | Cork | 12% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Vintage House Wine & Spirits

NV Champagne Pommery Brut Royal

Equal quantities of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier; encompassing 40 crus resulting in powerful texture and structure. A step up the ladder in and even style thanks to three years on tirage.
92 points | $75 | Cork | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Vranken Pommery

NV Vve Fourny & Fils Grande Réserve Vertus Premier Cru Brut

An 80/20 per cent blend of chardonnay and pinot noir; three consecutive vintages, 40 per cent reserve wines, kept in oak; disgorged January ’22, 6g/l dosage. Nailed the components to the mast: an exercise in purity and elegance – and exceptional value.
94 points | $80 | Diam | 12% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Halliday profile | De Bortoli



NV Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuis 1er Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs

Côte de blancs; 67.5 per cent 2019 vintage, 32.5 per cent reserve wines from 2010–2018; disgorged November ’21, 6g/l dosage. The flowery white blossom bouquet, and grapefruit-accented palate, keep the tradition of this style; generosity and depth.
93 points | $90 | Diam | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Negociants

NV Champagne JmSélèque Solessence Extra Brut

A 50/40/10 per cent blend of chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir; 50 per cent reserve wines; vines average 40yo; disgorged October ’21, 2g/l dosage. Striking straw-green hue; a wine very much to my personal taste as an aperitif; Meyer lemon fruit fills the long, lingering, bright finish.
94 points | $110 | Cork | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Cellarhand

2015 Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs

From Côte des Blancs, good soil moisture prevented stress from the warm and dry vintage; disgorged July ’21, low dosage of 2g/l. This is a totally delicious and fresh wine, balanced by many years on lees, and a fine line of honey within minerally acidity.
96 points | $145 | Cork | 12% alc. | Drink to 2024 | House of Fine Wine

NV Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

Composed with 30 per cent from each of pinot noir and pinot meunier, and 40 per cent chardonnay. It has 40 per cent reserve wine, and spends three years on tirage. It is the go-to rosé for wine professionals, with nuances of juicy/poached red berry fruits, yet finishes dry and fresh.
96 points | $150 | Diam | 12% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Domaine Wine Shippers



NV Champagne Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut

Equal proportions of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier; zero dosage. The absence of dosage in now way threatens the length, body or balance of a beautiful wine. Pol Roger has long been a favourite of mine, but is making even better wines across a broad range of styles.
96 points | $150 | Cork | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2024 | Negociants

2014 Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année

This classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay (61/39 per cent) is drawn from 19 crus, the base wine fermented in oak on tirage until disgorged October ’21. Superb wine, with ultimate balance between the robust pinot noir and airy freshness of the chardonnay; great length.
98 points | $270 | Cork | 12% alc. | Drink to 2024 | House of Fine Wine

2014 Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal

A 60/40 per cent blend of 100 per cent estate pinot noir and chardonnay. Despite the white glass bottle, wrapped in orange cellophane, Cristal is built to be very long lived. It utilises the oldest, lowest yielding (half the permitted yield) estate vines. The result is a wine of intense power and length.
97 points | $475 | Cork | 12% alc. | Drink to 2030 | red+white

2013 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut

Churchill drank Pol Roger – lots of it. Its cépage has never been released but it is believed to be over 60 per cent pinot noir. 2013 was a good vintage, the acidity a highlight. Here it has been the foundation of the freshness and imperious length of a very great champagne, second only to the 2008.
99 points | $480 | Cork | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Negociants


See the complete list of Top 100 wines.

Shop wines from the 2022 Top 100 at Sense of Taste.

Join us at Sydney's Campbell's Stores on November 29 to celebrate James Halliday's Top 100. Taste some of the wines crowned in the Top 100, along with other standout offerings from the wineries. Speak to the winemakers, and purchase directly from the producers. Tickets are $149 (+ booking fee) and are available from Eventbrite.

James Halliday’s Top 100 features in The Weekend Australian Magazine on November 19.

Some wines in this year's selection also feature on this site with notes by other Tasting Team members – as reviewed for Halliday Wine Companion.

Image credit: Wine Australia.

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