Champagne – 2019 Fall Releases

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 06, 2019

Readers will find a wide range of new releases in the market this fall, everything from tiny-production Champagnes to the latest from the grandes marques. The pace of change in Champagne continues to be incredibly rapid, with new, small domaines popping up left and right while the big brands expand their ranges and increase quality. All of that makes Champagne an incredibly exciting and dynamic region to follow.

That’s the good news. But there is also some news that is worrisome. While the market is very strong for some domaines, that is not the case across the board. To be sure, many wineries of interest to Vinous readers could sell their annual production several times over. But those estates only represent a small cross-section of Champagne as a whole. The reality for most properties is not so rosy, especially in light of continued weak demand in France. One look at wine lists in top restaurants makes clear that only a subset of estates have a true share of mind, and that is a shame given the extraordinary diversity of these wines today.