Champagne’s Golden Age

Too often relegated to just special occasions and celebrations, Champagne is capable of myriad styles that make it extremely versatile at the dinner table. Properly cared for, the best Champagnes can age effortlessly for many years and decades while developing extraordinary complexity in bottle, which places them in rarified company among the world's great wines. Most observers would probably say that either the 1960s or 1970s were Champagne’s Golden Age. To be sure, both decades include a number of stunning vintages. But I think Champagne’s Golden Age is right now. New estates seem to pop up every year as long-term fruit contracts expire and growers decide to make wines under their own names, continuing a trend towards estate-bottled wines that began in the early 1980s.

Among other things, today’s young growers are increasingly focused on exploring the subject of terroir – the idea that a wine reflects its origins – that it so central to the wine culture in many regions around the world. The grandes marques, Champagne’s big guns, have become more stratified, with a number of houses that are distinguishing themselves from the masses with truly remarkable wines. In short, there has never been a more rewarding time to explore all that Champagne has to offer. This article covers the most recent crop of new releases. Readers may also want to take a look at the rest of our 2015 Champagne coverage, which is our most comprehensive ever.

This recent bottle of Moët & Chandon’s
1947 Brut Imp