The most expensive wines of the year…so far! Champagne Edition

Grandes maisons on top

Their positions are increasingly contested, but the grandes maisons have held strong throughout the auctions of January to July. On top is the Plénitude P3 1971 cuvée by Dom Pérignon, closely followed by Salon’s ‘S’ cuvée in its 1996 vintage. Each of these bottles fetched over €5,000! Taking the bronze is Krug’s 1979 Clos du Mesnil, a balance de blancs that went under the hammer for €3,844. This is a podium that displays a continued desire for big names and their vintage cuvées at the very top of the range.

With the vintage effect in mind, 12 of the top 20 champagnes were bottled before 2000, and just three date from less than a decade ago. A success story for cellared fizz that shakes up its image as a party wine and nothing more. In terms of investment, it’s clear that ageing bubbly, especially from the most prestigious names, stands more than a good chance at auction.

Other properties you should jot down include Louis Roederer, Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, Egly-Ouriet, and Jacquesson. The latter two aren’t as widely known, but they certainly deserve your attention and show great promise in our Champagne ranking.

Producer Champagne holds its own

We’ve marked Jacques Selosse as a must-have producer for a while now, and the appearance of its 2008 extra-brut Premier Cru in fourth place is no surprise, the estate boasting just 9 hectares and a limited production.

On a more artisanal scale than the grandes maisons, these domains work in a different way and haven’t been able to rely on the renown of a big brand to get by. Some of the best among these are Cédric Bouchard, whose 2017 Le Creux d’Enfer fetched €1,004, Ulysse Collin, who features with the only non-vintage cuvée in the ranking, and Aurélien Lurquin, whose tiny production of bubbly Chardonnay promises some truly fine tasting moments.

Top 20 Highest Champagne Bids, 1st Semester 2022

Position Colour Lot Hammer price (750ml)
1 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Champagne Dom Pérignon P3 Plénitude 1971                                     5.828 €
2 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Cuvée S Salon 1966                                     5.580 €
3 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Clos du Mesnil Krug 1979                                     3.844 €
4 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Extra-Brut 1er Cru Millésimé Jacques Selosse 2008                                     3.782 €
5 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Cristal Louis Roederer 1959                                     1.736 €
6 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Brut Vieilles Vignes Françaises Bollinger 2000                                     1.364 €
7 Sparkling white 1 Magnum Brut Millésimé Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 1952                                      1.240 €
8 Sparkling rosé 1 Bottle Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d’Enfer Cédric Bouchard 2017                                      1.004 €
9 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Chétillons Oenothèque Pierre Peters 2002                                         682 €
10 Sparkling white 1 Magnum Brut Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1985                                         679 €
11 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Comtes de Champagne Taittinger 1976                                         645 €
12 Sparkling white 2 Bottle Ambonnay Vieilles Vignes Brut Millésimé Egly-Ouriet 2008                                         589 €
13 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Réserve Charlie Charles Heidsieck 1979                                         564 €
14 Sparkling rosé 1 Magnum Dom Ruinart Ruinart 1986                                         558 €
15 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Les Roises Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Ulysse Collin —-                                         546 €
16 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Billecart-Salmon 1996                                         521 €
17 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Chardonnay Aurélien Lurquin 2016                                         521 €
18 Sparkling white 1 Demi-Bottle Champagne Extra Quality Brut Ayala 1949                                         496 €
19 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Avize DT (Dégorgement Tardif) Jacquesson 1989                                         397 €
20 Sparkling white 1 Bottle Argonne Henri Giraud 2002                                         382 €

 

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