What's the Rarest Champagne?

Some bottles of Champagne, sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike, are hard to find because of low yields and limited edition cuvées. So what is the rarest Champagne? Vinatis will shed light on the matter!

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Dom Pérignon

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Why some Champagnes are so rare: the secrets

Whether it's to celebrate a special event or simply for the pleasure of tasting this effervescent nectar, Champagne is the perfect partner for all occasions. While some cuvées are easier to find, others are much rarer. There are various reasons for this rarity, such as the prestige of the cuvée, limited production, the particularly high cost of Champagne or the brand.

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Prestige cuvées, reflecting the excellence of the Champagne Houses' expertise

Reflecting the irreproachable expertise of the Champagne Houses, but also the excellence of a terroir, the prestige cuvées are precious nectars. These elixirs generally come from the first press after the first juices from the press have been eliminated. Also known as "cuvée spéciale" or "tête de cuvée", prestige Champagne, whether vintage or not, is only produced in small quantities, hence its rarity.

All the Champagne Houses, as well as the independent winegrowers, have a prestige cuvée in their range: Dom Ruinart from Ruinart, Cristal from Louis Roederer, Grand Cru from Mumm, etc. However, each brand has its own manufacturing secrets (rigorous selection of prestigious plots, vinification under wood, meticulous selection of disgorging liqueurs, etc.).

Some houses also choose to offer only rare vintages, the fruit of singular and atypical years. Of exceptional quality, the cuvée de prestige is the result of long ageing in the cellar, guaranteeing slow maturation of the nectar.

Dom Pérignon x Lady Gaga, Jéroboam Blancs de Blancs Ruinart by Eva Jospin... limited edition nectars

Combining luxury and rarity, the limited editions reinvent the most emblematic cuvées with elegance and originality. Every year, the Champagne Houses compete in boldness and creativity to create veritable works of art. These unique bottles are the talk of the town, and only a handful are produced, making them particularly rare. Bottles to give as gifts or to collect!

Cuvées with a high price tag

Some Champagnes are hard to find because production is so limited and so expensive. The taste of these cuvées, characterised by exceptional aromatic complexity, is undoubtedly fine, elegant and harmonious. But their bottles are also highly prized. Handcrafted with remarkable skill, these bottles are often the result of real patient work. They may be large or covered in gold or other precious materials, which automatically impacts their price, hence their rarity.

Quality Champagnes in small quantities from small producers

Some Champagnes are rare and hard to find, as they are produced in small quantities by individual growers. While we are mostly familiar with the big Champagne houses, there are also small producers whose champagnes are real gems.

Spread over the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Bar, the owner-harvesters, who are generally family-run businesses, have complete control over the production process for their Champagnes. They generally work small plots of land with meticulous care, enabling them to offer cuvées of impeccable quality, albeit in small quantities.

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What is the name of the most expensive Champagne in the world?

As the star drink of major events and festivities, Champagne is often seen as a symbol of opulence, high status and prestige. While most cuvées are affordable and accessible to the greatest number, others are sold at astronomical prices. Rare Champagnes attract the interest of connoisseurs, enthusiasts and collectors alike!

With a price tag of $2.07 million, Goût de Diamants 2013 Champagne (an English brand, but Champagne AOC) is the most expensive and luxurious Champagne in the world. The price is justified by its blend of prestigious wines: a Grand Cru Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Meunier. Its 18-carat white gold label adorned with a 19-carat white diamond is also what makes this Champagne so precious and expensive. As well as the Taste of Diamonds 2013, other champagnes are among the rarest on the market at a staggering price:

Armand de Brignac Rosé 30 litres Midas 2013: produced in a limited series, this gigantic bottle, adorned with a label featuring the brand's emblem in relief, is selling for $275,000, or around £220,000.
Juglar Cuvée 1820: from the House of Juglar, a bottle of this Champagne was sold for $43,500. It was one of 168 Champagnes, including three Veuve Clicquot 1841 cuvées, found in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea by Swedish divers in 2010.

Collection Krug 1928: considered to be one of the greatest Champagnes ever produced, this cuvée was born of an ideal harvest in 1928. Priced at $21,200, this precious nectar boasts a fermented vintage.
Mathusalem Louis Roederer Cristal Brut de 1990, cuvée millénium: produced in 2000 bottles to celebrate the millennium, this 6-litre bottle is sold at a price of up to $18,800.

Vintage Champagne

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Champagne Dom Perignon

Dom Pérignon, an exceptional brand

Once the prestige cuvée of Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon is now a brand in its own right. Named after the illustrious monk Dom Pierre Pérignon, Procurator of Hautvillers Abbey, this is certainly the world's best-known Champagne. Present on the most prestigious tables and at major social events, this nectar is synonymous with luxury and prestige.

A Champagne that only exists in vintage form

An exceptional brand, Dom Pérignon is distinguished by the ancestral know-how cultivated and passed down by generations of the House's cellar masters to produce Champagne of impeccable quality. The process of creating Dom Pérignon Champagnes, whose fundamental principles are enshrined in the Manifesto, is carried out with meticulous precision. Vincent Chaperon, the current cellar master who succeeded Richard Geoffroy, is committed to perpetuating the House's creative ambition of a constantly renewed quest for harmony. One of the house's fundamental principles is its absolute commitment to vintages. Champagne Dom Pérignon wines are only produced in the best years. If cellar master Vincent Chaperon judges that the year is not up to the house's expectations, there will simply be no vintage Champagne that year. Blending, the founding principle of the brand's style, and the complexity of the nectar, the fruit of slow maturation, are other fundamental principles in the making of Dom Pérignon Champagne.

How much do the world's rarest and most expensive bottles of Dom Pérignon Champagne cost?

Dom Pérignon is reputed to be one of the most expensive Champagne brands on the market. On average, the price of a recent vintage starts at £200. However, older vintages and special editions are much more expensive, not least because of their rarity.

Here are some of the Dom Pérignon nectars that are among the most expensive and rare Champagnes in the world:

Dom Pérignon Or Rose Mathusalem 1996: for a long time, this pink-coloured nectar with aromatic, smoky accents was the most expensive Champagne available in British bars. Priced at $49,000, this rare Champagne is a limited edition, produced in just 35 bottles. The 6-litre bottle is distinguished by its rose gold casing and gold-encrusted vintage logo.
Dom Pérignon Or Blanc Brut Jéroboam 1995: a true masterpiece, the Dom Pérignon Or Blanc Jeroboam was sold at auction for $40,000. With its glamorous, sophisticated design, this 3-litre edition is finished in white gold with a laser-engraved Dom Pérignon label. Produced in 1995, this golden-coloured Champagne reveals notes of peach, preserved lemon and cashew nuts, evolving towards aromas of vanilla, white pepper and toasted brioche.
Dom Pérignon Rosé par David Lynch 1998: at just over $11,000, Dom Pérignon Rosé by David Lynch, the famous film director, is one of the most expensive Champagnes in the world. Produced in only 10 jeroboam bottles, this cuvée is particularly rare and precious. Offering aromas of orange peel, dried fruit and flowers, this 1998 vintage reveals a voluminous texture and a perfectly balanced structure.

Why is Dom Pérignon so expensive?

The House of Dom Pérignon, whose philosophy is the quest for the ultimate perfection of Champagne, produces prestige cuvées of exceptional quality. Only the best grapes from the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus of Champagne are used to make these Champagnes. The wines are then matured in the cellar for at least 8 years, guaranteeing a high level of quality. This prolonged ageing process enhances the complexity of the Champagnes, giving them added value. Its limited production also undeniably increases its price. Indeed, since the creation of Dom Pérignon Champagne in 1921, this famous house has only produced 46 vintages.

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A story inspired by the monk Dom Pérignon

The history of the Dom Pérignon brand, now part of the luxury goods group LVMH, is closely linked to that of the monk Dom Pierre Pérignon, a native of Sainte-Menehould and contemporary of Louis XIV. Cellarer at Hautvillers Abbey, built by Saint-Nivard, Archbishop of Reims, Dom Procureur is renowned for having helped the monastery's vineyards to flourish. Dom Pierre Pérignon succeeded in increasing the estate from around ten hectares of vines to around 25 hectares.

Dedicating more than 40 years of his life to the creation of Champagne, this Benedictine monk, endowed with a great sensitivity for taste, was also known for his ambition to create the best wine in the world. In particular, he laid the foundations for the vinification of Champagne sparkling wines: blends of grapes from different crus and grape varieties, gentle and fractional pressing, white wines from black grape varieties, etc. Techniques that considerably improved the quality of the wines from Hautvillers Abbey!

Although there are no written documents to prove it, legend has it that this monk, considered to be the "spiritual father of Champagne", invented the Champagne winemaking method. Today, Dom Pérignon's legacy is perpetuated by cellar master Vincent Chaperon, successor to Richard Geoffroy, an oenologist and doctor of medicine, since 2019.

Which Dom Pérignon Champagne should I buy: Dom Pérignon Vintage, Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage or Dom Pérignon P2?

Whether you want to add to your collection of exceptional champagnes or give a top-of-the-range gift to a Champagne lover, a bottle of Dom Pérignon will be perfect. Vinatis offers a range of cuvées from this prestigious house, allowing you to discover the expression of an exceptional year:

Dom Pérignon Vintage: this cuvée represents the first phase of "Plénitudes", a concept created by Richard Geoffroy to elevate Champagne to a new peak of expression in three stages. It only leaves the cellars of the house after ageing for at least eight years. Dom Pérignon Vintage then reveals perfect harmony and optimum balance.
Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage: much rarer than Dom Pérignon Vintage, Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage develops slowly in the cellars of the House of Dom Pérignon over a period of almost 12 years. Representing the boldness and creativity of the cellar master, this Champagne has an intense, clear colour with coppery highlights. With its vinous structure, this elixir combines the freshness of fruit with the depth of a fine red wine.
Dom Pérignon P2: the code P2 means that the Champagne has reached its second plenitude. Embodying the energy of metamorphosis, Dom Pérignon P2 comes to light after 12 to 15 years of cellaring. As a result of this very long maturation, the wine reaching its second fullness is a rare and exceptional Champagne.