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Champagne
About Champagne
Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhône Valley are the best known wine regions of France except for Champagne. This sparkling wine from the chalk slopes east of Paris is France’s best answer to a global brand. It is the drink of celebration, of success, and the best way to drown sorrows. And, unlike the still French wines, which have been successfully copied around the world, Champagne remains inimitable, despite thousands of attempts. The combination of cool climate, chalk soil and — there’s no other word for it — terroir are just so special. Like virtually every part of France, the Champagne wine region is subdivided into smaller parts, but unlike in other parts of France, those subregions rarely appear on the bottle. Although there are exceptions, like Blanc de Blancs and vintage Champagnes, most Champagnes are blends from different areas and even different vintages, using the three Champagne grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Search our Champagne wine guide’s hundreds of Champagne reviews for more details on individual wines and for our comprehensive database of Champagne ratings.
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What We're Tasting:
Possessed NV Godess Pinot Rosé (Willamette Valley)
Price
$23
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
DFJ Vinhos 2022 Grand'Arte Chardonnay Chardonnay (Lisboa)
Price
$14
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Schweiger 2021 Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Spring Mountain District)
Price
$50
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Bodegas Murviedro 2018 Sericis Cepas Viejas Bobal Bobal (Utiel-Requena)
Price
$30
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Beckstone 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills)
Price
$25
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Château Sainte Marguerite 2022 Fantastique Rosé (Côtes de Provence)
Price
$40
Points
91
What We're Tasting:
Maison Sainte Marguerite 2022 Symphonie Rosé (Côtes de Provence)
Price
$25
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
ALDI 2021 Bear Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
Price
$9
Points
88
What We're Tasting:
ALDI 2020 Exquisite Collection Chardonnay (California)
Price
$9
Points
87
What We're Tasting:
Eternal 2019 Eternal Evolution Skin Contact White White (Columbia Valley (WA))
Price
$39
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Domaine de Cala 2022 Rosé (Coteaux Varois en Provence)
Price
$18
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
OTU 2022 Otuwhero Estate Sauvignon Blanc (Awatere Valley)
Price
$19
Points
89
What We're Tasting:
Ca' del Bosco NV Cuvée Prestige 44 Edizione Extra Brut Sparkling (Franciacorta)
Price
$45
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Evening Land 2021 La Source Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills)
Price
$75
Points
96
What We're Tasting:
Evening Land 2021 Summum Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills)
Price
$100
Points
95
What We're Tasting:
Château d'Esclans 2021 Garrus Rosé (Côtes de Provence)
Price
$125
Points
93
What We're Tasting:
Esteban Martín 2019 Garnacha-Syrah-Tempranillo 6M Red (Cariñena)
Price
$16
Points
91
What We're Tasting:
Grgich Hills 2019 Miljenko's Selection Crljenak Kaštelanski Estate Grown Zinfandel (Napa Valley)
Price
$45
Points
95
What We're Tasting:
Grgich Hills 2018 Estate Grown Zinfandel (Napa Valley)
Price
$37
Points
94
What We're Tasting:
Grgich Hills 2019 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
Price
$72
Points
94
What We're Tasting:
Cà di Rajo 2021 Millesimato Rosé Brut Sparkling (Prosecco Treviso)
Price
$15
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Tyrrell's 2020 Rufus Stone Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River)
Price
$20
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Château Vignelaure 2022 Rosé (Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence)
Price
N/A
Points
93
What We're Tasting:
Monteabellón 2021 5 Meses en Barrica Tempranillo (Ribera del Duero)
Price
$21
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Dominio de Atauta 2019 La Celestina Crianza Tinto Fino (Ribera del Duero)
Price
$23
Points
94
What We're Tasting:
Bodegas Luzón 2019 Alma de Luzón Monastrell-Syrah (Jumilla)
Price
$65
Points
93
What We're Tasting:
Virtus 2019 El Sueco Tempranillo (Ribera del Duero)
Price
$63
Points
93
What We're Tasting:
Viñas Murillo 2021 Chapirete Prefiloxerico Verdejo Verdejo (Rueda)
Price
$34
Points
93
What We're Tasting:
Sanford 2020 La Rinconada Vineyard Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills)
Price
$62
Points
91
What We're Tasting:
Browne Family Vineyards 2020 Forest Project Red (Columbia Valley (WA))
Price
$21
Points
92
What We're Tasting:
Browne Family Vineyards 2022 Bitner Estate Grenache Rosé (Columbia Valley (WA))
Price
$20
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Sartori 2015 Corte Brá Red (Amarone della Valpolicella)
Price
N/A
Points
90
What We're Tasting:
Sartori 2016 Reius Red (Amarone della Valpolicella Classico)
Price
N/A
Points
89
