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.

Moreover, Champagne is one of the regions in the world that has thus far benefitted from climate change. The last vintage that can be said to have been truly difficult is 2011. After that, Champagne has experienced a series of mostly strong vintages. To be sure, each year has its challenges and weather conditions can be highly localized, but the simple reality is that winemakers today have more opportunities to make good to great wines than their parents had just a generation ago.

Cédric Bouchard’s collection of older vintages, Landreville

A much more recent development is the threat of a new round of tariffs in the United States that could impose a tax of up to 100% on Champagne. Such a tariff, if enacted, would essentially be a Death Tax for growers. The large houses have enough volume and the infrastructure to shift 6-12 months of product, maybe more, to the US ahead of tariffs going into effect. Small houses, of course, don’t have that luxury. All of that would mean far less choice for the consumer.

I continue to believe that Champagne is one of the last regions in the Old World where readers can find artisan, handmade wines that are still affordable. Many of those domaines are reviewed here. As always, our fall article represents the second half of our annual Champagne coverage. Readers will find many more estates and wines profiled in my article The 2019 Champagne Summer Preview. I tasted all of the wines in this article from July-November 2019. Regrettably, a few estates I follow are missing from this report purely because of logistical reasons. I will add reviews for those wines as soon as possible.

The Do Not Miss Champagnes of 2019

These are some of the most memorable Champagnes I tasted in 2019. They aren't necessarily the highest scoring wines, but those that left the deepest impression. To keep the list manageable, I limited selections to one wine per estate.

The Best Buys of 2019

Champagne does not have to be ultra-expensive to be great. These are my favorite Champagnes under $60. I would be thrilled to drink any of them any day of the week.

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Champagne: 2017 New Releases, Antonio Galloni, December 2017