This is the fourth in a series of articles when I look back on the year that was 2024. Once again, I tasted over 1,000 wines in the previous twelve months, which boggles my mind a bit since that averages out to about three a day. As I contemplate the state of my liver, I also like to reflect on the top wines that I was fortunate enough to taste over the course of the year. Here, I present the best champagnes I tasted in 2024.

The first two wines come from the remarkable 2008 vintage, regarded by most as one of the best vintages ever in Champagne, and certainly the best since the equally lauded 1996. Whenever I see a bottle of 2008, pretty much regardless of the producer, I try to buy it, they are that good.

2008 Boizel Champagne Grand Vintage, France: Retail $80. 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir. I purchased three bottles of this wine from Garagiste for a little over $70/bottle two and a half years ago and this was the first we’ve opened. Fantastic. Yes, 2008 was a phenomenal year in Champagne and Boizel is a fine producer, but still, this is top-notch. A deep straw color with magnificent aromas of bruised golden delicious apple, almond croissant, marzipan, and even a hint of orange rind all characterize the nose. The palate is equally complex and enticing with the fruit and acidity in harmony allowing the yeastiness to come through. Perhaps even more remarkable is the finish, which is not only long but also rich, layered, and complex. A superb wine. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2008 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Special Club, France: Retail $115. Restaurant $145. Extremely Heavy Bottle (888g; 31.2oz).70% Pinot Noir. 30% Chardonnay. It was our anniversary and we were at a favorite restaurant with a fantastic wine list (featuring champagne, naturally). We had ordered a NV Blanc de Noirs but after further perusal of the list, I noticed this wine. 2008 was an amazing year in Champagne and so when I saw this? Yeah. Giddy-up. Deep straw, on the verge of golden in the glass with a ton of brioche-like elements. Whoa. The palate is far richer than the nose did portend, with rich, baked apple, plenty of tartness, and a rich, slightly oxidived, oaken glass of Champagne loveliness. Whoa. Holy Cow. And load up. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2011 Michel Gonet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, France: Retail $75. Extremely Heavy Bottle (849g; 29.9oz). 100% Chardonnay. Lieu Dit: Les Haute Moltes. I bought six bottles of this wine from Last Bottle Wines back in 2017 for $39 and this is the first I’ve popped. Medium straw color with an incredibly rich nose of caramelized apple, fresh croissant, and a whole lot of verve. Whoa. The palate is tart, even on the verge of austere, which is surprising (but lovely) given that this is labeled as a Brut. Great fruit, killer acidity, and a finish that lasts well into the next sip, this is what you want from a Grand Cru BdB. While 2011 was not a great year by any measure, I am going to try to hold onto the other five bottles for a while as I believe this will age beautifully. Outstanding. 95 Points.

Before Mailly Grand Cru became our favorite producer (see below), there was Gosset. While considerably more difficult to find on a regular basis, the venerable house (it’s the oldest producer in Champagne, founded in 1584 in Aÿ) has permanent residence in my heart. The Celebris is their Tête du Cuvée (top wine).

2007 Gosset Champagne Celebris Rosé, France: Retail $250. Obscenely Heavy Bottle (1024g; 36oz). Mostly Chardonnay with Pinot Noir blended for color. Nearly orange in the glass with a fantastic yeasty, strawberry nose. Extremely Dry (Extra Brut) with fantastic cherry fruit and a driving acidity. Older rosé champers sometimes has a rough time, but this is still doing quite well. Outstanding. 94 Points. 

2015 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime, France: Retail $120. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (1048g; 36.9oz). 59% Pinot Noir, 41% Chardonnay. Near golden in the glass with plenty of ripe apple and peach with touches of baked croissant. On the palate, the first impression is the fervent sparkle, next the zingy tartness, and then the rather intense fruit (golden apple, Bosc pear). There is also a boatload of that autolytic aspect that so many (including me) seek out in sparkling wine and champagne. I have been a fan of Gosset for some time; I frequently listed the house’s Grand Réserve at the top of my list of favorite non-vintage champagnes. This, when I saw this pop up on Last Bubbles, I had to buy a few bottles. If it comes up again, I will certainly buy more. Outstanding. 95 Points.

Ah, Mailly. I have written more about this producer than perhaps any other, foreign or domestic (although Clos Pepe and Tongue Dancer must be close). We love the wines, only available at Total Wine in the U.S. Sure, the prices have crept up since we first started buying it (I “discovered” them while leading bike trips in the region way back when), but that did not stop us from naming our beloved puppy “Mailly”.

1997 Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Magnum Collection Brut, France: Retail (magnum) $225. 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay. We received this magnum as a gift back in the summer of 2018 from some dear friends who were moving to Kuala Lumpur and we held on to it until they returned, which was tonight. I have waxed (hopefully poetically) about my love for the brand multiple times here and I remain steadfast in my appreciation for these wines. But. This is on another level. Golden in the glass with oodles of citrus and yeasty notes, this 26-year-old wine is certainly showing its age in the most positive way possible (and that is a very good thing). The palate is tart, yes, but also complex and layered with baked apple and a delicious brioche component. Whoa. Look. I love vintage champagne, and I love aged champagne even more. Give me an aged vintage champagne?? Yeah. Off the hook. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2000 Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée les Echansons, France: Retail $125? Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (903g; 31.8oz). 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. I have been a fan of this co-op for I have no idea how long and this is their top-of-the-line cuvée. OK. Make no mistake: this is an old champagne, even really old. And old champagnes are not for everyone, which I realize is super-snob, but here we are. Fairly dark to dark in the glass with plenty of caramel and toasted notes on the nose. Whoa. The palate? More old champagne, and boy is it incredible. Caramelized granny smith apple (think Tarte Tatin) with an intense tartness and impeccable balance. But the most remarkable aspect? The finish, which lasts for. ev. er. Yeah, this is why you hold onto vintage champagne. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

2004 Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Exception Blanche, France: Retail $125. Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (883g; 31.1oz). 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay. When I visited the winery back in 2017, Xavier Millard, who would become the CEO of the brand, gave me a few bottles, including this one, to try at home. Yowza. Golden color with an amazing nose of lime, golden delicious apple, and oodles of yeastiness that I just love. The palate is fantastic. Quite dry with the brioche/croissant element at the fore from the jump. It is buoyed by lovely apple and pear fruit and a crisp, zingy acidity. The finish, however, is likely the most remarkable aspect of this incredible wine, as it lasts for several minutes. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2002 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut, France: Retail $165. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (920g; 2lbs 0.4oz). 66% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir. I drink a ton of champagne. A. Ton. But. I do not drink much prestige champagne since, well, it’s really expensive. Case in point. I have a bit of a history (but far from extensive) with Pommery’s top wine, more than any other? But this is my first 2002. Yeah, a lot to unpack there. What needs no unpacking? This is spectacular. Whoa. Yellow, and well on the way to golden in the glass, with a nutty mélange of citrus rind and yeasty goodness. Whoa. A surprisingly vibrant sparkle on the palate with an equally surprising tartness that smacks the lips in joyful engagement. A word salad meaning this is damned good from the jump. Smoky, yeasty, tart, engaging, holy cow and my goodness, this is tasty. And likely still young. Another ten years, easy. Outstanding. 96 Points.

Not the 2002, but…whoa.

2010 Bernard Remy Champagne Brut Millésimé, France: Retail $75(?). 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir (?). I bought these way back in November 2016 from Last Bottle Wines and they have remained in my cellar since. My wife told me just tonight that she has a medical procedure tomorrow (which is totally routine, but…) and she is a bit worried about it. So she requested a vintage champagne before or in case, well, you know. Since I know everything is going to be completely fine, I pulled this wine instead of, well, a “last supper” kinda wine since, well… And this is fabulous. Dark straw, on the verge of yellow (but short of golden) in the glass with intense aromas of baking croissant and bruised yellow apple. Whoa. The palate is even more enticing with oodles of apple, plenty of tartness, and an oaky, yeasty component that lingers for days. Yowza. While she had worried that we had waited too long to pop this, I worried about something else entirely. Outstanding. 94 Points.

Kind of a typical Tuesday, chez nous (or is it Thursday?). Filled with champagne? Likely.

2017 Goulin Roualet Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Sous Bois, France: Retail $130. Extremely Heavy Bottle (890g; 31.3oz). 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. Vinified and aged in oak barrels. There was a time, not too terribly long ago, that all wines made in champagne were vinified and aged in oak. The advent of the stainless steel, temperature-controlled tank changed all of that, however, as the vinification process could be more regulated and measured. There are a few outliers that remain, however, so when I saw this pop up on Last Bubbles for $65, I jumped even though it was quite a bit above my comfort zone price-wise. Well. No complaints here. At all. Past yellow and on to golden in color with a fine and fervent sparkle in the glass. The nose is shy, but mostly tree fruit, a touch of nutty oxidation, and plenty of yeasty autolytic goodness. Yowza. Tart, nutty, yeasty, and loaded with a baked apple vibe, this is pretty gangbusters. The palate is complex, layered, and loaded with depth, this wine lasts for-close-to-ever on the palate and that is a good thing. A very good thing. Whoa. Outstanding. 95 Points.

Champagne of the Year:

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Iteration 23 Grande Cuvée, France: From Magnum. Retail $550 (magnum). I was invited to the Second Annual Fête du Champagne here in Houston and while it was just the second table I visited, Laurent Perrier’s Grand Siècle Itération No. 23 (from magnum) turned out, at least for me, to be the best wine at the tasting and, consequently, of the year. A blend of the 2002, 2004, and 2006 vintages, and aged for 16 years on the lees. This comes really close to being the “perfect” champagne. Whoa. Still light and elegant but layered and profound with one of the longest finishes I’ve ever experienced in a champagne. Extraordinary. 99 Points. Warning: it is a bit pricey at ~$550 and only sold in magnums.

While all the wines were certainly fantastic, perhaps the highlight of the Fête du Champagne for me was the chance to meet and chat a bit with Peter Liem, cofounder of La Fête and the preeminent American Champagne expert.