The Tatler Champagne Guide, curated by Master of Wine Sarah Heller, returns
Though sparkling wine options abound (Brazilian sparkling wine, anyone?), champagne remains undeniably special. If you won’t admit it, I will—and I’m hardly alone. Even Italy, the world’s largest sparkling wine producer by a significant margin, is the fifth-largest market for champagne.
To quote the endlessly quoted Madame Bollinger: “I drink champagne when I’m happy and sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am.” Or Napoleon, more succinctly: “Champagne! In victory, one deserves it; in defeat, one needs it.”
As the Tatler Dining Guide to Champagne returns for its third edition and we toast the success of the inaugural Tatler Champagne Festival, a three-day extravaganza at Two Taikoo Place, the global champagne market is not looking as bubbly as it once did. In the first half of 2024, volumes fell over 15% from 2023, which had seen an 8% decline from 2022, dipping below 300 million bottles for the first time since the pandemic.
In case you missed it: Inside the Tatler Champagne Festival 2024, a three-day celebration of the finest bubbly
Yet, whether this is good or bad news depends on your perspective. Champagne turnover reached a record €6.4 billion in 2023, driven by price increases and premiumisation in export markets. Taiwan (+44%), Singapore (+34%), and South Korea (+25%) ranked among the top five growth markets by value between 2022 and 2023, despite more modest volume increases (+26.5%, +16%, and +9.5%, respectively, according to the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne). Hong Kong also saw a 12.5% rise in value, though volume grew by just 7.5%.
Price hikes have been sharpest at the Blended NV level, with production costs rising 30–35%, a sobering reminder that a significant portion of champagne bottles were historically manufactured in Ukraine. Reflecting this, we’ve introduced a new $$$$ price category in this year’s guide.
What champagne are you drinking right now? (Photo: Unsplash / Claudio Schwarz)
On a brighter note, while champagne allocations were tight a year or two ago, shelves—both physical and virtual—are now well-stocked, often with discounts, just in time for the festive season. In tax-free Hong Kong, intriguing bargains can still be found, particularly among up-and-coming growers or lesser-known producers yet to achieve the stature of a Cédric Bouchard or Anselme Selosse. Notably, 40% of this year’s guide features new producers, primarily growers and small houses, reflecting Hong Kong’s increasingly diverse champagne market.
At the opposite end of the scale, collectable champagne, after a turbulent two years, shows signs of recovery, if not outright resurgence. It remains the best-performing wine category over the past five years, with Liv-Ex’s Champagne 50 index climbing 40.2% in that time, far outpacing Burgundy, Italy and Bordeaux. Sotheby’s first-ever champagne-only auction in June, featuring Taiwanese entrepreneur Pierre Chen’s cellar, set multiple records for magnums of 1966 Dom P3, 1990 and 1988 Salon, and 1985 Krug, with strong bidding from Southeast Asia and Europe. A quarter of buyers were under 40, and another quarter were new to Sotheby’s, demonstrating champagne’s expanding appeal among collectors.
Still, the range of truly collectable champagnes remains narrow, dominated by names such as Krug Vintage, Philipponnat Clos des Goisses, Salon, and Cristal. However, we’d argue for including a few others, such as Rare (white and rosé), Heidsieck’s Blanc des Millenaires, and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque.
Keep reading for more trends we spotted in champagne (Photo: Pexels / Tim Mossholder)
Other trends we spotted
- Ripe but balanced styles: Generous reserves, oak fermentation and longer lees ageing are paired with lower dosages to maintain freshness
- Sustainability: Organics and biodynamics are becoming the norm, even among major houses like Telmont and Ruinart
- Pinot Noir resurgence: Blanc de Noirs is gaining prominence, alongside renewed interest in Pure Meunier
- Non-classic grapes: Bollinger and Drappier are experimenting with Petit Meslier, Arbane and the hybrid Voltis
- Rosé retreat: Rosé champagne is less prominent, except in markets like Japan.
- Innovative packaging: Light-sensitive bottles are being addressed with moulded paper sleeves, popularised by Ruinart
This year’s guide is divided into three categories:
- Collectible: Rare bottles for extended cellaring
- Celebratory: Ideal for gifting or special occasions
- Culinary: Particularly well-suited to food pairings
How we did it
We selected wines from samples provided by 30 local importers (more than 120 bottles) currently available in Hong Kong, supplemented by direct submissions from producers. Wines were organised into flights by style, for instance, Blended NV or Blanc de Blancs, and tasted over three open-label sessions.
Each listing includes key technical details (grape varieties, sweetness level, time on lees) alongside my assessment of the wine’s structure, intensity, flavours, and tactile sensations. We also provide context: the wine’s origin, the people who made it, and the ideal occasion to enjoy it.
This year’s guide features 82 wines, one from each producer, showcasing the full spectrum of champagne available in Hong Kong. While the list is longer than in previous editions, we trust that you’ll find an occasion or two to indulge like Madame Bollinger and the Emperor.
THE TATLER CHAMPAGNE GUIDE 2024-2025
Thank you to our suppliers
Altaya Wines, Champagne Asia, Continental Wines, Cuvées, Deco Wines, EMW Wines, Enoteca, Fine Vintage, Ginsberg + Chan Wine Merchants Asia, Golden Gate Wines, Jebsen Fine Wines, Kedington Wines, Kerry Wines, L’Imperatrice, La Cabane à Vin, Liber Wines, Links Concept, Moët Hennessy Diageo Hong Kong, Northeast Wines and Spirits, Omtis Fine Wines, One Red Dot Fine Wines, Pernod Ricard, Ponti Wine Cellars, Summergate Fine Wines & Spirits, Telford Wine, The Fine Wine Experience, Vero Concept, Watson’s Wine.
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