I have a 600ish bottle cellar (almost exclusively bordeaux). A couple years back i started buying vintage champagne. I feel like i am stuck in high price prison----where as in boardeaux i was able to find relative values to cellar for 15-20 years. Where (names) are the true value vintage champagnes for 15-20 year cellaring? Thanks
Dom Ruinart.
Fleur de Passion, Les Chetillons, Pascal Doquet’s Le Mesnil Vintage, Vieilles Vignes du Levant
Whoah … already it’s obvious we need to define what price range we’re talking.
Doquet is a good suggestion. Comtes de Champagne is excellent value amongst the grandes marques. Unless it’s a vintage champagne with a good track record ($100+), generally I’m buying NV at around $40 that needs less time in the cellar than something around $80 that needs a decade. Then again, I’m not trying to broadly explore the region, so that’s just imo.
08 Dom Perignon
2008 Dom PĂ©rignon
2008 Cristal
2008 Coeur de Cuvee
2008 Chetillons
2004 Krug
2008 Fleur de Passion
2008 Winston
2008 Clos des Goisses
When i said “value” and you said “krug” ----I laughed.
You said relative value. 2004 Krug is ~225 a bottle while 1988 krug is ~800 a bottle.
Good pick up 
John,
How do you define “value”? Your answer will help guide others’ suggestions.
Are there vintage cellar worthy champagnes less than $80ish. Or in bordeaux terms what is the equivalent of sociando in champagne?
Vintage veuve, for now. Maybe Vilmart gcdo
I haven’t had any older ones, but I recently noticed that Terry Theise wrote about having a couple of Pierre Gimonnet Cuvee Fleurons from the '60s and '70s that had aged well. I’m not surprised. There’s one under $100 that I would nominate. Also, really, Krug NV. It’s a lot cheaper than their vintage bottlings and apparently ages great. I’d be surprised if there were many Champagnes that are under $100 that wouldn’t be past peak at 15-20 years, but maybe Brad Baker or Ray will chime in and tell me I’m wrong (I very well might be). I think if you said 7-10 years you’d have a lot more good candidates in the price range you seem to be looking for. By the way, what price range are you looking for?
Why Fleur de Passion? Sold Diebolt Vallois for years, but it’s probably been a decade and I never considered it a 20 year wine although I always enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing.
Right at $80, I like R.L. Legras Cuvee St. Vincent. I loved the 1996 vintage at 19 yo.
Had a 96 recently which was great.
Taittinger 2008 Vintage Brut, but I’d pay up another $40 to $50 for Comte de Champagne 2006. Henriot Vintage Brut is another.
20 years is a lot to ask if you’re counting from release that is a wine that has been around 30+ years.
Good call on st vincent
Interesting call on th NV Krug. Never considered!