The 7 Levels of Champagne

That $60 Veuve Clicquot on your grocery store shelf? That’s just Level 1. There are seven levels of Champagne, and I’m taking you all the way to the top—from $20 Kirkland to bottles recovered from shipwrecks that sell for $100,000+.

I’m breaking down exactly what you’re paying for as you climb the champagne ladder: Level 1 non-vintage blends, Level 2 grower champagnes from single villages, Level 3 vintage declarations from exceptional years, Level 4 prestige cuvées like Dom Pérignon and Cristal, Level 5 late-disgorged bottles aged an extra decade, Level 6 library releases from legendary vintages, and Level 7 historical artifacts that are basically time machines in bottles.

Plus I’m giving you three killer value picks including why Kirkland champagne is a total no-brainer, which $50 grower champagne wine nerds love, and the $85 bottle critics call “Baby Krug.”

I’m Dustin, and I’ve tasted thousands of wines—my mission is to make wine accessible and fun for everyone by cutting through the snobbery and complication with honest, helpful reviews for non-wine people.

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Level 1: Non-Vintage Champagne
Kirkland Signature Champagne (Costco)
Moët & Chandon http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/APJYjo
Veuve Clicquot “Yellow Label” http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/VxqjNO

Level 2: Grower Champagne
Pierre Péters “Cuvée de Réserve”
Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/WymPNA

Level 3: Vintage Champagne
Pol Roger Brut Vintage http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/EEoYy2
Bollinger La Grande Année http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/YRQkNP

Level 4: Prestige Cuvée
Dom Pérignon http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/2axBd7
Louis Roederer Cristal http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/4GQBEn

Level 5: Late-Disgorged / Extended-Aging Cuvée
Dom Pérignon P2 http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/dO1qGj
Bollinger R.D. http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/7ajBMg

Level 6: Oenothèque / Library Release
1990 Krug Collection http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/mOWkGM
1996 Dom Pérignon P3

Level 7: The Historical Artifact Bottle
1907 Heidsieck (Shipwrecked)
170-year-old Veuve Clicquot (Shipwrecked)

Best Values Champagne
Gaston Chiquet http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/qzbGyY
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/DyXM32

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00:00:00 Intro
00:02:30 LEVEL 1: Non-Vintage Champagne
00:03:02 LEVEL 2: Grower Champagne
00:04:17 LEVEL 3: Vintage Champagne
00:05:23 LEVEL 4: Prestige Cuvée
00:06:41 LEVEL 5: Late-Disgorged / Extended-Aging Cuvée
00:08:12 LEVEL 6: Oenothèque / Library Release
00:09:35 LEVEL 7: The Historical Artifact Bottle (Auction-Only)
00:10:30 Best Values in Champagne

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