The Champagne Chick

23/12/2025

Champagne actually solves most of my problems, thank you 🍾🥂

23/12/2025

What?!?

The world's first Champagne-style French sparkler that skips the booze, not the fun. What will the French think!??

23/12/2025

A taste of Paris arrives in South Africa.

Ladurée opens its doors at the V&A Waterfront, bringing its iconic macarons, timeless elegance, and the art of French pâtisserie to Cape Town.

📍 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town (Opposite Charles Greig Jewellers)

23/12/2025

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/12/non-vintage-is-putting-together-a-puzzle-says-champagne-lallier/

A Rosé has joined the Réflexion collection by Champagne Lallier, as its cellar master finds new ways to express its vintages and terroirs.

22/12/2025

Last night’s beautiful bottle of Champagne Michel Genet

22/12/2025

Rock solid dieting advice if you ask me 🍾

22/12/2025

https://www.decanter.com/premium/blanc-de-noirs-champagne-panel-tasting-results-572376/

The ideal choice for any celebratory meal, these blanc de noirs Champagnes are made in a great range of styles, meaning plenty of inspiration.

22/12/2025

https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/champagne-moutard-arbane-1237414002/

Champagne Moutard 2013 Cuvee des 6 Cepages explores rare grapes from the region known primarily for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

21/12/2025

https://harpersbazaar.com.au/champagne-bollinger-summer-entertaining/

Hosting this summer? Champagne Bollinger offers a considered approach to entertaining, with bottles to suit every kind of gathering.

20/12/2025

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20/12/2025

Following on my champagne dilemma where some of my special bottles had reached the stage where it was drink them now or possibly be left with the disaster of having to pour them away, I came up with a format of choosing which sequence to drink them in … and it’s a simple one. I decided to drink them in alphabetical order.

We drank A, and next up was B … and this is a good one. Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart Brut 2002 … told you it was a special one!

First created in 1964 as a tribute to the House’s founder, this cuvée really shines in the 2002 vintage, widely regarded as one of Champagne’s standout years. It’s regularly showered with praise, including an impressive 99 points from Tyson Stelzer. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and Grande Vallée de la Marne, paired with 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs Grand and Premier Crus. About 20% is vinified in oak, with a restrained dosage of 4g/L.

In the glass, it delivers layered notes of peach, citrus, brioche and honey, backed by beautiful structure, chalky minerality and a long, elegant finish. It’s a Champagne with serious aging potential and is widely considered one of the very best releases of the vintage.

If you’re lucky enough to track down a bottle, expect to pay somewhere around $200–250, and honestly, if you see one, grab it. For us, though, we may have held onto this just a touch too long. That said, the magic was still very much there, and you could absolutely appreciate the finesse and complexity that make this such a special Champagne, even if it was edging slightly past its peak.

If there’s a takeaway here, it’s this: drink the bottle you’ve been saving. The “special occasion” doesn’t need to be a milestone, it can be a random Tuesday, a sunny afternoon, or simply the joy of waking up in a good mood.