and there’s nothing stopping its momentum into 2021.
A Champagne was included in the Wine Spectators Top 10 list for just the second time, hanging lower down the ranks in years gone by.
While Champagne has always been deserving of a place among the top spots, its inclusion this year must have been a no brainer. Champagne has been the best performing sub-index of 2020 and has received a flurry of critic and trade attention surrounding the later releasing 2008s and the fresh new 2012s.
In an interview in July, Cellar Master, Vincent Chaperon confirmed that Dom Perignon’s “aim is to not make a cuvee in just the very best year but attempt to produce an expression from every harvest”. A testament to the Champagnes accelerated quality improvement this decade, as noted by the Drinks Business.
The Champagne 50 is up 8.27% year-to-date far outperforming the broader market, as measured by the Liv-ex 1000 (+1.31%). Yet, even with increased price performance, the best Champagnes from the best vintages remain a value option compared to neighbouring regions. A case of Dom Perignon 2008 is the third of a price of a First Growth and almost a tenth of the top Burgundy.
Champagne’s market share by value also reached its highest point of all time this year and three wines from the region were included in this year’s top traded by value.
Secondary market performance like this, may suggest that the region deserved a few more spots in the Top 10, but as there looks to be little stopping Champagne’s momentum, there is always next year.
