Champagne is often considered a celebratory beverage, a drink we reach for when we get a promotion or a raise, get married, or graduate from college. But for a growing number of people, it’s a drink they reach for when the mood strikes, and comprises 10% of global sparkling wine consumption. The United States is the most important market in the world for Champagne, with an export volume surpassing 33 million bottles.
There are many different versions of sparkling beverages – prosecco, sparkling wine – but to be labeled Champagne, it must come from the Champagne region in France. Champagne is comprised of seven permitted grape varietals – Chardonnay grape, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meslier, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Arbane. But not all Champagnes are alike.
Many brands are rather well known, from Veuve Cliquot and Moët & Chandon to Dom Perignon and Laurent Perrier, and they have various price points and flavors, from the standard crisp brut, a fruity rosé, or a sweeter demi-sec that are priced well to more prestigious vintage varieties that command top dollar.
To create a list of prestigious Champagne brands that command top dollar, 24/7 Tempo used Vino Vest’s list of luxury champagne brands, Pepites en Champagne’s list of the most expensive bottles ever sold, plus some current online retail listings for certain brands. This was all done to create an accurate list of some of the most expensive brands currently operating in the champagne space. (Also See The Most Iconic Drink From Every State)
Dom Perignon
- Founded: 1936
- Founded by: Robert-Jean de Vogué
- Owner: Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) group
Dom Perignon is located in Epernay, France, and is one of the most famous champagne brands in the world. Although it was first established in 1668 by monk Dom Perignon who specialized in the winemaking process, it wasn’t introduced until 1921 and didn’t enter the market until 1936 (it has often been said that Perignon invented the champagne process, but this is not the case).
Generally, bottles of Dom can go from $150-400, but special vintages can soar to over $10,000. For example, Rose Dom Perignon by David Lynch – 1998, sold for over $11,000.
Cristal (Louis Roederer)
- Founded: 1876
- Founded by: Louis Roederer
- Owner: Roederer family
Cristal Champagne is a branch of the Louis Roederer winery and is produced in Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne in France. Known for its exceptionally expensive product, the champagne itself has special packaging that makes it immediately identifiable, and it’s aged for six years and only released in select years.
On the lower end, you can pick up bottles of Cristal for $200, but on the higher end and with select vintages, it can go for thousands of dollars.
Bollinger
- Founded: 1829
- Founded by: Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin, and Jacques Bollinger
- Owner: Members of the Bollinger family
Bollinger, produced in Marne, France, is another French champagne house that has a few brands they are known for: Vieilles Vignes Françaises, Grande Année and R.D., and Special Cuvée.
You can pick up bottles of non-vintage Special Cuvée for $75, but vintage bottles are a bit more – around $6,000 or more. In the world of vintage, there is no limit to what someone will charge for a bottle.
Jacquesson
- Founded: 1798
- Founded by: Memmie Jacquesson
- Owner: Artémis Domaines
Jacquesson is a French champagne house in Dizy, France that was recently acquired by the billionaire François Pinault, owner of renowned luxury brands Kering and Groupe Artemis.
The lower end of Jacquesson’s prices can dip under $100, but many bottles float between the $200-$800 range. One of the famous “Shipwrecked” bottles of wine from the Baltic Sea contained a bottle of Juglar 1820 vintage, with Juglar being integrated into the Jacquesson house. The shipwrecked bottle sold for over $25,000.
Champagne Salon
- Founded: 1905
- Founded by: Eugène-Aimé Salon
- Owner: Laurent Perrier
Champagne Salon, located in le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France, is a household name for many purveyors of expensive champagne, and for good reason. The brand was bought in 1989 by Laurent-Perrier, and now it operates it is now the sister company of Champagne Delamotte.
Entry-level bottles of Salon are rarely less than $1,000, and the upper-end can cost close to $10,000. The 1966 Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, for example, is available for purchase in 2024 and costs $9,559.
Moet & Chandon
- Founded: 1743
- Founded by: Claude Moët
- Owner: Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH)
Moët & Chandon is produced in Epernay, France, and is another of the most well-known brands on our list. Also known as simply Moët, higher-end bottles of Moët, like the Moët & Chandon Esprit du Siecle Brut, for a mere $6,502, although they do have consumer-level products that cost as little as $20.
Krug Champagne
- Founded: 1843
- Founded by: James Krug
- Owner: Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) (majority owner)
Krug Champagne is a French champagne house located in Reims, France. The Krug family is still actively involved in production, and the house is proud to say that they are the only house to create exclusively prestige champagnes every year since its founding. The least expensive bottles of Krug usually run around $200, while the more costly bottles top out around $3,000.
Boerl & Kroff
- Founded: 1995
- Founded by: Patrick Sabaté and Stéphane Sésé
- Owner: Patrick Sabaté and Stéphane Sésé
Boerl & Kroff is produced in Urville, France, and is sometimes regarded as “the best champagne you’ve never heard of.” A relatively new Champagne house, they have since honed their product and attract a mostly enthusiast crowd.
This Champagne is much less accessible than many others, and the price reflects it. At the lower end, bottles can be found in certain retailers for around $400, but they aren’t common. Generally, expect to pay between $3,000 and $10,000 for a bottle.
Armand de Brignac
- Founded: 1763
- Founded by: The Cattier family
- Owner: Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH)
Armand de Brignac is produced in the Rilly-la-Montagne village and is a very famous champagne brand primarily due to its 50-50 ownership by JAY-Z and LVMH. Known as the “Ace of Spades” and produced by Champagne Cattier, it has a pop-level following, along with solid reviews and limited stock, all of which help to push the price up.
A bottle of Armand de Brignac is currently selling at around $300-$800 a bottle. Or, if you are feeling especially un-frugal, you can purchase the only publically available 15L bottle of Armand de Brignac for a mere $100,000.
Pol Roger
- Founded: 1849
- Founded by: Pol Roger
- Owner: Primum Familiae Vini
Pol Roger is a champagne producer from the town of Épernay and is still run by the descendants of Pol Roger. Its two most notable styles are the Vintage Brut and the Cuvée Winston Churchill.
Pol Roger probably has one of the most approachable entry-level options out there, generally running between $50 and $100. There are more expensive options, like the Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 3L option, which can run you up to $2,500.
Perrier-Jouet
Pouring Champagne, traditionally the ultimate wine for delebrations.
- Founded: 1811
- Founded by: Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adélaide Jouët
- Owner: The Pernod Ricard Group
Perrier-Jouet is a champagne producer in the Épernay region of France. In 2009, one of the three oldest bottles of champagne in the world was opened, a Perrier-Jouët vintage 1825.
Numerous entry-level options typically cost less than $100, but they can easily reach $1,500 depending on the year. A bottle of Perrier-Jouët Champagne from the 1874 vintage sold for nearly $57,000 in 2023.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
- Founded: 1772
- Founded by: Philippe Clicquot
- Owner: Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) group
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is a luxury champagne house founded in Reims, France. Known for their distinctive yellow label, they often include eye-catching packaging for their entry-level products (the famous zip-up hoodie cooler and more recently, in partnership with SMEG, a gift box designed like a mini-refrigerator).
The entry-level option for Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin can be as inexpensive as $65, but that isn’t really what they are known for. Generally, mid-level bottles are over $200, and you can find special editions for around $1,200 or more.
Heidsieck
- Founded: 1785
- Founded by: Florens-Louis Heidsieck
- Owner: Rémy Cointreau wine and spirits group
Piper-Heidsieck is a Champagne house in Reims, France that offers a variety of consumer-level products. Bottles of newly-released Heidsieck typically cost less than $50 but when it comes to older vintages, this brand can be extremely expensive. One bottle of 1907 Heidsieck sold at auction for around $275,000.