Champagne’s best year to date
Despite a slightly diminished share of trade, 2021 has been an excellent year for Champagne.
The Champagne 50 index is the best-performing among the Liv-ex-1000 indices with the leading price performers being Taittinger’s 2006 and 2008 Comtes de Champagne, Cristal Rosé 2008, Krug 2000 and Salon 2002, which have all risen in price by over 50% this year.
Indeed, the top price-performer this year was Salon’s 2002, which has risen 80% to £10,618 per dozen.
Only one Champagne in the Champagne 50 – Perrier-Jouët’s 2011 Belle Epoque – has turned in a negative performance this year.
The 2012 vintage has been the most-traded Champagne vintage, followed by the 2008. The late releases of Salon 2012, Krug 2008 and Dom Pérignon Rosé 2008 helped stimulate demand around wines from these vintages, which are already held high in critical esteem.
Rosé Champagne has been on the rise too. Although a small part of Champagne’s trade, now standing at 18%, it is becoming an increasingly relevant sub-category. Cristal’s 2013 and 2012 rosés have been among the top-traded Champagnes this year.
Market demand for champagne has also switched this year, as the US has overtaken the UK as the biggest buyer of Champagne on the secondary market.
US demand for Champagne rose in 2020 as it was one of the few regions exempt from the 2020 tariffs on European wines.
Since then, momentum has continued to build. Champagne sales to the US have risen 219% in 2021, as shown in the chart above.
