A 25th-Generation Grand Cru Masterpiece—Direct from Cramant, Under $60

2016 Damien Hugot Grand Cru "Cramant" Blanc de Blancs Millesime ($59.99)

Gary Westby | K&L Champagne Buyer | Review Date: March 13, 2025

Simply spectacular Blanc de Blancs from the steepest slopes of the Côte des Blancs Grand Crus in Cramant! This all-stainless, old-vine vintage Champagne has both the electricity and refreshment of the region, married to a rich, toasty character that reminds me of the greatest of the 2002s. I love the sourdough and citrus combination on the nose and the vivacious acidity that follows the rich mid-palate. Don't miss this fantastic vintage offering from Damien Hugot!

Craig Morris | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 15, 2025

This is my kind of Champagne! The nose shows citrus and lemon curd, and on the palate it’s electric with bright, tart acidity and plenty of chalky minerality. There’s also lemon curd, citrus, and toasty brioche, all carried by very fine bubbles. It adds up to a bright, elegant, and sunny style of Champagne that’s ideal as an aperitif or for sipping all night.

Kerry Kirkham | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 09, 2024

This nose—flinty and chalky with hints of pastry and lemon curd. It rings all the fine bubbly bells and whistles, signaling that what I’m about to taste is going to be incredible. Rich and dry, this generous Champagne embodies pure elegance and sophistication: lemon, flint, chalk, and toast, culminating in a lingering toasty finish with subtle hints of vanilla pastry cream that swirls in the sinuses. I’ve tasted wines that cost twice as much and are nowhere near as good. Fantastic value!

Philip Roufail | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 04, 2024

2016 was a “solar vintage” (hot!) yielding luscious, ripe, fleshy fruit. Damien Hugot’s 2016 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay with a mid-palate richness that can only come from the Grand Cru village of Cramant. The chalky minerality that defines the Côte des Blancs shines through, with plush notes of sourdough, ginger, saline, lime, red apple, almond, and lees. There’s snappy acidity on the finish—another wonderful vintage offering from one of our most reputable grower-producers!

Alex Leonardini | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 04, 2024

The 2016 Damien Hugot “Cramant” Blanc de Blancs is one of the purest examples of terroir and most precise bottles of wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The nose is enticingly fresh and mineral-driven, and the palate unfolds in alternating layers of oyster shell, freshly baked sourdough, struck flint, green apple, crushed limestone, and key lime citrus fruit. The wine is perfectly structured, with electric acidity jumping from bubble to fine bubble in arcs of barely contained energy. To say this is one of my favorite Champagnes of the year is an understatement; this is one of my favorite Champagnes of all time. It is a wine for the Champagne lover, a wine to convert the non-sparkling drinker, one that will impress friends and colleagues, and a perfect choice for celebration. This is a comprehensive lesson in minerality and a reminder of the heights that great Champagne can reach.