Best Champagnes for Summer: Our Fresh and Festive Selection

Why does summer call for a special champagne?

In hot weather, we seek above all freshness, lightness, and liveliness. A champagne that is too sweet or too winey can feel heavy when temperatures rise. Conversely, a well-chosen champagne—lightly sweetened, mineral, fruity, or rosé—offers an immediate, almost briny drinking pleasure.

It’s important to know that the Champagne region was covered by the ocean millions of years ago. This freshness is still captured in the chalky soils and vineyards of the Champagne appellation. The lower the dosage of a Champagne, the more you’ll reveal this oceanic freshness and the pure expression of the terroir. This is what the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne has recognized as one of the major market trends in recent years.

To choose a summer champagne with confidence, three styles naturally stand out: extra-brut champagnes and brut nature (with little or no dosage, crisp and lively), blanc de blancs (mineral and airy) and rosé champagnes (fruity and festive). Let’s explore them together!

Extra-brut and brut nature: the connoisseur’s choice for summer

These are the quintessential summer champagnes for discerning connoisseurs. With little or no sweetness, they offer immediate freshness, lively bubbles, and an aromatic profile that highlights the terroir and grape varieties without artifice.

What is extra-brut?

An extra-brut champagne contains between 0 and 6 grams of sugar per liter, compared to a maximum of 12 g/l for a classic Brut. The result is a dry, crisp champagne with characteristic liveliness and very distinct primary aromas. Perfect as an aperitif or with seafood, grilled fish, and sushi.

Our top 5 extra-brut picks for summer

1. Champagne Gosset Extra-Brut : a perfect starting point for discovering low-dosage champagne. After 4 years on the lees and with a dosage of 4.8 g/l, it offers a rich and generous palate with beautiful tension and lively expression. The Gosset house is one of the oldest in Champagne, a guarantee of undeniable quality and expertise.
2. Champagne Mailly Grand Cru Extra-Brut 2014 : This blend of different lieux-dits from the Montagne de Reims has the lowest dosage among Extra-Brut champagnes (3 g/l) and creates a harmonious balance between supple acidity, a creamy texture, and delicate sweetness.
3. Champagne Pol Roger Pure Extra-Brut : Officially Brut Nature since no dosage has been added, this wonderfully refined blend combines precise, crisp acidity with a sumptuous weight on the palate. An exceptional champagne for lovers of purity.
4. De Sousa Cuvée Umami Extra-Brut 2012 : With 3 g/l, this blend of Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs reveals creamy notes of honey and gingerbread in striking contrast to its mineral grip and savory salinity. A remarkable winemaker’s champagne.
5. Champagne De Venoge Cordon Bleu Extra-Brut : Four years of aging on the lees and a dosage of 3.5 g/l give rise to a champagne with a powerful, taut structure, with just the right amount of sweetness to highlight the aromas of juicy summer fruits.

Our Top 5 Brut Nature and Non-Dosé Champagnes

Brut nature champagnes (also known as non-dosé, pas dosé, or zero dosage) contain less than 3 grams of sugar per liter. No liqueur d’expédition is added after disgorgement. This is the purest, most direct, and most expressive champagne. And often the most summery choice for those who love bold flavors.

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Ultra-Brut : Launched in 1981, this cuvée pioneered the brut nature category and remains a timeless classic today. Six years on the lees add sufficient structure to support the refined blend of citrus, honeysuckle, and an opulent salinity. The Laurent-Perrier house is the undisputed benchmark for this style.
• Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Oenophile Non Dosé 2016: Harvested at perfect ripeness, four years of aging on the lees have transformed this pure Chardonnay into a complex and rich cuvée that highlights the minerality and racy acidity of the Côte des Blancs.
• Champagne Philipponnat Non Dosé : Containing up to one-third reserve wines from the solera system, this champagne combines the full-bodied complexity of a multi-vintage blend with the finely defined character of a brut nature expression.
• Champagne Agrapart Vénus 2013 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru : Sourced from a small 60-acre plot of old vines in Avize, this rare cuvée boasts a smoky, zesty, and distinctly chalky freshness with a soft, warm character. For lovers of exceptional artisanal champagnes.
• Champagne Fleury Fleur de l'Europe : This blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Côte des Bar is expressive yet refined, with a magnificent salinity on the finish. The Fleury house, a pioneer in organic champagne, offers here a natural cuvée of beautiful sincerity.

Blanc de Blancs: Freshness and Minerality

Blanc de Blancs is a champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay. It is the champagne of summer thanks to its natural lightness, fine bubbles, and crystalline minerality. Without the power of Pinot Noir, it expresses the purity of the grape variety and the chalky terroir of Champagne with remarkable precision.

On the nose, there are aromas of white flowers, citrus, lime, and sometimes chalk and flint. On the palate, the freshness is immediate, the acidity lively yet elegant, and the finish long and mouth-watering. It’s the ideal champagne for a summer aperitif, oysters, seafood, or grilled fish. I really encourage you to try it this summer!

A few must-try Blanc de Blancs champagnes:

• Ruinart Blanc de Blancs : the iconic cuvée from the oldest Champagne house. Floral, mineral, and utterly elegant. A global benchmark for Blanc de Blancs.
• Delamotte Blanc de Blancs : Salon’s little sister, offering remarkable value for money. Fresh, crisp, with a beautiful expression of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. An excellent choice for enthusiasts who want to discover this style without breaking the bank.
• Pierre Gimonnet Cuis Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs : a leading winemaker on the Côte des Blancs, with cuvées of exemplary purity and minerality at a very accessible price. Proof that independent winemakers have a great deal to offer.
• Pol Roger Vintage Blanc de Blancs : Churchill’s favorite house offers a vintage Blanc de Blancs of great finesse, with remarkable structure and depth.

Rosé Champagnes: Festive and Fruity for Summer

Rosé champagne is perhaps the most summery of all styles. Its rosy hue, aromas of fresh red berries, lightness, and versatility make it the perfect companion for summer meals: whether for a barbecue with friends, a strawberry tart, or gravlax salmon.

• Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé : the gold standard of blended rosé champagne. Pale pink and golden hue, aromas of red and yellow berries, remarkable finesse and liveliness. The quintessential summer rosé champagne, elegant and festive.
• Ruinart Brut Rosé : light, fruity, and beautifully delicate. The House of Ruinart offers here an accessible and refined rosé, with the very fine bubbles characteristic of the house.
• Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé : a 100% Pinot Noir saignée rosé, aged for at least five years. Rich, generous, and powerful. For lovers of structured rosés that pair equally well with a barbecue or grilled red meats.
• Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage : a bold rosé with character and pronounced red fruit aromas. Ideal for festive evenings on the patio.
• Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial : the world’s best-selling rosé champagne. Approachable, festive, with lovely liveliness and immediate fruity aromas. A sure bet for large summer gatherings.

How to serve champagne properly in the summer?

A few simple tips to fully enjoy your champagne when it’s hot:

• Serving temperature: between 8°C and 10°C. Never too cold, as this risks stifling the aromas.
• Ice bucket: filled half with water and half with ice, it maintains the ideal temperature for 30 minutes.
• The glass: opt for a tulip glass rather than a flute. It releases the aromas better and reveals the full complexity of your cuvée.
• Storage: An opened bottle can be stored for 24 to 48 hours with an airtight stopper in the refrigerator.
• Ice cubes: Reserve them for champagnes specifically designed for this purpose, such as Moët & Chandon’s Ice Impérial or Rich by Veuve Clicquot. For extra-brut and brut nature cuvées, they distort the aromas, and that’s a real shame!

There you have it—you now have everything you need to choose your summer champagne based on your preferences. Whether it’s a refreshing extra-brut, a mineral-rich Blanc de Blancs, or a fruity rosé, there’s bound to be a cuvée waiting for you.

Excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous to your health. Please drink responsibly.