50 Producers That Shape the Champagne Region
Written by - Cult Wines Team
Champagne marries place, people and patience: cool-climate grapes grown on deep chalk gain their finesse through second fermentation in bottle, long lees ageing, and careful blending. Styles span Chardonnay’s citrus–chalk line, Pinot Noir’s red-fruited structure, and Meunier’s breadth, shaped further by dosage, oak, and malolactic choices from consistent multi-vintage blends to site-specific, single-year bottlings that reward time.
From grandes marques to grower estates, this guide spotlights 50 producers that define the region today. Use it as a map to understand house signatures, key cuvées, and how releases age, trade and collect. Skim the snapshots, compare ranges at a glance, and dive deeper into the bottles that fit your palate or portfolio.
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News in brief
Locanda Locatelli Wine Cellar Auction Sells Out at Bonhams
Bonhams has sold every lot in its online auction of wines from Locanda Locatelli, the Michelin-starred London restaurant that closed earlier this year. Running from 1–14 October, the sale featured iconic Italian wines from the restaurant’s celebrated 40-page list. Highlights included Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva 1997 (£5,208) and a Masseto 2001 (£4,960). Sassicaia verticals and rare vintages attracted strong bidding. Bonhams praised the collection as a reflection of the restaurant’s legacy of passion and excellence, built by Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli over more than two decades.
Hong Kong Fine Wine Demand Shows Signs of Revival
Liv-ex reports a rise in fine wine demand from Hong Kong, particularly for white Burgundy, Californian Cabernet and First Growth Bordeaux, as stock levels fall after years of overhang. Activity remains uneven but has clearly increased, with merchants now restocking ahead of the festive period. Lower interest rates, favourable pricing and a strong local economy are fuelling the trend, though Mainland China remains cautious. Liv-ex analysts see the uptick as a promising sign, offering renewed optimism even if wider market recovery is no longer solely reliant on Asia’s return.
Michelin to Launch Its Own Wine Rating System
Michelin has announced plans to launch its own global wine rating system, aiming to rival and potentially surpass Robert Parker’s influential legacy. The move comes six years after Michelin’s full acquisition of The Wine Advocate, though the two brands have operated independently until now. Details remain under wraps, but the new system is expected to mirror Michelin’s anonymous review model and may adopt a tiered format similar to its restaurant and hotel guides. With its global reputation and reach, Michelin’s entry into wine scoring could reshape how quality is defined in the industry.
What we’re drinking
Donnafugata ‘Mille e Una Notte’ 2021
Jessie Wu, Client Account Manager - Cult Wines
As the flagship wine of Donnafugata, Mille e Una Notte embodies the rich heritage of Sicilian terroir and the winery’s visionary blend of tradition and innovation. First released in 1995, the wine was conceived by the Gallo family in collaboration with Giacomo Tachis, the legendary oenologist behind Italy’s great Super Tuscans: Sassicaia, Solaia, and Tignanello.
Their partnership marked a turning point for Sicilian winemaking, marrying the island’s noble native grape, Nero d’Avola, with international varieties such as Syrah and Petit Verdot.
The 2021 vintage is a wine of elegance and longevity. Deep purple in colour, it opens with a generous bouquet of blackberries and mulberries, lifted by balsamic notes of liquorice and spice, and subtle hints of sweet toasting. On the palate, it is layered and refined, with velvety tannins and a persistent, savoury finish. The grapes are sourced from the estate’s vineyards in Contessa Entellina, nestled in the heart of western Sicily.
Inspired by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard, the iconic Sicilian novel now adapted into a Netflix series, most of Donnafugata’s labels pay homage to the island’s rich cultural and literary heritage. The palace depicted on this label recalls the one where Queen Maria Carolina sought refuge while fleeing Naples. This episode gave rise to the winery’s very name, Donnafugata, meaning “the woman who fled.” Gabriella Anca Rallo, who founded Donnafugata with her husband Giacomo, reimagined it beneath a starlit sky inspired by The Arabian Nights. A scene alive with stories, dreams, and promises, much like the wine it adorns, giving rise to a modern Sicilian retelling of One Thousand and One Nights.
Our fine wine feature
Liv-ex Data, Indexes & Indices: Reading the Market
Written by - Aarash Ghatineh, CRO - Cult Wines
Liv-ex brought stock market-style transparency to fine wine when it launched in 2000, standardising prices, bids, and settlement data. Its indices - the Liv-ex 50, 100, and 1000 - now serve as the industry’s benchmark for tracking market performance.
Built from Mid Prices that reflect real trading intent, these indices track key wines and regions, while the Market Price offers a snapshot of current asking levels across the trade.
Each index offers a different view of the market: the daily Liv-ex 50 tracks Bordeaux First Growths, the monthly 100 covers leading global wines, and the broader 1000 spans seven regional sub-indices, including Burgundy, Champagne, and Italy.
Together, they provide investors and collectors with a clear, data-driven picture of how fine wine prices evolve and where opportunities may lie.
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Explore & travel
An Autumnal Oregon Wine Escape
Written by - Alexa Atkinson, Senior Marketing Manager - Cult Wines
Arriving in Portland under a quilt of clouds, I followed the road south to Newberg, where the city fades into the quiet rhythm of the Willamette Valley. By late October, harvest is over, and the hills glow gold and red. Cellars hum softly, tasting rooms feel unhurried, and the air carries that damp, earthy calm that marks Oregon in autumn.
Across a few slow days, I moved between small towns and familiar names, a hillside tasting at Stoller, a long lunch at The Dundee Bistro, a visit to The Eyrie Vineyards to trace the valley’s roots. At Trisaetum, art and wine shared the same room; at Penner-Ash, the view stretched endlessly across the vines. My last stop was Sokol Blosser, where a glass of Riesling dessert wine felt like a farewell, bright, lingering, and quietly memorable, like the valley itself.
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