The 10 Best Sweet Champagnes Money Can Buy

Most champagne lovers will go for a brut or extra-brut when picking out a bottle for the evening. However, did you know that the original champagne palate was actually a lot sweeter? Sweet, bubbly drinks were considered the ultimate choice because they match the sugar in sweets and pastry and also created a complex counter for salty, rich food like cheese and seafood. If you are looking to try this history-backed tradition, here is a list of the 10 best Sweet Champagne choices you can buy.

10. Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Sublime Demi-Sec ($52.99)

Region: Reims

Notes: Marzipan, Pineapple, Tree fruits

The Cuvée Sublime Demi-Sec from Piper Heidsieck is the ideal sipping champagne for deserts like shortbread cookies, pies, and fruit tarts. With marzipan, vanilla, tree fruit, and pineapple flavors, it is sure to excite your palate and help you pass a refreshing afternoon. The drink contains 15 to 20 percent Chardonnay, 30 to 35 percent Meunier, and 50 to 55 percent Pinot Noir from the Grande and Petite Montagne de Reims.

9. Jacquart Demi-Sec Mosaïque Champagne ($41)

Region: Reims

Notes: Tropical Fruit, Mango, White Flowers

If you are on a budget, the best sweet Champagne to try is the Jacquart Demi-Sec Mosaïque Champagne. This bottle offers honeyed flavors of white flowers, tropical fruit, and ripe mango that work together to give you a lasting finish.

8. Pol Roger Rich Demi-Sec Champagne ($56.92)

Region: Épernay

Notes: Baking spice, Yellow fruits, White flowers

Pol Roger’s Rich Demi-Sec Champagne is packed with flavors of cream, white flowers, baking spice, and yellow fruits. Despite its heavy palate, however, this is a soft wine that will soothe your taste buds and deliver just the right amount of sugar. It is a great wine for serious connoisseurs and anyone looking to gift a friend the perfect bottle. Pol Roger Rich Demi-Sec Champagne is equal parts Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay – perfect harmony.

7. Deutz Demi-Sec Champagne ($44.40)

Region: Aÿ

Notes: Canned peaches, Melon, Cream

The Deutz Demi-Sec Champagne is a highly versatile fizzy, acid-driver champagne that will pair greatly with any food. Expect rich melon, cream, canned peach, and honey flavors alongside vibrant acid for the ideal thirst quencher. Generally, the finish will leave you feeling satisfied and mellow, especially when you pair the bottle with a fruit-heavy dessert, blue cheese, or Tikka Masala.

6. Taittinger Demi-Sec Champagne ($49)

Region: Reims

Notes: Candied Fruits, Citrus, Honey

Taittinger Demi-Sec Champagne is great for celebrations, offering a balanced sweetness that will keep the mood up the entire evening. This classic bottle delivers notes of honey, candled fruits, and citrus for a long, satisfying, and textured finish.

5. Mionetto Cartizze DOCG Dry Prosecco ($30.77)

Region: Veneto

Notes: Citrus, Sugared almonds

If you are a prosecco fan, then you definitely know Mionetto. Although the brand is popular for its classic brut offerings, its Luxury collection contains two affordable but impressive choices for the connoisseur with a sweet tooth; Cartizze DOCG Dry and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry. The latter contains 17 to 19 grams of sugar per little, while the Cartizze offers an impressive 24 to 26. Whichever of the two you choose will depend on your palate because both are perfectly balanced and highly delicious. If you want a small touch of sweetness, the Valdobbiadene Extra Dry is for you. The Cartizze is your ideal choice if you don’t wish to hold back on the sugar.

4. Laurent Perrier ‘Harmony’ Demi-Sec Champagne ($47.99)

Region: Tours-sur-Marne

Notes: Grilled Almonds, Stone Fruit, Acacia Honey

The Laurent Perrier’ Harmony’ Demi-Sec Champagne creates the perfect harmony with most foods – it’s in the name. The wine has a bright and balanced palate offering notes of acacia honey, grilled almonds, and stone fruit. As a sipping champagne, you can pair it with a wide range of Asian, Indian, and Thai dishes, especially those packing some heat. Why? The sugar in the Champagne gives it enough flavor to go head to head with intense spices and come out on top.

3. Lanson White Label Sec ($44.99)

Region: Reims

Notes: Apple, Pear, Peach

Sec champagnes contain between 17 to 32 grams of sugar per litter, ranking them in the medium sweetness range. The White Label Sec from Lanson is a non-vintage sparkling wine with sharp, dynamic citrus notes and a creamy, black fruit, subdued spice mouthfeel. Since Lanson has been in the business since 1760, you can be sure that everything about this bottle is perfection. Remember to let the champagne age for a while for the best experience.

2. Veuve Clicquot Rich Blanc ($70)

Region: Champagne

Notes: Grapefruit, Citrus

According to Grandes Marques & Maisons De Champagnes, doux wines contain 50 or more grams of sugar per liter, making them the sweetest champagnes in the market. Although not many bottles exist in the US market, you are set if you can land a Veuve Clicquot Rich Blanc. This wine has a very playful nature and can be dressed up – perfect for the playful connoisseur. You can serve it over one or two fresh ingredients like pineapple slices, berries, fresh herbs, and cucumber, and ice. These pairings will allow you to taste qualities you would have otherwise missed. Overall, the palate and notes on this bottle are floral and fruity with a soft, creamy finish.

1. Billecart-Salmon Demi-Sec Champagne ($57)

Region: Mareuil-sur-Aÿ

Notes: Cream, Apples, Brioche

Number one on our list is the Billecart-Salmon Demi-Sec Champagne. This wine contains the same blend as Billecart-Salmon’s brut serving but with a higher sugar dosage of around 40 grams per liter. Generally, the wine contains a robust fruit palate and notes of buttery brioche, white flowers, and honeyed pear. It pairs excellently with many foods but mostly with cheese and sweet desserts. Overall, the Billecart-Salmon Demi-Sec Champagne is marked by beautifully balanced flavors, bright acidity, and a full body, making it the crème de la crème of sweet champagnes. The company says, “One of the secrets of the demi-sec is to keep freshness, despite the high amount of sugar in the dosage.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, zero dosage and bruts will always come out on top, but sweet champagnes are among the most underrated and delicious sparkling wines you can find. When performed properly, liqueur d’expedition – the process used to add sugar to wine – produces a Sweet Champagne that pairs amazingly with most foods and desserts. The result will give you the best brunch and dinner experiences possible. Remember, extra bruts are slightly sweeter than brutes, followed by sec and demi-secs on the sweetness scale and closing with doux – the sweetest champagnes.