News
Best Old Vintage Awards: Charles Heidsieck, Perrier-Jouët and Pierre Gimonnet & Fils honoured in Paris
The Best Old Vintage Awards ceremony, held at the Intercontinental Paris during Champagne Week, recognised twenty laureate houses, with three emerging as outright winners.
What happened
On 21 October 2026, the Opéra salon of the Intercontinental Paris played host to the Best Old Vintage Awards ceremony, one of the most distinguished gatherings in the champagne calendar. Held during Champagne Week, the evening brought together twenty laureate houses, each recognised for their contribution to the art of aged vintage champagne. From that distinguished field, three houses were named outright winners: Charles Heidsieck, Perrier-Jouët, and Pierre Gimonnet & Fils. Champagnes from the 1995 vintage featured among those celebrated on the night.
Why it matters
The Best Old Vintage Awards occupies a singular position in the world of champagne. By focusing specifically on aged vintages, it directs attention to a dimension of the appellation that is too often overshadowed by non-vintage blends and recent releases. The recognition of twenty houses in a single ceremony underlines the breadth of excellence that Champagne's cellars quietly preserve over decades. For Charles Heidsieck, Perrier-Jouët, and Pierre Gimonnet & Fils, the distinction affirms a commitment to patience and precision — qualities that define the finest expressions of the region. Staging the event during Champagne Week amplifies its reach, placing aged vintage champagne at the heart of the industry's most concentrated moment of celebration and debate.
Context
Champagne Week serves as an annual focal point for producers, critics, and enthusiasts, concentrating a season's worth of tastings, announcements, and ceremonies into a compact and high-profile period. The Best Old Vintage Awards has established itself as one of the week's most anticipated events, drawing attention to the cellaring potential of champagne at a time when the category's longevity is increasingly appreciated by a wider audience. The 1995 vintage, which featured among the honoured wines, is widely regarded within the region as a year of notable character and ageing capacity, making its presence at such an occasion entirely fitting. The choice of the Intercontinental Paris — and its storied Opéra salon in particular — provided a setting commensurate with the gravitas of the occasion.