Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne

Staff Reviews

CM

Craig Morris

Craig Morris

Review Date: 03/2026

From Damien Hugot comes a deeper, more complex style of Champagne! This uses a blend of current harvest grapes for the Chardonnay, but the red grapes are coming from a solera style blend, and this is where a lot of depth and complexity comes from in Champagne. This blending, coupled with some large oak aging, creates an elegant Champagne (as one would expect from Hugot), but also adds softer texture for added depth. It's still full of citrus thanks to the Chardonnay, but the roundness on the palate creates a lovely contrast.

PR

Philip Roufail

Philip Roufail

Review Date: 02/2026

The latest iteration of Damien Hugot's "Hommage" (to his grandfather, who planted their Meunier vines in 1921) is a great window into this grower-producer's style: 75% Chardonnay from the harvest year sourced from Monthelon, a cold micro-climate in the Sud d'Epernay, and barrel fermented, and 25% is a combination of Pinot Noir and Meunier, sourced from Chavot (also in Sud d'Epernay) from a perpetual blend aged in barriques. That's a lot of barrels! The slow oxygenation gives the champagne a depth and complexity that can only be drawn out through the judicious use of wood - not to mention the old vines! On the palate, lemon-lime, sourdough, baking spices, peach in syrup, saline, almond, and chalky minerality!

JD

John Downing

John Downing

Review Date: 02/2026

This has a delicious, sweet lift to the fruit yet finishes dry and complex. It's not only the ideal Champagne for a toast but also suitable with food. Considering its barrel aged, I expected a much higher price. Definitely a sleeper pick.

Notes

This 100% estate grown Champagne comes from Damien Hugot's vineyards in Sud-Épernay, rather than his vineyards in Cramant and Chouilly. Sud-Épernay is among the coolest growing sub-regions in the appellation. The wine is composed of 50% Chardonnay from Monthelon, vinified in large oak foudre, and 50% a field blend of Pinot Noir and Meunier from Chavot, vinified in stainless steel that is aged in a solera-style perpetual blend. The quality to price ratio is stunning, and fans of Tarlant and Egly-Ouriet will appreciate the masterful use of oak here. It is a precise, dry and invigorating style that stops short of being austere and the frame of large oak adds a subtle vanilla note to the fresh baguette and subtle green pear aromas and flavors in this long finishing Champagne. - Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer