The Prestigious House’s Exceptional Vintage Receives Top Honors in 2026 Champagne Tasting Report
REIMS, France, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rare Champagne, renowned for its limited production and unapologetic exclusivity, announces that Rare Millésime 2012 has earned a perfect 100-point score from James Suckling in his 2026 Champagne Report. The distinction recognizes the exceptional quality and character of the 2012 vintage and Rare Champagne’s singular approach to vintage Champagne.
In his review, James Suckling described Rare Champagne 2012 as, “One of the best 2012s released. This is so fresh and transparent, with superb clarity and brightness. Subtle aromas of mangoes, apples, some pie crust and crushed stones that follow through to a medium body with a tight palate and an endless finish. Precise on every level. Haute couture. Sophisticated. What a great Champagne can be.”
“Receiving a perfect 100-point score from James Suckling is an incredible honor and a meaningful recognition of Rare Millésime 2012,” says Maud Rabin, Directrice Rare Champagne. “This vintage captures everything we look for in a Champagne: an ode to joy with vivid precision, depth and complexity, balanced by a radiant freshness and beautiful minerality. After more than a decade of patient aging, it is deeply rewarding to see the 2012 vintage receive this distinction. Its name has never felt more fitting!“
As with previous Rare Champagne cuvées, the 2012 vintage was created to reflect an exceptional year that magnifies nature itself. While the growing season brought winter and springtime frosts, rainfall and hailstorms, summer arrived with ease and warmth. Temperatures rose suddenly in mid-July, bringing hot, dry weather and perfect conditions for ripening. Although the yield of the harvests was low, the quality was remarkable.
Chardonnay for the Rare Millésime 2012 is sourced from the Villers Marmery, Vertus, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Chouilly and Avize vineyards while the Pinot Noir comes from Verzy, Ay, Verzenay, Ambonnay and Ville-Dommange. A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, the wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation and spends a minimum of 10 years aging on the lees with an additional nine months minimum following disgorgement.
An excellent wine to elevate a culinary experience, Rare Millésime 2012 pairs beautifully with a variety of refined dishes, including veal, langoustine, toasted pain de campagne and poached rhubarb.
Rare Millésime 2012 is available now at select retailers and fine dining establishments nationwide and online with a suggested retail price of $250.
ABOUT RARE CHAMPAGNE:
Rare Champagne boasts a noble origin dating back to 1785 when Queen Marie Antoinette tasted the House’s first cuvée. With limited production and unapologetically exclusive, Rare Champagne stands as a regal rejection of convention. Since 1976, only 14 vintages have been released: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2013, and Rare Rosé Millésime 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2014. Rare Champagne transcends norms and conventions to reveal an unparalleled Champagne. The Cellar Master crafts each Rare Champagne vintage to reflect an exceptional year, magnifying nature itself. The House recently achieved B Corp Certification and joined the selective B Lab community, a non-profit network founded in 2006.
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SOURCE Rare Champagne
