Rare older wines lead a selective Champagne recovery, Liv-ex says
Liv-ex data indicate that secondary-market gains remain concentrated in scarce back vintages and limited-production wines, while recent releases continue to face pressure from high opening prices and competition from older bottles.
A narrow rebound
The Champagne secondary market is showing signs of recovery, but the improvement is not spread evenly across the category, according to Liv-ex analysis reported by Vinetur on 30 October 2026. Older vintages and limited-production wines have been among the first to rise, while newer releases remain under pressure from high initial prices and competition from older bottles already on the market.1
Liv-ex’s report, “The 2026 Champagne Market,” says buyers are returning first to scarce wines with established reputations and a history of demand. The findings therefore describe a selective rebound rather than a general rise in Champagne prices.1
Salon, Selosse and Pol Roger
Salon 2002 was cited as an early mover: its volume-weighted average trade price increased from £7,400 per 12-bottle case in August 2025 to £9,089 in November 2025. Among actively traded vintage Champagnes, Liv-ex identified Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2015 as the current leader for upward price momentum.1
Salon and Selosse assortment cases together represented 11.5% of Champagne’s traded value in 2026, despite accounting for a much smaller proportion of traded volume. Liv-ex also reported strong upward price trajectories for the non-vintage Selosse Substance and Selosse Initial.1
Recent releases remain under pressure
According to Liv-ex, recent releases continue to contend with high ex-château or opening prices and with older wines already available for resale. The reported gains remain concentrated in particular labels and vintages, leaving much of the broader Champagne category under pressure.1
Sources
Written by the Dionysus editors from the sources above.
