Hot days call for cold drinks. No other would be more suitable than Champagne. We compiled a list with some of our favourite cuvées for you to taste this summer. Head over to Instagram and let us know which one you would pick!

Armand de Brignac Brut Gold

Let's start with Armand de Brignac. Their Brut Gold remains the most iconic cuvée in the range and rightly so. Its texture is deliciously creamy and the palate has great depth and impact with a long and silky finish. For us, this is a superb example of a Prestige Champagne. On the nose, peach, apricot and red berry aromas are followed by crystalized citrus, orange blossom and hints of brioche. The palate is rich with cherries, exotic fruits and a touch of lemon, vanilla and honey. The mouth feel is soft and creamy, with a hint of toastiness. This comes from the unique dosage which is aged for one year in French oak barrels.

Did you know that each bottle of Armand de Brignac is coated in metal and finished with the labels that get applied by hand? Only 20 bottles can be completed per person per hour in the winery.

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2006

La Grande Dame is a tribute to Madame Clicquot and to the creative and elegant souls who have followed in her footsteps. For La Grande Dame 2006, Veuve Clicquot created a blend of its eight classic Grands Crus: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir (53%); Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for the Chardonnay (47%). We love this cuvée's light gold color. It offers a complex notes of stone fruit, dried fruits, pastry, gingerbread, and even mocha. Expect freshness and a nice length. We love this opulent vintage!

Bollinger La Grande Année 2014

For their 2014 vintage, Bollinger blended 61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, and a total of 19 crus. Fermented entirely in aged oak barrels, this vintage gave rise to a wine that is simultaneously structured, rich and complex. Get ready for a fruity nose with a slight scent of sea-air. On the palate, the initial sensation is a fine and intense effervescence, followed by a wonderful vinosity. Its very fine texture is accompanied by a delicate minerality and the complex flavours of orchard fruit and citrus. AT 8 grams per liter, it has a moderate dosage, making it a perfect Champagne to enjoy with gourmet food.

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2011

The first Blanc de Blancs on the list! According to Taittinger, the year 2011 was marked by early ripening and a spring drought. This forced the root network to delve deep in the earth in search of the water it needed for proper growth and resulted in a voluptuous Comtes de Champagne. The nose exhales delicious notes of gingerbread, liquorice and meringue. On the palate, it delivers aromas of delicate white fruit: peach, cherimoya and mandarin peel subtly blended with light touches of almond pastry. After 10 years of slow maturation in the cellars, you can enjoy a wine of great mineral power, dense, and rich with Chardonnays showing off their iodine character.

Rare Millésime 2008

2008 was an exceptional year in the Champagne region. The extraordinary conditions are reflected in the initial nose of the Rare Millésime 2008. The nose reveals a vast range of orange blossom, hyacinth, and white flowers. This is followed up by exotic notes of vanilla blossoms, a touch of fresh coconut, aromas of just-ripe Williams pear, and fresh almond. On the palate the crispy, precise attack is followed by exuberant aromas of fresh pineapple, freshly cut and crisp, passion fruit, kiwi and coconut, nuanced with tangy citrus notes. These exceptional exotic notes make the Rare Millésime 2008 a perfect summer Champagne.

Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition

Krug Grande Cuvée is born from the dream of Joseph Krug to craft the very best Champagne he could offer. Every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Since 1843, Krug has honoured this vision with each new edition of Krug Grande Cuvée. It is a blend of over 120 individual wines from more than 10 different years.

Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition was composed around the harvest of 2013, a year that beautifully expressed the unique characters of some of the House’s iconic plots. A light golden colour and fine, vivacious bubbles, holding a promise of pleasure. Aromas of flowers in bloom, ripe, dried and citrus fruits, as well as marzipan and gingerbread. Grilled notes and flavours of almond paste, quince, lemon, limoncello and dried fruit. This exceptional Champagne goes perfectly with Asian cuisine and even cigars!

Dom Pérignon 2012

The year 2012 was shaped by unpredictable seasons. Their force and generosity shaped an outstanding olfactory landscape imbued with remarkable variety. Combining intensity, contained tautness and extreme contradictions, the Dom Pérignon Vintage 2012 reveals a unique structure, channelled by an acidity and delicate bitterness that burst forth magnificently.

The nose is full and varied, mingling flowers with fruit, and the vegetal with the mineral. The bouquet is tactile, subtly enticing us along a trail of powdery white flowers and nectareous apricot, followed by the freshness of rhubarb and mint. On the palate, a welcoming opening is followed up by an explosion of effervescence and tonicity. Wonderfully acidic and bitter notes marry with scents of ginger and tobacco.

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Nº 25

For their Grand Siècle Nº25, Laurent-Perrier has assembled vintage years 2008 (65%), 2007 (25%), and 2006 (10%). The result is a champagne that is brilliant in character with a white gold colour. It offers an intense nose of fresh citrus fruits, followed by subtle aromas of grilled almonds and brioche. The wine has a fresh and toasted attack. Its finish is persistent with notes of citrus fruit. We also love its exceptional aromatic depth.

de Venoge Prince Blanc de Blancs

The House de Venoge is a producer with a rich history. In 1864, Joseph de Venoge created a special cuvée in honor of the Princes of Orange. Its elegant and famous bottle recalls the crystal flasks in which European aristocracy used to decant their Champagnes in the early twentieth century.

Our favourite cuvée from de Venoge is the Princes Blanc de Blancs. It is made only from Premiers Crus and Grands Crus (Mesnil sur Oger, Trépail) wich are rigorously blended by the talented cellar master. This Champagne is made from 100% Chardonnay and shows wonderful mineral notes and has a great ageing ability. Its freshness and elegance are underlined by subtle aromas of white flowers and citrus. Serve it as an aperitif or pair it with a light starter. Definitely a must try!

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 2008

Let's finish the list with an exceptional rosé. With La Grande Dame Rosé 2008, Veuve Clicquot has created a cuvée that also features 14% Pinot Noir still red wine from the Clos Colin in Bouzy. It's one of the most historical plots in the Veuve Clicquot vineyard.

The rosé Champagne is full-bodied and smooth at first, then becomes refined with fresh aromas. The Pinot Noir’s generosity resonates beautifully after a slow and long aging in the Veuve Clicquot cellars. The wine shows powerful notes of red fruits (raspberry and strawberry), combined with citrus notes (blood orange, grapefruit), and finally holds a perfect balance between subtle and spicy. The attack is delicate and smooth. Fruit outshines the palate and presents intensity in red and black fruits (cherry, strawberry, blackberry and blackcurrant). The strength and youth are carved by long aging notes, dried flowers and smoky notes, presenting an incredible complexity.

We hope you liked this list of outstanding Champagnes to enjoy this summer. For more content, click here.

There are only few watch brands with a rich history, countless technical innovations and a wide range of products suitable for literally every occasion. Longines is definitely one of them. Let us show you three watches by the brand from St.-Imier for every occasion. Let's go!

The Longines Legend Diver Watch

Longines has been a name long associated with sport. Hence, it is only fitting that it brings its expertise to diving. It all began in 1937, when water-resistance became a quality criterion in watchmaking. Back then, Longines developed a watch case with water-resistant push-pieces for its renowned 13ZN caliber.

Some of these flagship pieces have since been re-issued as part of an “immersion in heritage”. This includes The Longines Legend Diver Watch, released in 2007. It is based on the iconic Longines Reference 7042. It gained recognition as a refined timepiece offering a perfect balance between design and functionality. We love how the latest versions of The Longines Legend Diver Watch conserve this spirit. They offer the same pure lines of the original timepiece. On top, they also feature up-to-date technical characteristics, such as a box-shaped sapphire glass, two screw-in crowns and a screw-down case back. The decent water-resistance of 300 meters is complemented by an automatic movement with a silicon spring-balance.

The Longines Legend Diver Watch is now also available in beautifully coloured versions. The blue or brown shaded dial features luminous hands, hour markers interspersed with luminescent squares and Arab numerals enhanced with Super-LumiNova® rectangles for optimum visibility. A reminder of the codes of the sport for which this watch was originally intended. And just like on the original model, the 42 mm case back is decorated with an embossed emblem of a diver. A structured blue or brown leather strap matches the colour of the dial. For us, these are the perfect timepieces for a day on the lake - of course spent in style!

The Longines Spirit

Longines watches and devices have contributed to a number of pioneering achievements thanks to their reliability, precision, strength and innovation. Not only in diving. They have accompanied exploratory expeditions to unknown shores, confronted extreme weather conditions, sailed across the seas, and took part in the opening of new air routes and the setting of aviation records. Longines Spirit timepieces breathe new life into this rich heritage. Linking history with innovation, they take traditional features from pilot’s watches and combine them with contemporary lines and codes for a decisively contemporary and exacting look.

The collection’s newest addition features an elegant green dial. Being a three-hand model, it also comes with a calendar complication. We love how it comes in both 40mm and 42 mm to fit different tastes. The new colour combines with the Super-LumiNova® beige and lends the model a vintage touch. With the dial’s sandblasted finish creating a fashionable metallic sheen. Contemporary in character but rich in history, it sustains the pioneering spirit that has driven Longines since its very beginnings.

Powered by the exclusive automatic calibres (L888.4) with silicon balance-spring, the Longines Spirit watches are equipped with cutting-edge technology. Each has been chronometer-certified by the COSC (the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). What we love in particular about these watches is their versatility. They will look good on the wrist from dusk till dawn. From going for a coffee to driving with your favorite car or going on a date a night: The Longines Spirit will always be on point!

One man that embodied Longines' pioneer spirit was Howard Hughes. You can read his story here.

The Longines Master Collection

As a traditional watchmaking company, Longines has been producing exceptional timepieces since the very beginning. Today, the Longines Master Collection is the perfect illustration of this corporate ethos. All watches from this collection are fitted with self-winding movements. Within this family, many special features are offered. One of them is the moon-phase complication. It embodies the classic elegance, excellent quality and savoir-faire of the brand.

On this particular model, the signature silver "barleycorn" dial is complemented wonderfully by a set of blued steel hands. Right above 6 o'clock, the beautifully-made moon-phase complication is set. It also features an integrated calendar function. Coming with a 42mm steel case, it also features a transparent case with sapphire crystal. This addition to the Longines Master Collection comes on both an elegant brown alligator strap and on a sporty steel bracelet. Which model do you prefer?

No matter which one you choose, it will look great on the wrist while having dinner at an upscale restaurant or enjoying a glass of champagne like at The Dolder Grand in Zurich. Cheers!