Festive Fizz

Champagne

Our resident wine expert recommends his favourite champagnes

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve put myself through a relentless regimen of sniffing, sipping and (very occasionally!) spitting as I’ve looked for the best Champagnes with which you can celebrate this Christmas. As usual I’ve found a large amount of seriously under-performing wines from some of the most serious names in the business - who are shamelessly asking silly money for the privilege. Happily I’ve also found some seriously jolly wines for smile inducing money.

First up is a white from the well-known firm of Heidsieck, the ‘Monopole Blue Top’ (Tesco £16.13 special offer (normally £21.84). This is Champagne at its easiest to enjoy. It’s light, not too dry and has loads of green apple and pear fruit and just a touch of yeastiness. Ideal as an ideal aperitif or a posh party wine. Slightly more serious and with greater emphasis on raspberries and red berries, is the ‘Heidsieck Rose Top’ (Tesco £18.99 special offer (normally £23.75). As you may have guessed this is the rosé version and with its slightly greater weight and power which would go well with smoked salmon, canapés or gravlax.

Next up two bottles of pure indulgence! The Billecart Salmon Brut Réserve (£26.49 Oddins) and the Billecart Salmon Rosé (£42.99 Oddbins). I’ve long loved this firm’s wines, but the two I tasted recently reinforced my belief that they must amongst the top five Champagne Houses. The white is a powerful wine, with masses of white berry and red apple fruit, backed by traces of roasted nuts and vanilla. As for the rosé, well I could just stare at a glass of it for hours! The delicate salmon robe is an absolute joy, whilst the nose bristles with scents of redcurrants, raspberries and red cherries. In the mouth its delicate yet persistent and offers glorious strawberry tones with a hint of citrus and spice. Both these wines will stand up to food, but to be honest I think they need no partner and are best enjoyed on their own.

Henriot are another name that may not be familiar to you but as with so many great Champagnes, where there’s anonymity, there’s greatness. This is certainly the case here and for that matter with my next choice, the Roger Brun. Henriot are a fairly large House whose reputation within the trade for making exceptional wines has never been in doubt, yet it remains a wine for those ‘in the know’. Their range is extensive, but for my money you should look for the Blanc Souverain (Oddbins £27.99) and the Rosé (Oddbins £28.99). The Blanc Souverain is made from 100% Chardonnay and exudes notes of melon, green apple, peach and hazelnut with a lovely citrusy finish – one for before lunch I’d say. The Rosé by contrast is far weightier, and behind its amber hue lays a wine full of red cherry, plum and almond notes. This was a real winner when I tried it with roasted goats cheese tarts, and it would also go brilliantly with heavily smoked salmon or proscuitto.

Roger Brun’s wines I discovered whilst visiting Champagne a few years back. Roger is what is known as a ‘grower’ and as the name implies, he actually grows his own grapes – something most Houses don’t do, preferring instead to buy them in. His set-up is small and frankly pretty basic, but his wines are quite brilliant. The Brut Réserve (£21.21 everywine) is a medium bodied wine that gives you plenty of red apple and pear fruit, lots of creamy, yeasty notes and with its flash of blackcurrant acidity on the finish would make the perfect foil to turkey. His Rosé (£23.40 everywine) is just a joy! Everyone I’ve given this to, even the most ardent of Champagne-phobes, has loved its cheerful cherry and raspberry fruit, silky texture and extraordinarily high enjoyment factor - one to sip throughout the day if you can.

Next two rosés from two of the biggest names in Champagne. First up this Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Rosé (Laithwaites £34.99). As you’d expect from this prestigious House, this is a class act. The colour is a luminescent pink with a nose of rose petals and raspberries, whilst the generous palate is packed with ripe strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants. Perfect with your best of friends, it will make any gathering a chic occasion.

Our second wine is the Mumm Cordon Rouge Rosé (£31.49 everywine). Now many years ago, shortly after I’d first joined the trade, I tasted all of Mumm’s wines and was left with the distinct impression that here was a House in need of good kick up the bum! The wines were sweet, fruitless and generally rather grim. Happily those days are gone and today the rosé is generously fruited with rich tones of red berries, cherries and traces of ginger mingling with hints of lemon and lime. A great aperitif!

Topping the bill this year is the Gosset Grande Reserve (£34.95 Berry Brothers & Rudd). A true connoisseur’s wine, the Gosset is powerful yet elegant; full,yet reserved. Its high Pinot Noir content makes it a wine that is designed to go with food - even the brown meat of the turkey won’t faze this stunner - and with its super-abundant peach, apple and biscuit tones it’ll make every mouthful one to remember.

More soon!

Theo.