A festive selection of champagnes this week. Brief notes only, as there are more than the usual three wines, but they’re all champagnes to which I’ve given a score of at least 90 (out of 100) in the last couple of months and they're all under £30. There’ll be more next week.
Marc Chauvet Brut Tradition, £18.99, The Real Wine Company
Biscuity, yeasty, fruity and rounded. Great value grower’s champagne made from equal quantities of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.
2003 Marguet Rosé, Grand Cru, £23, The Wine Society
Vintage pink champagne from grand cru vineyards around Ambonnay and Bouzy. Lovely, ripe strawberry fruit, a creamy, chalky texture and a fresh, pure finish. A steal.
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs, £29.99, Corney & Barrow
Polished, biscuity and creamy with a hint of honey. Supremely elegant, all-chardonnay champagne from the sister-house of Salon.
J Dumangin Fils Grande Réserve, £24.50, Yapp Brothers
Richly fruity, toasty and wheaty. Made from a high proportion of pinot meunier.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils, Cuis 1er Cru, £29.99 (or £23.99 when you buy 12); £168 per 6, Armit
Floral perfume, with touches of lemon, malt and chocolate on the palate, a creamy texture and fresh acidity. Stylish blanc de blancs from the excellent Gimonnet family of growers.
Philipponnat Non Dosé Royale Réserve, £28.50, Les Caves de Pyrène
Toasty, honeyed and mineral with with candied citrus-peel fruit. Drier than bone-dry (non dosé means completely unsweetened), but properly ripe. Made from a high proportion of pinot noir and vinified in wood.
