Christmas is fast approaching, it’s the unmissable time of the year to uncork a bottle of champagne. Sparkling wines are particularly suitable for beautiful holiday tables. With their small, fine bubbles, they can be served as an aperitif as well as to accompany the log at dessert time. But it’s also one of the biggest expenses on the menu. To help you do the best choicethe writing of Current wife tested ten varieties of Champagne. Here is the list of our three favorite sparkling wines.
Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Brut: what are the good champagnes to buy for Christmas in 2023? The editorial ranking
To determine this classification of sparkling wines, the editorial staff of Current wife carried out a blind tasting of 10 champagnes from different brands less than 40 euros. To decide between them, these products were evaluated independently based on 3 criteria: appearance, quality of bubbles and of course taste.
Find all of our test benches on smoked salmon, foie gras and champagne.
What is #1? Cordon rouge champagne from the Mumm brand, according to our opinion
At the head of our ranking: the champagne Mumm Cordon rouge Lebrun 1ᵉʳ cru Blanc de Noir Extra Brut sold at Monoprix at the price of €29.90 (75 ml/ 12% alcohol). Unanimously recommended by the editorial staff, this champagne has all the qualities expected of it. No surprise for the French Champagne house Mumm, used to being at the top of the rankings. Its “balanced” taste, its attractive and festive color and its finely subtle bubbles in the mouth contributed greatly to its success. And for good reason, this champagne presents a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and a touch of pinot meunier: on the palate, this therefore brings balance and appreciable aromatic complexity. If you want make a splash during your Christmas meall, buy it without hesitation.
What is the best value for money? Our n°2 Pol Carson champagne
Second place on the podium goes to the Brut Grande Cuvée champagne from the French brand Pol Carson sold at E.Leclerc at the price of €23.99 (75 ml/12% alcohol). This bottle which is offered to us among the Marque Repère range amply succeeds in its challenge of seduce our taste buds at a reasonable price. This champagne is the result of a happy marriage between three grape varieties with a dominance of Pinot Noir and a hint of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Its taste, not too sweet and rather refreshing, won over 60% of participants who gave it a rating of 4 out of 5. The bubbles are persistent, but not aggressive on the palate, which was praised by the majority. The qualities of this champagne are not lacking and it is therefore no surprise that 80% of the members of the editorial staff recommend it and would buy it at Christmas. If you like raw champagne with a sweet grape variety, this is the ideal vintage.
Which is the most balanced? Our No. 3, Champagne from Maison Gosset
In the ranking established by the editorial staff, the bronze medal goes to Brut champagne from Maison Gosset sold at Casino at the price of €33.95 (75 ml/12% alcohol). This is a special vintage developed with the Casino wine teams and which joins the prestigious reserved brand Les Grandes Réserves of the Club des Sommeliers. This product has been widely appreciated by the members of the editorial staff, 70% would even recommend it for Christmas. His strong point? A blend, made mainly of Pinots, which bring a delicate fruitiness, refreshed by Chardonnays for an elegant and mineral finish. A legitimate place for this French Champagne house, accustomed to producing quality products.
Read also :
⋙ Why it is absolutely necessary to keep champagne bottles lying down
⋙ Champagne: does the little spoon trick to keep the bubbles really work?
⋙ What can you replace champagne with for the holidays? Our original and cheaper alternatives