Forget Moet, a £12 Lidl is the lovelier bubbly

iF you’re looking for a quality champagne, the names Moet & chandon, taittinger and Lanson will probably spring to mind.

Fizz from these celebrated French producers will usually cost you almost £40 a bottle.

But it turns out price is not always an indication of quality. Blind taste tests by Which? have found a £12 champagne from Lidl beats them all.

judges said the Veuve Delattre Brut offered ‘subtle, complex aromas, fresh acidity and a clean, fruity taste’ – awarding it an overall score of 77 per cent. By contrast, a £38 Moet & chandon Brut imperial came in at 73 per cent.

in fact, a string of supermarket champagnes beat the top brands.

experts gave ‘Best Buy’ accolades to four champagnes sold by Waitrose, co-op, M&S and tesco.

Lisa Barber, the Home Products and Services editor at Which? Magazine, said: ‘our taste tests have proven that supermarket champagne brands can more than hold their own against the famous champagne houses, delivering excellent quality and great value for money.’

top of the bubbles league was the Waitrose Blanc de noirs Brut nV – £23.99 – with the highest score of 82 per cent. Which? said it thrilled the panellists with its fresh fruity fizz.

Described as ‘lip smacking’ by one taste tester, it scored well for being ‘smooth, clean and zesty’.