The summary

Judges were pleasantly surprised at the quality and breadth of character on display here, particularly among the smaller houses and growers, reports Andy Howard MW

With only one outstanding score out of 79 wines tasted, this might seem a rather mediocre result for the world’s leading producer of sparkling wines. the tasting panel included Simon Field MW and David Vareille, who are both very familiar with the region, as well as the likely variability in this category. the term ‘value’ Champagne made Field anxious about ‘tart, thin and uninspiring wines, devoid of personality, either gaunt and mean, or made-up with sugar’. Vareille was also concerned, and although he went into the tasting room ‘with low expectations’, he felt there were many ‘surprises’.

the tasting encompassed a wide range, both in terms of price positioning, type of producer and the use of blends or single varieties. Monovarietal wines with 100% Chardonnay or Pinot noir (and in two cases Pinot Meunier) were generally less successful than where winemakers had used their skills in blending. the classic mix of Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier was found in 50% of the wines tasted, with blends of two different varieties accounting for another quarter. Where a single variety was used, Chardonnay stood out as a more successful option, with the only outstanding, and one of the 10 highly Recommended awards.

Grower Champagnes performed generally well in the tasting. Within this sector, there are some fine examples that have character, complexity and the attributes one would associate with high-quality sparkling wine. the highest scoring examples showed additional levels of

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit latest- release, non-vintage Champagnes priced at £40 or below and available on UK shelves, but not including rosés

complexity – some from extended maturation on lees in bottle, some from judicious oak regimes. The latter was unexpected, but when done well – as with the André Jacquart Chardonnay – the resulting wine was top class. Other, less known growers performed well, for example Lopez-Martin and Collard-Picard (another producer using wood in the form of old foudres).

The major grands marques were notably absent from this tasting, but several of the smaller houses were represented. These can usually be relied on for highquality Champagne, always with their own distinct styles. Delamotte (Salon’s sister property based in the Côte des Blancs), Devaux, Ayala, Deutz and Alfred Gratien all performed well, showing refined Champagnes at realistic prices.

Somewhat surprising was the absence of many supermarket own-label ‘discount’ Champagnes. This might have come as a relief to the tasters, but it was a shame that more weren’t submitted. This category includes some fine examples, with very reasonable prices for well-made Champagne. The Co-op’s Les Pionniers (produced by Piper-Heidsieck) has previously won several awards, while Philizot is the house behind Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Brut. These offer good (and in the latter case exceptional) value for money.

What remains a concern is the use of half-price promotions on Champagne – most prevalent close to Christmas. Wine lovers should avoid these promotions, as the heavily promoted ‘bargain’ price is much more representative of what the wine is worth. Wines such as these give the ‘value’ end of the category a bad name, and encourage drinkers to look at alternatives.

Our advice? Spend a little bit more on a Champagne from a smaller house, or experiment with the intriguing world of grower Champagne, and you will find much more drinking delight.

‘Smaller houses can usually be relied on for high quality, always with their own distinct styles’