Following a major blind tasting of Champagne earlier this year, here is a selection of the best Champagnes selling for sub £50 on the market right now.
Having chaired our annual Champagne Masters competition in July this year, and reported in full on the results, I have now gone through my notes and scores and picked out what I believe are nine brilliant Champagnes that won’t break the bank.
Although £50 seems like a high price to draw a line, Champagne has become an increasingly expensive option, with most Grandes Marques now selling for more than £30, and a high number of vintage options – often the sweet-spot in terms of price-quality ratio – now surpassing £50.
Indeed, in this year’s tasting, a suite of delicious single-harvest Champagnes from Charles Heidsieck, Pommery, and Piper-Heidsieck from the 2006 and 2008 vintages were all beyond the £50 mark – and therefore aren’t included in this list.
However, there are still a few options in the vintage category that will deliver a delicious and rich style of fizz for a relatively reasonable price.
As for prestige cuvées, I’m afraid to say that you really have to fork out over £70 to secure something great, with, as previously reported, the most bang for your buck coming from Champagne Pannier – with the Egérie de Pannier 2006 being one of the best sparklings I’ve drunk, and a relative bargain at £75.
But for now, let’s look at some more affordable options that still deliver a delicious result.
For a full report on this year’s Champagne Masters, including all the medal-winning wines, click here.
