Looking to spend big on fizz? Here are nine outstanding Champagnes to prove that money can in fact buy you happiness…
Following on from my selection of ‘nine outstanding Champagnes under £50’ earlier this year, I have now compiled a shortlist of the greatest top-end samples from this year’s Champagne Masters.
Before revealing my choices, it is important to note that all of these stem from this highly comprehensive tasting, which, importantly, is done ‘blind’, ensuring that the judges have no knowledge of the identity of each wine beyond its price band and basic style.
Thanks to the quality of the judges and the sampling process, we believe that the Champagne Masters provides an unrivalled chance to draw attention to hidden gems, as well as confirm the excellence of the renowned.
And, over the following pages, I have picked out my top Champagnes should money be no object, although all these great examples still offer value relative to the world of luxury fizz or other fine wines.
Indeed, great Champagne is an affordable indulgence, with these upmarket examples, all from the ‘prestige cuvée’ class of fizz, delivering the qualities of a fine wine without being outrageously expensive, even if they are far from cheap.
Not only are do they have the trademark freshness of Champagne, but like a great wine, they have layers of flavours that leave you savouring every sip.
Also, these Champagnes have already been cellared, so they come with the complex array of characters that stem from extended maturation.
Nevertheless, they have the potential to age further, and all these cuvées could gain even greater complexity should one decide to store them for another few years in cool conditions.
But for now, here are my favourites from 2018’s tasting.
For a full report on this year’s Champagne Masters, including all the medal-winning wines, click here.
