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Slideshow
Top Champagnes priced under £50
Following the drinks business Champagne Masters held late last year, we round up the top Champagnes priced under £50 that took home a gold medal or the ultimate accolade: Master.
Nearly 200 Champagnes were judged blind by our expert panel, entered into one of six categories; Non-vintage, Vintage, Blanc de blancs, Blanc de noirs, Prestige cuvée or Rosé.
Wines that scored over 90 points were awarded a gold medal, while exceptional wines that scored 95 points or above were named Champagne Master.
Judges included Simon Field MW, buyer, Berry Bros & Rudd; Sue Daniels, buyer, Marks & Spencer; Michael Edwards, journalist, author, Champagne specialist; Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW, director of buying, Private Cellar; Anthony Foster MW, director/buyer, Bonhote Foster; Rebecca Palmer, associate director & buyer, Corney & Barrow; Patrick Schmitt MW, editor-in-chief, the drinks business; and Marcel Orford-Williams, buyer, The Wine Society
Here, we round up the wines that were priced under £50, and that were awarded a gold or master medal across all categories.
To see a full report on the competition and all of the wines that won a medal click here.
Tasting findings
- This year’s Champagne Masters saw every one of the 10 largest Champagne labels by global volume sales assessed blind by our team of tasters.
- Once more, Champagne’s grandes marques performed well in this year’s competition, particularly Charles Heidsieck.
- The tasters were also impressed by the good results achieved, for the most part, by the co-ops.
- Brut NV Champagnes proved high quality and good value, while rosé did better than in previous competitions, suggesting that there have been quality improvements in these commercially important categories.
- Blanc de blancs Champagnes gained good scores, particularly the more expensive examples.
- Without the accoutrements that come with the prestige cuvées, vintage represents the best-value category for great Champagne.
- The overall quality standard was extremely high.
About the competition
The Champagne Masters is a competition created and run by thedrinks business and an extension of its successful Masters series for grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as regions such as Rioja and Chianti. The competition is exclusively for Champagne and the entries were judged by a selection of highly experienced tasters using Schott Zwiesel Cru Classic glasses supplied by Wine Sorted. The top Champagnes were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those Champagnes that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Champagne Master. The Champagnes were tasted over the course of a single day at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
Champagne Pommery, Brut Royal NV
What the judges said: “Smoky, attractive nose with a touch of toast. Palate similarly toasty, with lovely honeyed fruit and refreshing lemon bite. The Champagne has a rounded mid-palate texture but a crisp and cleansing finish. Delicious.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Master
Category entered: Non vintage
GH Martel & Cie, Charles de Cazanove Cuvée Vieille France Blanc de Noirs
What the judges said: “Delicate, clean and attractive nose with some breadiness and subtle notes of honey. The palate shows similar characters, along with a touch of bruised apple. Complex, long, round and easy soft style.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Gold / Gold
Category entered: Non vintage / Blanc de noirs
Lanson International UK, Black Label NV Gold
What the judges said: “Delicate on the nose with notes of lemon, bread and a touch of honey. On the palate there is also a hint of smoky flintiness. Fine, fresh and long with intense lemon and apple fruit. Chalky finish.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Non vintage
Veuve Cliquot, Veuve Cliquot NV Gold
What the judges said: “Evolved but quite delicate nose with notes of white buttered bread. Generous palate with touch of butter, bread and ripe notes of pineapple. Opulent and attractive, with a clean, crisp finish.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Non vintage
Laurent-Perrier UK, Brut NV
What the judges said: “Delicate nose with a touch of chalk and smoke. Palate more open with lots of lemon fruit, touch of ripeness and creaminess and a pleasantly chalky finish. Youthful with a frothy mousse. Lovely bright fruit at the core.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Non vintage
Champagne Charles, Heidsieck Brut Réserve
What the judges said: “Rich on the palate with nice depth, lot of layers and freshness, this Champagne combines a delicious toasty, autolytic character with a firm refreshing acidity.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Master
Category entered: Non vintage
Chassenay D’Arce, Vintage 2006
What the judges said: “Slightly evolved on the nose with tangerine notes. Palate is similar in flavour along with a lively lemon character and a frothy mousse. Very lively and complex with a dry finish.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Vintage
Champagne De Saint Gall, Brut Millésime 2007
What the judges said: “Attractive, ripe and evolved nose with some notes of tropical fruit and butter. Palate shows a touch of honey with tight, fresh lemon character. Pure and slightly creamy. Long and fine with the potential to unravel with further ageing on its cork.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Vintage
Champagne Palmer & Co, Blanc de Blancs 2008
What the judges said: “Attractive smoky character with a touch of burnt toast and butter on the nose, not dissimilar to aged Semillon. The palate is fresh and complex with smoky, toasty notes of grilled nuts and lemon. Very good.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Master
Category entered: Blanc de blancs
GH Martel & Cie, Charles de Cazanove Cuvée Vieille France Blanc de Blancs
What the judges said: “Touch of reduction on the nose initially, which fades into an attractive smoky-toast character. On the palate, lemon fruit with a hint of toast. Clean and fresh. Very good.”
Price category: £30-£40
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Blanc de blancs
Champagne De Castelnau, Brut Blanc de Blancs 2002
What the judges said: “Showing evolution in colour and aroma. Very honeyed, lovely, long and complete. A great value wine.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Master
Category entered: Blanc de blancs
Champagne Sanger, Triangle Minéral Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2008
What the judges said: “Showing a touch of bruised apple and butter on the nose. The palate, similarly, has some tart apple acidity, but also some round, buttery malolactic character. Characterful, very good.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Blanc de blancs
Champagne Jacquart, Blanc de Blancs 2006
What the judges said: “Straw gold in colour with a lively persistant mouse. Notes of lemon, peach and brioche on the nose. On the palate, white peaches and citrus notes. Very long, lifted, elegant finish.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Blanc de blancs
Champagne Henriot, Brut Rosé
What the judges said: “Salmon pink in colour with a lovely smoky reductive nose. Palate has a delicious smoky chatacter with fresh lemon and just touch of red fruit. Long, fine and lovely.”
Price category: £40-£50
Medal: Gold
Category entered: Rosé