Top 10 non-vintage Champagnes

We bring you the 10 best non-vintage expressions from the 2022 Champagne Masters, featuring a broad range of brands priced from £35 to £60, all of which were Gold medallists in the UK’s leading Champagne-only, professional blind-tasting competition.

PIPER-HEIDSIECK ESSENTIEL

• Producer: Piper-Heidsieck
• Blend: Chardonnay: 22%, Pinot Noir: 47%, Meunier:31%
• Dosage: Extra Brut
• Approx UK Retail Price: £40
• Medal: Gold

Essentiel is Piper-Heidsieck’s driest non-vintage expression, with just 5g/l dosage, and a brilliant example of an Extra Brut, showing the precise, fresh character that comes when sugar levels are dropped. Key to its quality is an extended ageing period, bringing notes of toast and grilled nuts, along with the first-rate wines used in the blend, which hail from a range of vintages, and bring flavours of pineapple and dried orchard fruits. Being so dry, there’s also a persistent zesty edge. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

CHAMPAGNE BRIMONCOURT BRUT REGENCE

• Producer: Champagne Brimoncourt
• Blend: Chardonnay 80%, Pinot Noir 20%
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx UK Retail Price: £35
• Medal: Gold

Relative newcomer to the Champagne scene, Brimoncourt is a welcome addition with its pristine, fresh, dry style of Brut NV. In terms of flavours, there’s gun smoke, hazelnut and a plenty of lemon zest and chalk. A lip-smacking, clean and gently reductive drop. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

POMMERY APANAGE BRUT

• Producer: Vranken-Pommery
• Blend: Chardonnay 40%, Pinot Noir 30%, Meunier 30%
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx UK Retail Price: £40
• Medal: Gold

Pommery sets a reliably good Brut NV benchmark with this Apanage – an expression that contains a bit more reserve wine than the producer’s Brut Royal. There’s some pleasantly evolved notes in the Champagne as a result, with some honey and beeswax, and a touch of dried fruit too, which complements the bready notes and fresh zesty apple and citrus finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

MOËT & CHANDON BRUT IMPÉRIAL NV

• Producer: Moët & Chandon
• Blend: 30-40% Pinot Noir, 30-40% Pinot Meunier, 20-30% Chardonnay
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx UK Retail Price: £35
• Medal: Gold

The world’s best-selling Brut NV – representing some 10% of Champagne’s production – is also one of the region’s best. There’s both a fullness and freshness that seem to work in particularly pleasing harmony, as ripe pineapple and peach fruit, along with creamy vanilla and bread dough mix with sharper notes of bitter lemon zest and a dry chalkiness. In short, it’s a fizz that’s full in flavour, but also refreshment. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

GOSSET GRANDE RESERVE, BRUT NV

• Producer: Champagne Gosset
• Blend: Chardonnay 45%, Pinot Noir 45%, Pinot Meunier 10%
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx UK Retail Price: £52
• Medal: Gold

Gosset is best known among Champagne aficionados for blocking the malo-lactic fermentation, which sees the sharp-tasting malic acid converted to softer, creamier lactic acid. As a result, Gosset’s expressions – like this fine Grand Reserve Brut NV – tend to have a bright, firm acidity that gives them a notably refreshing edge. So, as one would expect, this is a zesty style, with notes of lemon and lime, along with a touch of baked apple, hazelnut and then a hint of bitter almond and fresh bread. A lively fizz that refreshes and persists, with a dry, precise finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

CHAMPAGNE TELMONT RÉSERVE BRUT

• Producer: Champagne Telmont
• Grape varieties: 43% Chardonnay, 37% Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx. retail price: £47.50
• Medal: Gold

From the Maison J. de Telmont, founded in 1912, this ‘signature Champagne’ delivers. Based on the 2017 vintage with older reserve wines and only 6.7g/l dosage, it tastes dry, but nicely rounded and integrated. The wine is a pale yellow-gold colour with persistent bubbles. Quite leesy and mature with plenty of yellow fruits and brioche accents, the palate shows medium body, racy acidity and honey and lime accents. The ‘brittle’ mousse texture gives grip and the wine finishes with a savoury note. A marvellous aperitif or with oysters Rockerfeller. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CHAMPAGNE LANSON LE BLACK LABEL BRUT

• Producer: Champagne Lanson
• Grape varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier
• Abv: 12%
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx. retail price: £37
• Medal: Master

A famous ‘Grande Marque’ Champagne dating from 1760, Lanson Black Label seems to get better year-on-year. Based on the Crus of Dizy, Verzenay and Trépail with around 30% reserve wines and a low dosage of 6g/l, this is a shining star of Champagne. A mid-straw colour, showing persistent mousse, the wine has red and yellow fruits accented by buttered toast autolytic character, brisk acidity and velvet texture. A mid-weight wine designed for gastronomy and perfect with Thai or subtle Chinese dishes. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CHAMPAGNE BESSERAT DE BELLEFON BLEU BRUT

• Producer: Champagne Besserat de Bellefon
• Grape varieties: 30% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 45% Meunier
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx. retail price: £45
• Medal: Gold

Produced with grapes sourced from some of the best Crus in Champagne, including Mesnil-sur-Oger, Mailly and Rilly-la-Montagne, the wine shows a pale lemon colour and continuing streams of tiny bubbles to dazzle the eye. Plenty of green apple and white peach fruit overlaid with fresh yeast notes and a hint of salinity, the palate has lively acidity, ‘crackling’ mousse texture and good length. A stylish wine that would suit tartare of cod or crabmeat terrine or even Spanish tapas. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CHAMPAGNE LANSON LE GREEN LABEL ORGANIC BRUT

• Producer: Champagne Lanson
• Grape varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 30% Meunier
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx. retail price: £55
• Medal: Gold

From vineyards located in the villages of Verneuil and Vandières, the 16 hectares of the Domaine de la Malmaison are cultivated organically and biodynamically. This Champagne displays a pale lemon-green hue with small bubbles. The aromas are pure, dominated by the red berry fruits of Pinot Noir accented by fresh bread autoylsis and a little development. Lightbodied with vibrant acidity supporting the red apple, peach and pear fruit, the wine has creamy mousse texture and a long plush finish with hints of acacia honey. Brilliant with a morsel of creamy goat’s cheese. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CHAMPAGNE VOLLEREAUX CÉLÉBRATION PREMIER CRU

• Producer: Champagne Vollereaux
• Grape varieties: 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Meunier
• Dosage: Brut
• Approx. retail price: £60
• Medal: Gold

From their own south-facing vineyards located on the southern flanks of Epernay in Pierry, Vollereaux produces this Premier Cru. Pale lemon-coloured with minuscule bubbles and a tight cordon, the wine displays well-defined yellow fruits and buttered toast accents. Showing some maturity, it is mid-weight, wellconcentrated with zesty acidity and a velvet-textured mousse. A vanilla pod nuance adds interest to the long finish. An exceptional choice for grilled lobster or crayfish étouffée. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

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