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The best Brut NVs from The Champagne Masters 2023
Following our Champagne Masters earlier this year, we list the best-performing Brut Non-Vintage cuvées from the competition, taking in some big name producers, as well as less famous labels, and a couple of outstanding organic samples too.
Laurent-Perrier, La Cuvée
- Producer: Champagne Laurent-Perrier
- Vintage: NV
- Grape varieties: 52% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir & 16% Pinot Meunier
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 9g/l
- Closure: Cork
- Approx. retail price: £44
- Medal: Gold
A really fine Chardonnay-dominant Brut NV, La Cuvée treads an appealing line between freshness and richness, with some creamy coffee, baked bread and vanilla pod flavours from four years lees-ageing, complemented by crisp orchard fruit flavours, and a lingering chalky finish with a touch of citrus. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Mumm, RSRV Cuvée 4.5
- Producer: G.H Mumm
- Vintage: NV
- Grape varieties: 60 % Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 6g/l
- Closure: Cork
- Approx. retail price: £47
- Medal: Gold
Quite a powerful Brut NV, Mumm’s RSRV Cuvée 4.5 is a Pinot-dominant blend of grapes from Maison Mumm’s Grand Cru vineyards, with flavours of buttered bread, vanilla pod and baked apple, with a lingering bitter lemon note on the very dry finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Deutz, Brut Classic
- Producer: Champagne Deutz
- Vintage: NV
- Grape varieties: 34% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 9g/l
- Closure: Cork
- Approx. retail price: £50
- Medal: Gold
An impressive, pristine and zesty style of Brut NV, this Deutz cuvée blends equal parts of Champagne’s three main grape varieties to yield a fizz with layers of flavour, from fresh grapefruit to bitter lemon, along with brown bread and crushed chalk. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Champagne Barons de Rothschild, Concordia Brut
- Producer: Champagne Barons de Rothschild
- Vintage: NV
- Grape varieties: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir
- ABV: 11,5%
- Residual sugar: 6g/l
- Closure: Cork
- Approx. retail price: £55
- Medal: Gold
A highly impressive non-vintage, the Concordia Brut from Champagne Barons de Rothschild is a delicious, generous and refreshing fizz, featuring layers of fruit flavours, from ripe pear to red apple, even a touch of nectarine, complemented by notes of coffee and hazelnuts, then bread dough and cream, before the flavours fade to leave a palate-cleansing citrus zest finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Champagne Gosset, Grande Reserve
- Producer: Champagne Gosset
- Vintage: NV
- Grape varieties: 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir & 10% Pinot Meunier
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 7g/l
- Closure: Cork
- Approx. retail price: £55
- Medal: Gold
For those who like their Champagne taut and fresh, then Gosset will deliver instant mouth-watering satisfaction, with its characters of crisp apple and crushed chalk, complemented by notes of pear tart and baked bread, and followed by a firm, dry finish – Gosset is one of the few Champagne houses who block the conversion of hard malic acid to the softer lactic sort. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Champagne Collet, Extra Brut Premier Cru NV
- Producer: Champagne Collet
- Grape varieties: 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier
- Abv: 12%
- Residual sugar: 4g/l
- Vintage: NV
- Closure: Champagne cork
- Approx. retail price: £34.00
- Medal: Gold
Champagne Collet, based in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, has been producing Champagnes since 1921. The spirit of the “Roaring ‘20s” and the Art Deco era is reflected in the lovely labels and innovative wines. Mainly from grands Crus and Premiers Cru, this wine, an Extra Brut, reflects the high quality of the vineyards. Pale lemon in colour with tiny, persistent bubbles, the wine is quite leesy with crunchy yellow fruits accented by floral overtones. The palate is dry, light and lively. Yellow and green apple are expressive and framed by crisp acidity and a brittle mousse. Well-defined and with good length, this savoury wine would pair nicely with lumpfish caviar on toast or prawns in a lemon-crème fraiche sauce on thin vermicelli. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
Champagne Nicolas Feuillate, Organic Extra Brut
- Producer: Nicolas Feuillate
- Grape Variety: Pinot Noir 60%; Chardonnay 40%
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 4g/l
- Vintage: Non-vintage
- Closure: Cork
- Approximate retail price: Approx £50
- Medal: Gold
Mid-lemon colour with a hint of gold. Clean and fresh on the nose with biscuity notes and bright fruit with some more developed notes. On the palate it is dry with high acid, medium body and lively lemony fruit. Noticeable oxidative notes on the finish suggest it should be drunk within the next 12 months, which will be an enjoyable task. (Siobhan Turner MW)
Vieille France, Brut
- Producer: Champagne Charles de Cazenove
- Grape Variety: Chardonnay 40%; Pinot Noir 30%; Pinot Meunier 30%
- ABV: 12%
- Vintage: Non-vintage
- Closure: Cork
- Approximate retail price: £32
- Medal: Gold
Mid-lemon colour, it has a complex nose of raspberries, golden delicious apples and William pears with marked blossom notes, brioche and marmite. The fruit notes are developed, but with some underlying fresh zesty lemon. On the palate the mousse is powerful yet elegant, and the finish off dry and slightly chalky. (Siobhan Turner MW)
Lanson, Le Green Label Organic
- Producer: Champagne Lanson
- Grape Variety: Pinot Noir 46%; Pinot Meunier 36%; Chardonnay 18%
- ABV: 12%
- Residual sugar: 8g/l
- Vintage: Non-vintage
- Closure:
- Approximate retail price: £58
- Medal: Gold
An excellent wine from Lanson. Mid-gold colour. The nose is intense and complex, with raspberry, green apple and some biscuity notes. On the palate it is long and creamy, with bright fruit and subtle hints of more developed, savoury notes. It has a beautiful, slightly chalky texture, a powerful mousse, and a long, creamy, and beautifully integrated finish. Delicious! (Siobhan Turner MW)
Champagne de Venoge, Cordon Bleu Brut NV
- Producer: Champagne de Venoge
- Grape varieties: 33% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier
- Abv: 12%
- Residual sugar: 8g/l
- Vintage: NV
- Closure: Champagne Cork
- Approx. retail price: £39
- Medal: Master
Established in 1837 in Épernay by Henri-Marc de Venoge, emigrating from his native Swiss canton Vaud, the maison adopted its emblem ‘Cordon Bleu’ in homage to the little Venoge river in Switzerland, which empties into Lake Geneva. This is a stylish wine, exhibiting a pale lemon colour and a narrow cordon with crunchy yellow and red fruits and buttered toast accents. Brut (c.6 g/l dosage), medium-bodied, the wine has bracing acidity and creamy mousse texture to support the flavours. A lingering finish suggests a poly-valent wine, suitable for the Henley Regatta or Wimbledon events with, or without, strawberries and cream, and will be equally delicious with salmon mousse napped with cucumber-cream sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
Champagne Castelnau, Extra Brut NV
- Producer: Champagne Castelnau
- Region: Champagne
- Country: France
- Grape varieties: 45% Chardonnay, 45% Meunier, 10% Pinot Noir,
- Abv: 12%
- Residual sugar: 2g/l
- Vintage: NV
- Closure: Champagne Cork
- Approx. retail price: £35.00
- Medal: Master
About 100 years ago a group of wine-growers in Épernay launched a new Champagne brand in honour of French 1st World War general, General Curières de Castelnau. Nowadays based in Reims and with a vineyard holding in the Champagne region of over 900ha, the wines of Champagne Castelnau are a long-lasting tribute. Aged on the lees for 7 years, this Extra Brut shows a lovely balance of freshness and maturity. Mid-gold in hue with small bubbles and a well-defined cordon, the nose shows ripe red and yellow plums and red apples with buttered toast and orange zest accents. Very dry in style, the wine has medium body, lively acidity and very good texture with layers of flavours and excellent length of flavour. A delight to consider drinking with rich seafood dishes, or roasted quail or pheasant in light red wine sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
Read more
All the medallists from The Champagne Masters 2023
The best vintage wines from The Champagne Masters 2023
The best prestige cuvées from The Champagne Masters 2023
The best rosés from The Champagne Masters 2023
About The Champagne Masters
The Champagne Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and is an extension of its successful Masters series for grape varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as regions like Rioja and Tuscany. The competition is exclusively for Champagne, and the entries were judged using Schott Zwiesel Cru Classic glasses supplied by Sensible Wine Services. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Champagne Master.
The Champagnes were judged on 14 March at The COMO at London’s Halkin Hotel by Patrick Schmitt MW, Patricia Stefanowicz MW, Jonathan Pedley MW, Siobhan Turner MW, Demetri Walters MW, Neil Sommerfelt MW, Adam Porter MW, Andrea Briccarello and Matthieu Longuere MS.
Please visit The Global Wine Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com
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