Champagne tastes struggling in a cost-of-living crisis this Christmas? When it comes to a bottle of bubbles for holiday parties and gifting this year, you might not have to break the bank on Moët & Chandon to impress your friends and their tastebuds.
A bottle of £25 Tesco Finest premier cru brut champagne has scored a winning 82 per cent on a blind taste test by Which? The consumer group ranked it above a £44 bottle of Moët & Chandon, which scored just 77 per cent. Judges praised the Tesco fizz for its “nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavours”.
Also beating out the heritage French brand was the £22 Veuve Monsigny champagne from Aldi (80 per cent), which has the “aroma of crunchy green apples with a suggestion of pecans, spice and butterscotch”.
Waitrose tied with Aldi for second place with its £25 brut NV champagne. The judges tasting notes said it has “pleasing peach, pear and apple flavours, and a superb nut and winter spice taste”.
All three budget bottles of bubbles have been awarded the coveted Best Buy logo to help consumers pick the best value for bubbles.
Which? assembled a panel of four expert tasters for its blind test: Sam Caporn, a Master of Wine and co-chair of the International Wine Challenge; founder of MJ Wine Cellars Magnavai Janjo; Susie Barrie, Master of Wine and co-chair of the WineGB Awards; and author and co-chair of the International Wine Challenge Helen McGinn.
“Our taste tests show that you don’t have to spend over the odds for a supermarket champagne or sparkling wine that delivers on quality and value for money,” said Natalie Hitchins, home products and services editor for Which?
The consumer group also published a set of instructions for the best way to serve champagne. Plan ahead and leave it in the fridge to chill for two hours beforehand, or fill a container with ice and water if you run out of fridge space. If you need a speedier chill, pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes – and make sure you set a timer.
Champagne actually tastes better if it’s not straight from the chiller – Which? recommends taking it out 10 minutes beforehand so as not to stunt the flavour and aromas.
Which? also has you covered if you’re looking for the best mince pies to serve. Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac won the Best Buy endorsement, with the expert panel praising their “lovely pastry, an enticing aroma and generous nut, spice and citrus filling, with a subtle boozy warmth”. They’re £4 for six, which works out at 67p a pie.
Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies got the Best Value endorsement. They were some of the cheapest in the taste test at £2.29 for six or 38p per pie, but judges loved their “great buttery taste, snowflake design and tasty filling packed with fruit and spices”.
So for just £29 you can have the best tasting champagne and mince pies on the market right now. Cheers!
