Anyone know their Champagne?

[Doordine]

I'd like to get a really delicious bottle of Champagne in for Christmas. But I would also like to do so as cheaply as possible.

So are brands like Bollinger, Tattinger, VC, LP, Moet the only ones worth getting? Or can you get a bottle that tastes good for £20-£30?

Tesco vintage is the nicest champagne we've had. Much better than Moet, Mumm, Lanson etc. Definitely better than the Sainsburys equivalent. Cremant de Loire is also very nice (grapes are grown in a very similar climate to the Champagne region). Personally I am less bothered by other Cremants.

This is a lovely thread! I had exactly the same question. Lots of new ideas and things to try.

@murmurgam

Hijacking the thread slightly, what would people recommend if the only thing I want champagne for is to make bucks fizz?

I use cava for Buck's Fizz, it has the depth of flavour you want in the background but given all nuance is lost it would be daft to buy anything expensive. Freixenet or Codorniu are great options as there isn't any bitterness.

Someone has already mentioned it but we love the M and S Delacourt champagne. It’s so lovely and got the real ‘biscuitty’ taste I love in champagne. Never found another that tastes similar!

Chapel down every time. It’s English, not champagne but we love it. The rose is my
Fave.

If you have £20-30 to spend then Nyetimber, Graham Beck or Waitrose Vintage is within your reach. Graham Beck is cheapest and least fave of the three. Waitrose Vintage is a great drink . Cheaper branded champagnes like Nick F, etc are mediocre. You have to spend alot more money to taste a difference.

@murmurgam
If you really are only going to make Buck's Fizz, your Best Buy would be Sainsbury's Taste the Difference clementine Buck's Fizz, at £4 a bottle it can't be beaten for taste & value.

Marks & Spencer also do a good Buck's Fizz, a snip at £3 a bottle.

My very favourite is Ayala champagne but I also love Chapel Down sparkling wine. You can’t go wrong with either.

Aldi crémant is fab

Oh and sainsburys crémant

If you really are only going to make Buck's Fizz, your Best Buy would be Sainsbury's Taste the Difference clementine Buck's Fizz, at £4 a bottle it can't be beaten for taste & value.
Thanks AdaColeman
If I knew Christmas brunch with other people was definitely going to happen then I'd get some ready made. Champagne more likely to used on another occasion so covers more bases (It's my mum who's the bucks fizz fan)

My current favourite is Pelorus sparkling wine. It’s around £22 a bottle.

Back in the days I used to drink champagne Taittinger was my favourite. It seems like Asda has it on offer at the minute.

We had Canard Duchene at our wedding. It’s the only champagne that doesn’t give me the burps and is quite smooth in taste.
We were in France last year and bought a case in Reims when we visited. Very nice 👌🏼

I know its all just sparkling wine, and I am no expert obviously, but I have never found a prosecco I like. Can't stand the stuff - regardless of price. Cava I like but it tastes different to Champagne. I do think Champagne is a very distinctive taste. Interesting that lots of people are recommending English SW - will have a look.

And thanks again for all of the replies - I am writing the recommendations down.

If you can't afford a decent champagne (LP my personal favourite) then I'd opt for a crémant. M&S do a decent one, but I imagine so will most of the other supermarkets.

Graham beck also an excellent choice. Currently 25% off at Waitrose cellar adds to cart

@murmurgam

Hijacking the thread slightly, what would people recommend if the only thing I want champagne for is to make bucks fizz?

Why would you do that?

Waste of champagne, any dry sparkling with decent fresh orange juice

The juice is key not the fizz

@rottiemum88

If you can't afford a decent champagne (LP my personal favourite) then I'd opt for a crémant. M&S do a decent one, but I imagine so will most of the other supermarkets.

Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle is my luxury tipple The vintage is good.

I really like Tattinger and oddly it doesn’t seem to give me a hang over. It’s I’m my Christmas order.

@Doordine

I know its all just sparkling wine, and I am no expert obviously, but I have never found a prosecco I like. Can't stand the stuff - regardless of price. Cava I like but it tastes different to Champagne. I do think Champagne is a very distinctive taste. Interesting that lots of people are recommending English SW - will have a look.

To be like a champagne you need a French sparkling wine

Vintage has a very different taste. Much nuttier and exactly like something that has sat in a bottle for years.
I prefer the lighter fizzier fresh non vintage.

Pol Roger is nice but it’s definitely off dry. It’s got lots of flavour and is one most will like.
Tattinger has the best bubbles - small and fantastically fuzzy- by far but along with Laurent Perrier I find the taste odd. I love love love LP rose though ( like most people).
Veuve Cliquot is a very safe bet. I used to prefer it to Moët but had some Moët the other day and found it nicer than I remeberedl

I also prefer Cava to Prosecco although I like that green label one in Waitrose. It’s very easy drinking. Usually on offer at £7.49. No one will be wowed by the label but it’s a great party/ food wine. Enough bite to cut through rich food but not too dry it spoils the sweetness of root veg or chestnut stuffing.

Mumm and Lanson are the ones you’d do better finding non champagne alternatives. They’re fine obviously ( for those that have already bought sone maybe )but poor value in terms of taste vs price.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned yet but I won a bottle of this from the Co-op in a work competition last year. Thought it was just cheap nasty champagne so only got round to opening it recently and was surprised to find it was absolutely delicious! Looked it up and it’s won lots of awards www.coop.co.uk/products/les-pionniers-champagne