With the festive season in full swing it’s time to stock up on some fabulous fizzes and, whether you are celebrating the season in style or toasting in 2019 with finesse, it can only be done, in my opinion, with a glass of bubbly in hand. From budget picks to a real splash-some-savings kind of Champagne, we’ve got some treats for you to choose from, so read on and take your pick of the top ten finest fizzes we’ve found this season.
Under £20
Valdellovo, Prosecco Zeronove Brut 2017
Crafted by a husband-and-wife team, Benedetto and Clotilde, who champion biodiversity in their tiny vineyard, this is a fantastic dry Prosecco, which showcases the very best produce from the region. Deep and fresh with ripe apple and peach aromas, plus notes of citrus peel and white flowers, this Prosecco offers a broad spread of white fruits in the mouth, with a lovely floral lift, good mineral depth and balancing vibrant acidity. Ideal with canapés – a great choice for parties.
Price: costs £14.90
Where to buy: cadmanfinewines.co.uk.
Barefoot Wine’s Bubbly Pinot Grigio
A sparkling wine filled with flavours of zesty citrus and blossom aromas, this fizz is perfect for pairing with party canapés as well as Asian cuisine, for takeaway with friends or simply to toast the festive season. Sure to add a sparkle to any festive celebration, this comes with an affordable price tag too.
Price: £8.50
Where to buy: barefootwine.co.uk
Sensi Prosecco 18k Gold
Sensi Prosecco is a true example of Italian tradition meeting luxury and this happens to be beautifully packaged too! Notes of green apple and citrus fruits on the nose are followed to the palate; a light, refreshing and elegant wine. Ideal as an aperitif or served alongside canapés at a Christmas or New Year’s party.
Price: £16.99
Where to buy: ocado.com
Borgo Molino 22
Not only is this Prosecco tasty, it is exquisitely packaged too and a good price for any celebration this season. Borgo moline has notes of green apple and citrus fruits and would be ideal to serve on Christmas Day, before the meal or to take as a gift.
Price: £9.99
Where to buy: Co-Op
Freixenet Cordon Negro limited-edition polka dot bottle
Created using the same traditional techniques as Champagne, this superior sparkling Cava from Catalonia has a crisp, well balanced flavour, and the elegant, limited edition black and gold bottle makes for a stylish centrepiece at any celebration.
Flavours of apple, pear and citrus, combined with a pinch of ginger to finish, makes this wine the perfect accompaniment for canapés – try it alongside smoked salmon and cream cheese blinis, or olive tapenade and goats cheese crostini.
Price: £10
Where to buy: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Ocado and Nisa.
Under £50
Black Chalk Classic 2015
This is a new English sparkling wine, made from grapes hand-selected from Hampshire’s finest chalklands. The wine is small-batch produced and has an unusually high proportion of Pinot Meunier (34%, alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). Stylistically, purity of fruit is key, along with structure and a complex, balanced palate. The careful use of oak for a proportion of the wines helps to develop this complexity; a great choice.
Price: £35
Where to buy: blackchalkwine.co.uk
Champagne Bruno Paillard “Dosage : Zero”
Independent Champagne House, Maison Bruno Paillard has launched this new cuvée, which is a natural extension to the Maison’s Multi Vintage family. The vineyards, grapes, composition and use of reserve wines and ageing were all critical in producing a Champagne which expresses the purity of the northern climate and chalk soils, whilst giving great complexity and balance – a personal favourite.
Price: £49.80
Where to buy: hedonism.co.uk
Something special
Dom Pérignon Legacy Edition Vintage 2008 Gift Box
Fans of Dom Pérignon and collectors of sensational wines will want a bottle of this limited edition Champagne, where a vintage is only released after being created using the finest grapes from an exceptional harvest. This Legacy Edition Vintage 2008 Gift Box is a special release marking a historic handover of an extraordinary wine-making legacy.
Richard Geoffroy, the legendary Chef de Cave is to hand over the creative reigns of the illustrious Dom Pérignon Maison to Vincent Chaperon after nearly 30 years. To mark the occasion you can purchase a bottle of Vintage 2008 (the final vintage produced by Geoffroy) signed by both parties. Snap this up quickly and save it for a special occasion or pop it now!
Price: £145
We’re to buy: clos19.com
A.Bergère ‘Prestige’ Vintage 2002
This vintage champagne is presented in a special shaped magnum bottle which adds to its elegance. The nose is deep, complex and savoury and on the palate there are notes of roasted nuts, honey and mocha – very sumptuous and ideal to enjoy with a wild mushroom risotto. The vintage of 2002 was a memorable and excellent year and, despite the age of this champagne, the finish is extraordinarily fresh.
Price: £94.98
Where to buy: thefizzcompany.com
Collection Crayères
Here you have an opportunity to purchase a limited edition collection of vintage Champagne – Collection Crayères. To celebrate the release of this customers have the opportunity to be transported into the 2,000-year-old chalk cellars where the award-winning champagnes are vinified.
Untouched in the cellars, a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site, since the original bottlings, this will be the first time that each vintage (1983, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2004) and the 1982 Blanc de Blanc of this renowned cuveé has been presented together, with only 150 cases available worldwide.
Price: £2,700 per case.
Where to buy: Hedonism Wines
