During the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards I spent three days at Customs House in London judging the champagne category.
Flights were blind, arranged by style, region and vintage, and scored on the Decanter 100-point scale. The process is short, sharp and shiny: the objective is to get straight to the point in every flight. Medals were decided after individual scoring, through discussion with the panel, led for Champagne and Burgundy by regional chair Charles Curtis MW.
Day one opened with the Brut Nature flight - a brutal start to the process, but pleasantly surprising in how well they were drinking. Seventy-three champagnes went past us on that first day alone, part of a total of 234 champagnes tasted across the three days. The internal judging software gives you very little information about the wines in front of you; you capture just a few key sentences describing the quality of the wine, and above all: is it a balanced wine? Is it a good wine? There is no time for in-depth analysis of every bottle. You move from one to another very quickly to lock each flight down so the next can arrive. As a taster, it is rigorous - you have to get up to mental speed very quickly.
Judging has a useful way of stripping a wine back to what is actually in the glass. Without a label to guide you, you have to listen more carefully. My clearest impression from the week was that Blanc de Blancs stood out among all the styles and champagnes I tasted.
How the judging works
In blind judging, the identity of the producer is hidden: no label, no reputation, no story to lean on. Three tables of three judges worked through the category, with Charles Curtis moving between them; at my table, the senior judge was Tim Triptree of Christie’s. Before every flight, the team runs a calibration: a few extra moments tasting the first wine together, so that everyone is on the same page when it comes to evaluation and scoring. Individual scores form the starting point; medals are settled through a discussion among the panel.
That final conversation matters. A score records one judge’s assessment, but the panel has to consider how a wine performs alongside others in its flight and agree on the result. It is a disciplined process, and one that gives wines from lesser-known producers a fair chance to be taken on their own terms. When a gold was on the table, Charles Curtis would come over to confirm he agreed with the status - and when more than one gold was awarded in a flight, the chairs of the whole DWWA would also come and taste. We were mostly in strong alignment, but there were scoring discrepancies from time to time, occasionally quite a lot, and those called for the regional chair and the chairs of the awards to give their evaluation. Sometimes these things are subjective; that senior input is the checks and balances working as they should.
Day two produced three golds in a single flight, one of the week’s most memorable sessions. The judging group was incredible, with world-leading sommeliers, wine critics and champagne authorities, and the concentration required across hundreds of champagnes over three days is real. Mental stamina has to last from beginning to end of day, giving every wine its best chance. Everything is spat out - you want very little alcohol residue after every taste.
The champagne itself extracts its own toll. With the high acidity of these wines, tasting can strip the inside of your mouth, and the enamel of your teeth is not spared either. By the end of the third day I really noticed how much my palate had suffered, and I had to be careful with drinks and food in the days that followed to let it recover.
Blanc de Blancs: the standout of the week
Among all varietals and all the champagnes tasted, Blanc de Blancs was the standout for me. In increasingly warm years, the freshness Chardonnay brings is especially desirable. It helps carry the classical champagne profile, freshness and finesse, into every wine.
That is not to say that one grape variety offers a simple answer to changing conditions. Chardonnay has had a harder time in the vineyard in both 2025 and 2026, a nuance I discussed in my report on the 2026 harvest. The variety’s role is evolving; its freshness in the glass is exactly what Champagne prizes.
The results gave that impression a striking echo: both Champagne Best in Show medals went to Blanc de Blancs from the 2012 vintage. The wines were quite different in origin and identity, but their shared style and vintage made a clear headline.
A Côte des Bar Best in Show
One of those wines came from a part of Champagne better known for Pinot Noir. Charles Collin Cuvée Charles Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012 received Best in Show with 97 points. From near Essoyes in the Côte des Bar, it offered a reminder that Chardonnay can make a compelling case well beyond the more familiar Chardonnay heartlands.
The Côte des Bar’s Kimmeridgian soils, limestone and clay marl rich in marine fossils, are comparable to those around Chablis. Charles Curtis MW noted that he had “always suspected that there was a lot of potential to the Chardonnays [here], particularly in a not-too-hot vintage such as 2012”. The judges’ notes described peach, quince, brioche, dried lemon and root botanicals, with a vibrant, multi-faceted character that remained elegant and refreshing.
There is a quiet significance in seeing a Côte des Bar producer take one of the highest awards with Chardonnay. Blind judging helps make room for that possibility: a wine does not need a famous name to earn serious attention. The result is a useful prompt to look beyond the usual assumptions about where a particular grape belongs.
2012 shines
The second Best in Show was De Saint-Gall Orpale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012, also awarded 97 points. De Saint-Gall is the label of Union Champagne, a cooperative. Its result offered another expression of Chardonnay: grand cru concentration and length, a fine-beaded mousse and richly fruited, plant-infused aromas, with hints of mocha and toasted brioche. The finish brought fruit, salt and stone.
The 2012 season began with a cold, wet spring, frost and hail. A magnificent August and a bright, airy September helped the fruit ripen fully over the season. It is a vintage that rewarded patience, and both Best in Show wines show how Blanc de Blancs from that year can combine maturity with freshness.
What the full medal list says
The two Best in Show wines were not the whole story. Across a competition that drew almost 17,000 wines from 58 countries, Champagne’s full medal tally came to two Best in Show, nine Platinum, 35 Gold and 311 Silver. Both Best in Show wines also secured places in the competition’s Top 50 Wines - the only champagnes to do so. The range included Meunier-led Blanc de Noirs - excellent in most cases, in my tasting - along with Pinot Noir-driven non-vintage rosé and brut nature, alongside the Blanc de Blancs that caught my attention.
| Award or style | Examples from the 2026 results |
|---|---|
| Best in Show, 97 points | Charles Collin Cuvée Charles Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012; De Saint-Gall Orpale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012 |
| Platinum, 97-point examples | Brimoncourt Régence Brut NV; Drappier Brut Nature NV; Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2018; Rare Millésime 2012 |
| Other styles among top awards | Meunier-led Blanc de Noirs; non-vintage rosé; brut nature |
Other 97-point Platinum examples included Cattier 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs NV, Philippe Gonet TER Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV and Prestige des Sacres Cuvée Dynastie NV. Saint Réol Brut Grand Cru Ambonnay 2008 was released in magnum - a format that flatters aged champagne - while Marks & Spencer Delacourt Blanc de Blancs 2017 proved that outstanding champagne exists at a range of price levels. And Rare Champagne 2012, also awarded Platinum, remains one of my favourite wines from the vintage, combining intensity, elegance and remarkable persistence. The spread reached from Marks and Spencer Delacourt at £35 to Rare Millésime at £230.
Taken together, the results suggest breadth rather than one narrow definition of success. Different grape varieties, dosage choices and formats made their mark. I came away genuinely encouraged by the quality of the wines tasted.
The wines below, I personally judged, received Best in Show and Platinum status.
BEST IN SHOW, official DWWA score: 97
Charles Collin, Cuvée Charles Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012 (Côte des Bar)
My tasting note: "Highly aromatic nose displaying some dried lemon and botanical notes. Elegant and restrained palate for the 2012 vintage. Great acidity, length and line."
De Saint-Gall, Orpale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012 (Union Champagne)
My tasting note "Tropical nose and grilled nuts on the nose. Generous and mouth coating on the palate. Great length."
PLATINUM, official DWWA score: 97 each
Brimoncourt, Régence Brut NV (£15–49.99 band)
My tasting note: "Delicious creamy and refined texture and flavour. Baked lemon pie. Harmonious and well balanced. Long finish."
Philippe Gonet, TER Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV (£50+ band)
My tasting note: "Delicate nose. Medium bodied champagne with delicate texture. Quite easy drinking. Medium finish."
Jacquart, Blanc de Blancs Brut 2018 (£50+ band)
My tasting note: "Pretty wine of delicacy and finesse. There is a beauty in its restraint. It feels to have not taken on the 'solar' nature of the vintage as much as others and is, instead much more refined. Chalky and saline. Long length."
Marks & Spencer, Delacourt Blanc de Blancs Brut 2017 (£15–49.99 band)
My tasting note: "Big rich style of champagne delivering a vinous character. This is a gastronomic wine showing some grilled nut and toasted character. Medium length."
Cattier, Blanc de Blancs Brut Premier Cru NV (£50+ band)
My tasting note: "A gourmand nose. Impressive champagne showing good balance between generous fruit profile, freshness and energy. Creamy also. Strong length and line. Long finish."
Prestige des Sacres, Cuvée Dynastie Brut NV (£50+ band)
My tasting note: "Great wine. Solid structure. Deeply concentrated flavours. Fluffy texture. Excellent length."
The outcome, at least for me
Judging in the UK is one way I stay close to the global champagne conversation. It informs the way I introduce the region and its producers to travellers on our Champagne Signature Journeys, and the stories I share through VINE & BUBBLE. For the full medal report, read Decanter’s coverage of Champagne at the top of its game; you can also read my Decanter judge profile.
The week left me with a renewed appreciation for how much a glass can say when we give it the chance. In 2026, the freshness of Blanc de Blancs was the clearest note, and the depth of quality across Champagne was a reason to keep listening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWWA?
The Decanter World Wine Awards is an international wine competition in which judges taste wines blind, score them on the Decanter 100-point scale and decide medals through panel discussion.
Who won Best in Show for champagne at DWWA 2026?
Both Champagne Best in Show winners were 2012 Blanc de Blancs, each scoring 97 points: Charles Collin Cuvée Charles Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012 and De Saint-Gall Orpale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2012.
How does blind judging work at the Decanter World Wine Awards?
Wines are served without their labels or producer identities, in flights organised by style, region or vintage. Judges score each wine individually, then discuss the results as a panel before medals are decided.
What was the standout style at DWWA 2026?
For me, Blanc de Blancs was the standout among the champagne styles tasted. Both Champagne Best in Show medals went to 2012 Blanc de Blancs.
