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31/12/2023 11:16
Champagne on New Year’s Eve may be all about the ‘pop’ and party but choose wisely and you will add even more sparkle to your special occasion – and you don’t need to spend big.
Good champagnes for under $100 do exist and are more commonly available than you may think. Balancing quality with value judiciously will almost always lead you to non-vintage styles which receive a solid dosing of older ‘reserve’ wines in the blend, adding richness and complexity. Value can also be found in some blanc de blancs and, to a lesser extent, rosé styles which are generally more expensive.
Whatever the bottle, let palate rather than price be the ultimate referral. Good champagne should always be fresh and lively, with some complexity, and possess a salivating deliciousness leaving you wanting more.
Feeling inspired? Here are my suggestions for New Year’s Eve 2023.
Pierre Gimonnet Cuvée Cuis 1er Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs
From the land of great chardonnay comes a remarkable blanc de blancs of tremendous energy and precision. It brings together five vintages, three years on lees, and small dosage to make its chalky origins shine with enthralling tension and freshness. Allow a moment or two and notice how it transforms into an apple blossom beauty with incredible length.
RRP $90
Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV
Piper-Heidsieck’s entry-level NV stands without parallel when it comes to quality at a competitive price. It’s simply delicious champagne, made well, and plays to the power of reserve wine and grapes sourced for character rather than prestige. A classic blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier produces a celebrated profile of apples, pears and toast. Energy comes from the brightness of chardonnay and salivating salinity. Utterly quaffable.
RRP $65
Louis Roederer Collection 244
Perhaps no other non-vintage champagne leaves you beguiled by its elegance than Louis Roederer’s Collection series. It’s sure to raise the calibre of any NYE soirée. The nose is pronounced; fronting with lemony freshness, creamy, then with sweet summer fruits and ginger spice. On the palate, it’s rich and succulent, loaded with mineral energy and malic tension, and drives some intense red and yellow fruits with just a little apple peel bitterness. It finishes in a crescendo of salty mineral verve and dry extract. One of the best.
RRP $95
Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV
Pol Roger’s ‘white foil’ is one of the great classic non-vintage champagnes, carefully balancing power and lightness in a masterful blend championed by pinot noir. It marries zesty freshness and a delicate mousse with the structure of black grapes and some subtle development such as sticky pastries, a slick of melted butter and grilled nuts. Delicious as an apéritif or food wine.
RRP $90
Lanson Le Rosé NV
Lanson’s trademark malic tension is softened in its rosé incarnation, making for a classic style bursting with berry freshness, pepper and just a touch of brioche. Here, the tannins are gentle and the texture creamy; a scintillating summer apéritif and one of the best value rosé champagnes available.
RRP $80
Words by Sara Underdown.