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Cheaper own-brand champagnes from supermarkets have beaten a luxury champagne house in an annual festive taste test.
The consumer group Which one? asked British supermarkets to choose non-vintage champagne that costs up to £50. A panel of four impartial wine experts blindly tasted the sample to determine which sparkling wine was the best.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne (£25) scored the highest among the panel at 82 per cent. It beat Moët & Chandon's Brut Impérial, which scored 77 per cent, despite costing almost twice the price at £44.
The judges said the Tesco Champagne was a “distinctive and elegant champagne with full body, creamy texture and a long, delicious finish”. Its “attractive nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavors” impressed the experts.
Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Brut champagne also wowed the judges, with the £22 bottle scoring 80 per cent. The panel, which included Sam Caporn, co-chair of the International Wine Challenge, liked its “aroma of crisp green apples with a suggestion of pecans, spice and caramel.”
Waitrose's Brut NV champagne also outperformed the Moët & Chandon bottle of champagne, with the panel rating it 80 per cent. The judges said the £25 bottle had “pleasant peach, pear and apple flavours” and a “great taste of nuts and winter spices”.
Which? awarded “best buy” status to champagnes from Tesco, Aldi and Waitrose.
The experts also tested cheaper alternatives to champagne. Lidl's Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene scored 80 percent. At £7.49 a bottle, the judges deemed the bottle of sparkling wine “a great alternative to champagne and perfect for the Christmas holidays”.
Panel members did not know which product they were testing and the order in which they tested each bottle was rotated to minimize the risk of bias.
Natalie Hitchins, which one? Home Products and Services Editor, said: “Millions of people like to toast the festive season with some fizz, and our panel found delicious, affordable options that were dramatically cheaper than alternatives from big-name champagne houses.
“Our taste tests show that you don't need to spend too much on a supermarket champagne or sparkling wine that offers quality and value for money, making it the perfect Christmas drink.”
