Whether it’s to accompany breakfast on Christmas morning, canapés before the turkey or a party in the run up to the day itself, Champagne always feels fitting when things get festive. The style’s popularity at this time of year means the category is an annual battleground for Britain’s big retailers, with quality Champagne at a good price representing a great way of getting shoppers into stores. So, where should you be heading? After selecting 12 of the best Christmas supermarket still wines, we’ve picked out the best supermarket Champagnes for Christmas 2024, as well as four standout sparklers from other regions.
Wine buyers have a difficult job at the best of times but Champagne is especially challenging because key decisions on blending and ageing are taken years in advance, such is the nature of the ‘traditional method’ production process. Vintage cuvées (those from specific years, as opposed to non-vintage, which blend in reserve wines for consistency) are more popular come Christmas but much depends on the year of the harvest.
The big supermarkets still battle it out to bring us the cheapest sparklers but, as a rule, it’s best to give budget bubbles a wide berth
The big supermarkets still battle it out to bring us the cheapest sparklers but, as a rule, it’s best to give budget bubbles a wide berth, as so many examples are either characterless or cloying, or – worse still – both. However, Co-op has conjured a festive miracle to rival the virgin birth with a bargain Argentine sparkler that puts rival offerings in the shade, while Lidl has a compelling Champagne that represents impressive value.
While you may already have read Essi Avellan MW’s piece on the top Champagnes for Christmas, featuring 23 bottles selected from the this year’s Grand Marque Champagne Report, the selection below focuses on the more affordable end of the spectrum and wines that are easy to get hold of on the high street. Listed below are 12 top supermarket sparklers to seek out this Christmas.
8 of the best supermarket Champagnes this Christmas
Les Pionniers 2013 Vintage Champagne
From the successful and often underrated 2013 vintage, a classy Champagne that not only won a coveted gold medal at the IWSC but also scooped a trophy, representing the best in show. It’s richly deserved, as the nose entices with notes of toasted brioche, baked apple and jasmine, while the textured palate offers layers of lemon tart, frangipani and mountain honey, supported by a refreshing minerality. An accomplished Champagne, perfect for Christmas morning. 95 points
Co-op, £37
De Saint-Gall So Dark Grand Cru Champagne 2016
Union Champagne, a top-notch co-operative that’s the largest owner of Premier and Grand Cru grapes in the region, is responsible for Tesco’s dependable own-label bubbly but this Pinot Noir-led vintage cuvée carries the De Saint-Gall brand. An aromatic, cherry, berry nose leads into a generous palate with creamy lemon posset, raw cashew and toasted brioche, balanced by a cranberry acid line. If you’re squeamish about taking a supermarket-branded fizz to your host, bring this instead. 93 points
Tesco, £46
M&S Champagne Delacourt Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2018
From the Delacourt range exclusive to M&S, a box office blanc de blancs, offering a beguiling, faintly floral nose of citrus blossom and toasted sourdough slathered in butter, with generous mid-palate intensity, stone fruits, hints of hazelnut and festive spice, and a long, effortlessly elegant finish. With four years of lees ageing, it’s a well-priced, versatile wine, ideal for dressed crab or mushroom vol-au-vents. 93 points
M&S/Ocado, £29
Les Pionniers Brut NV
Co-op’s ‘house’ Champagne is arguably the best such bottle in UK retail. Produced by a big name, Piper-Heidsieck, it offers an attractive and surprisingly extravagant nose of toasted hazelnut, nougat and crunchy yellow apple. The bubbles are fine, there’s impressive concentration and the plump orchard fruit is balanced by a fine line of citrus acidity. In short, there’s nothing not to love. 93 points
Co-op, £22.75
Waitrose Brut NV Champagne
Waitrose can always be relied upon for dependable Christmas fizz and this Pinot Noir-led example comes from Alexandre Bonnet in the Aube. The nose offers a festive feel, with its bright red berries, lemon curd and subtle hints of cinnamon toast, there’s a fine mousse and a generous, smooth palate of nectarine and red apple, held in check by a firm citrus acidity. 92 points
Waitrose, £24.99
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Brut Champagne NV
A classy cuvée for the price, there’s a lovely orchard fruit nose, with nutty notes and a gentle toasty character. With a gentle mousse, the mid palate is relatively understated but there’s some good fresh citrus acidity, to cut through those pigs-in-blankets, and a biscuity finish. 91 points
Sainsbury’s, £23
Montaudon Brut NV
Lidl has upped its game on the Champagne front over the last year or so and this softly spoken, elegant fizz really delivers for the price. There’s baked apple, shortcrust pasty and a delicate but ever-present balancing acidity. The ‘Primark of Champagnes’, it’s stylish for the price, so perfect for a party. 90 points
Lidl, £14.99
Tesco Finest Vintage Grand Cru Champagne 2017
Tesco’s vintage bubbly is usually a winter winner but it is, of course, dependent on a given year’s harvest and 2017 was not the most auspicious. Pure Chardonnay, the variety that fared best, from the Côte des Blancs, this is approachable, if rather lithe, with zesty citrus and golden delicious apple and sufficient baked croissant character to maintain the festive mood. Serve with a bowl of Christmas cashews. 90 points
Tesco, £30
…and four top sparkling wines from elsewhere
EH Booth and Co, English Sparkling Wine NV
From the Sussex winery of an English pioneer, Ridgeview Estate, for Booths, this is a textbook English sparkler that showcases this country’s signature apple acidity without any distracting embellishments. Striking for its crystalline purity, with bright orchard fruits, including russet apple and greengage, enhanced by creamy cobnuts and gentle hints of freshly baked croissant. One for smoked trout and horseradish. 94 points
Booths, £24
Cave de Lugny, Crémant de Bourgogne NV
We have woken up to the wonder of Crémant and its traditional method ‘not-Champagne-but-almost’ character. 100% Chardonnay, from an accomplished co-operative in the Mâconnais, there’s plump apple and crumbly pie crust, with pithy lemon acidity and a plushness that could pass for Champagne. 91 points
Waitrose, £16.99
M&S, Graham Beck, The Rhona, Brut NV
When it comes to top quality on a tight budget, Cap Classique is more or less unbeatable and this is no exception. Exclusive to M&S, a blend of majority Chardonnay with 43% Pinot Noir crafted by the accomplished Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira of Graham Beck, the orchard fruit nose is zingy and fresh, there’s crunchy green apple, gentle toasty complexity from 10% reserve wines, and a pithy citrus finish. A great fridge door standby for those unexpected guests. 90 points
M&S/Ocado, £14
Co-op Irresistible Tilimuqui Sparkling Brut
A sparkler that has a suspiciously low price, features one of my least favourite grapes (Torrontés) and yet still earns a recommendation. From that attractive floral nose to the plump tropical fruit and crisp acidity, this is a good option for large-scale entertaining. Appropriately enough, it’s from a big co-operative in Argentina, La Riojana, and is ‘Fairtrade’ certified, for guaranteed guilt-free quaffing. 89 points
Co-op, £9
