Wine – and especially Champagne – is here for one very specific reason: to spark joy. There’s something about Champagne that makes moments feel bigger, brighter, and just a little more extra. And when you want to show someone they matter? You pop a bottle of bubbly.
Champagne – we drink it standing, at parties, while toasting to love, success, or just getting through the week. And honestly? The brand on the label often takes a backseat to the vibe in the glass. If it’s Champagne, it feels like something worth celebrating.
But here’s the thing — not all Champagne tastes the same.
Each Champagne house has its own signature style, shaped by factors like:
- Grape blends (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier)
- Fermentation choices
- Sweetness levels (aka “dosage”)
- Aging process
- Use of reserve wines
Last weekend at Glengarry’s Victoria Park store, they went all out. Think: dozens of open bottles ready to sample, an oyster bar – of course – and the ultimate question echoing around the room:
“What’s your favourite Champagne?”
From crisp and citrusy to rich and creamy, the tasting gave everyone a chance to find their perfect match. And let’s be honest — finding your favourite Champagne is way more fun than finding your favourite power company or laundry detergent.
So… what would you choose?
Did you go for Perrier-Jouët, known for its floral, delicate style; Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut – broad, balanced and fruity; or Veuve Clicquot whose Yellow Label seemed to have dropped its usual creamy, biscuitiness for a much fresher, Aperitif style? Another label that seemed to have changed tack was Laurent Perrier, although the NV ‘La Cuvée’ was still a dry, crisp ‘Brut’ in character.
If you were after rich & full-bodied traits, with toast, brioche, and nutty flavours to the fore, then you would have been standing with a glass of Bollinger Special Cuvée or the Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV. The Paul Bara Brut Reserve also had rich yeasty autolysis and marmite notes.
A few of the labels manage to have a signature taste year after year – the ‘house style’. Billecart-Salmon (precise, minerally), Taittinger (elegant, creamy) and Mumm (clean, approachable) were great examples of this. And labels such as Piper Heideseck, Drappier and Moutard had excellent cuvées that fell into that ‘please a crowd’ range of fruit-forward, easy-to-understand and affordable bracket.
I was pleased to see a slew of labels that I hadn’t tasted before. As I say to my partner when I return from a wine tasting… ‘it’s all a learning opportunity’. JB Hery had a pair of Brut style wines – a ‘Blanc de Noir’ from Pinot Noir, and a ‘Blanc de Blanc’ made from Chardonnay. Gosset showed a light, citrussy ‘Blanc de Blanc’ as well, plus a sensational bottle of ‘Celebris Extra Brut 2012 vintage’. Other newcomers to my palate were Telmont and Serge Mathieu, with a blend of old-school brioche/biscuit, toasty oak and almond notes. Both were complex and well-balanced.
I should mention my favourites. The Billecart-Salmon ‘Brut Reserve NV’ did this lovely trick of starting off with a citrus precision, before hitting your mid-palate with a wave of Reserve wine richness and generosity. Piper Heideseck had their new ‘Champion Wine of the Show’ Trophy winner ‘Essentiel Cuvée Brut NV’ which hit the “agile, light and focussed” buttons. Plus a mention of their ‘Vintage 2012’ which was a well-priced aged wine.
However, a new wine – from Drappier – the ‘Clarevallis Organic Extra Brut NV’ probably took my vote. Well-known for their ‘Carte d’Or’ bottling, this a is a new organic wine that was yeasty, heady and characterful, with a barrel-fermented heart and a touch of cognac to the finish.
Timed to coincide with all of their Champagnes being on sale at Glengarry, now is a good time to stock up for summer. I hope you find these notes helpful when you choose, but, remember, taste is all a very personal thing, and your number 1 rule should always be: ‘Is it delicious?’
Thanks for sharing this article — I enjoyed reading your thoughts and insights.