Fizz the season! Tesco triumphs in Which? champagne taste tests
The consumer champion asked a panel of four independent wine experts to blind-taste a selection of non-vintage champagnes to uncover the best bubbly.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne was the winner with 82 per cent - enough to earn a coveted Best Buy endorsement. At £25, this champagne impressed the panel with its inviting nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavours. Which?’s top Best Buy champagne was a big hit with the experts and beat Moët & Chandon which is almost twice the price at £44 and scored 77 per cent in the test.
Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Brut Champagne was also a hit with the panel and won a Best Buy endorsement. Scoring 80 per cent, this bottle is competitively priced at £22. The panel liked its aroma of crunchy green apples with a suggestion of pecans, spice and butterscotch.
Waitrose’s Brut NV Champagne was also awarded a Best Buy endorsement. At £25, the bubbly received a score of 80 per cent for its pleasing peach, pear and apple flavours, and a superb nut and winter spice taste.
For a cheaper alternative to champagne, Which? also tested sparkling wines, and uncovered some brilliant budget bottles. The cheapest of these, Lidl’s Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene, scored 80 per cent. At £7.49 a bottle, this Great Value option is an excellent alternative to champagne, and perfect for Christmas parties.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Home Products and Services Editor, said:
“Millions of people like to toast the festive season with some fizz, and our panel found affordable and delicious options that were dramatically cheaper than alternatives from the big-name champagne houses.
“Our taste tests show that you don’t have to spend over the odds for a supermarket champagne or sparkling wine that delivers on quality and value for money, making it the perfect Christmas tipple.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
Which?’s panel of four independent wine experts blind-tasted 10 champagnes for the 2024 taste test. The consumer champion asked each supermarket to nominate a non-vintage champagne costing up to £50. Which? also tested 10 cheaper sparkling wines from the supermarkets.
Our expert tasting panel included:
Sam Caporn – Master of Wine, consultant, speaker, writer and co-chair of the International Wine Challenge
Magnavai Janjo – Founder of wine importer and consultancy MJ Wine Cellars
Susie Barrie – Master of Wine, speaker, consultant, broadcaster, podcaster, writer and co-chair of the WineGB Awards
Helen McGinn – Author, drinks writer, TV presenter and co-chair of the International Wine Challenge
Best Buys
Which? only awards its Best Buy logo to the very best products, based on its independent expert taste tests. Which? Best Buys have all satisfied or exceeded our expert criteria, based on the results of rigorous comparative testing and analysis carried out by Which?.
You can be confident that you're spending money on a genuinely impressive product.
Great Value
Meticulously selected by Which? product experts, these Great Value choices not only deliver impressive performance, but also come at a budget-friendly price – at least 20 per cent cheaper than the average cost among items Which? has tested in their respective categories.
Prices are correct as of 14 November 2024
For images, please contact alice.barnard@which.co.uk
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.