New Year’s Eve is around the corner. It’s time to loosen our purse strings (and belt buckles…) and indulge in the finer things in life. And everybody knows that premium sparkling wines help to make the season bright!
Premium sparkling wines make the perfect holiday gift. Have you ever met someone that wasn’t happy to receive a bottle of Champagne? American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald once said: “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” I couldn’t agree more.
Over the past couple of months, I have had the good fortune to attend a series of tastings featuring Champagne and premium sparkling wines. Today, I am going to share my top 10 favourite bubblies of 2018 with you lovely folks.
Before the wine intelligentsia descends upon me with cries of “why didn’t you include this fabulous grower Champagne house”, let me explain my criteria:
- Recently tasted
- 40 – 75$ category
- Offers fantastic value for price
- Widely available in liquor stores so wine lovers can easily find them
- Good diversity of styles from crisp, bone-dry and light to rich, opulent, and toasty
For the more scholarly wine lovers among you, click here for a refresher on the unique aspects of terroir and winemaking that make Champagne so alluring.
If you prefer your Champagne wine lesson in video format, scroll down to the bottom for a bonus video!
My top 10 premium sparkling wines of 2018 are:
Ca’del Bosco Cuvée Prestige Franciacorta 2016 – 88pts. PW
Classic Franciacorta blend of mainly Chardonnay, with a touch of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Aged for 25 months on the lees, the 2016 vintage displays ripe yellow apple, grilled hazelnuts, and brioche on the nose. Crisp acidity and vigorous, moderately persistent bubbles are underscored on the palate by the medium body, rounded texture, and tangy, lemony flavours. Very dry, extra-brut finish (4g/L).
Where to buy: SAQ (44.75$). LCBO (42.95$)
Champagne Forget-Brimont Premier Cru Brut Rosé – 92pts. LW
A quarter of the grapes in this Premier Cru rosé are sourced from Grand Cru vineyards. The blend is 80% black grapes (equal parts Pinot Noir and Meunier), 20% Chardonnay. Lovely pale pink colour. Quite restrained on the nose with hints of lemon, tart red fruits, and earthy, mineral nuances. Brisk, light in body, with very fine, persistent bubbles and wonderfully vibrant red berry fruit on the mid-palate.
Where to buy: SAQ (54.50$). LCBO (52.15$)
Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain – 91pts. LW
Unquestionably one of the best value Champagnes I had the pleasure of drinking this year. Chardonnay looms large in this very elegant cuvée, aged 3 years on lees. Steely in acidity and structure, this light-bodied Champagne is flinty, with lemon/ lime aromas, underscored by brioche and white floral notes upon aeration. Ultra-fine bubbles, moderate concentration, and grilled, nutty notes that linger on the finish. Very dry (verging on extra-brut).
Where to buy: SAQ (57.50$)
Champagne Fleury Père & Fils Blanc de Noirs Brut – 89pts. LW
This biodynamic bubbly composed exclusively of Pinot Noir is sourced from the Côte des Bar. Quite earthy, with red apple notes and toasty nuances. Bracing acidity and firm bubbles gives way to an expansive, rounded mid-palate. Highly textured, with savoury flavours, and a tangy, lifted finish. Great balance.
Where to buy: SAQ (58.50$). LCBO (39.95$ – 375mL bottles)
Lightfoot & Wolfville Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature 2012 (Nova Scotia) – 91pts. LW
2012 was the inaugural release from this top quality Nova Scotia winery. Aged 5 years on its lees, made entirely of Chardonnay, this is world-class sparkling wine. The nose displays attractive citrus, green apple, biscuity aromatics. Piercing acidity and fine mousse feature on the ultra-sleek palate. Finishes bone-dry (zéro-dosage) with lovely saline hints.
Where to buy: Inquire with estate: Lightfoot & Wolfville (65.22$) or agent: Delaney Vins & Spiritueux
Maison Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne – 93pts. LW
Meunier is the major grape in this blend, with equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, sourced entirely from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards. Subtle, yet enticing notes of red apple, wet stone, brioche, and acacia on the nose. The palate is brisk, medium in body, with intense lemon, orchard fruit, pâtisserie flavours, harmonizing nicely with the creamy texture. Fine, persistent mousse and long finish.
Where to buy: SAQ (66.25$)
Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne – 92pts PW
This is a great choice for lovers of toastier, more opulent styles of Champagne. Comprised of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and 20% Meunier, the base wines are partially aged in oak casks with weekly bâtonnage. 6 different vintages of reserve wine are used in the blend. Buttered toast nuances and grilled hazelnut notes feature on the nose, underscored by orchard fruit and citrus hints. Crisp, medium in body, with fine bubbles, and a very creamy, layered texture. Very long, subtly savoury finish.
Where to buy: SAQ (70.75$). LCBO (74.95$)
Champagne Dhondt-Grellet Les Terres Fines Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru – 94pts. LW
A very pure, precise Blanc de Blancs, sourced from the Premier Cru “Cuis” on the Côte des Blancs. 48 months ageing on lees gives tempting biscuity aromatics, underscored by pretty white floral notes, green almond, lime and flinty nuances. Racy and sleek on the palate, with ultra-fine bubbles, and mouthwatering citrus, mineral flavours. The high acid and bone-dry (extra-brut) finish are ably balanced by a delicately creamy, concentrated core. Very long, mineral-laden finish.
Where to buy: SAQ (72.75$)
Champagne Gosset Grande Réserve Brut – 92pts. LW
Similar in style to the Roederer, with slightly racier acidity. Sourced from Grand and Premier Cru villages, this blend of 3% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier has elegant, restrained aromas of green apple, bread dough, anise, and wet stone on the nose. Incredibly harmonious on the palate, with the zesty acidity lifting the rich, nutty, rounded mid-palate nicely. Well-defined, persistent bubbles. Brut dosage (10g/L).
Where to buy: SAQ (76.25$)
Champagne Ruinart Brut – 93pts. LW
Ruinart is the oldest of the Champagne houses, and a perennial favourite of mine. This 60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay blend is composed of 40% reserve wine and aged on its lees for 3 years. Highly seductive nose featuring acacia, yellow fruits, lemon, and brioche. The palate is multi-dimensioned – with its soaring acidity, and taut, flinty character, harmonizing perfectly with a rich, expansive, nutty mid-palate. Delicate, persistent bubbles linger long in the glass.
Where to buy: SAQ (82.00$)