For many families, this Christmas will be an extra special one after a difficult year, so why not celebrate with a bottle of something special? We’ve put together our favourite champagne, prosecco and sparkling wine choices to add a little sparkle this festive season.
Ayala Blanc de Blancs
Ayala has been producing Champagne since the 1860s and during the 1920s was producing around a million bottles a year, making it one of the greatest houses of the age. In 2005 Ayala was made a part of the Bollinger family, and has continued to produce quality vintages under its wing.
Ayala Blanc de Blancs blend is 100% chardonnay from Cote de Blancs and is aged for around six years on the lees, enhancing the slight yeast notes in the flavour.
On the nose, Ayala Blanc de Blancs is fresh and fruity, with apple and peach in abundance. There is a subtle spice there too, enticing you in. On the tongue, the flavour opens out to reveal citrus and a honeyed sweetness, with just a hint of vanilla. It’s smooth and long in the finish, with a minerality you’d expect from a Champagne.
Ayala isn’t a complex wine, but it is vibrant and elegant, and worthy of a place on your table.
What: Ayala Blanc de Blancs
How much: £47
Where from: Simply Wines Direct
Lanson Le Blanc de Blancs
A relatively new addition to the Lanson lineup, introduced in 2013 by the house winemaker Herve Dantan, this beautiful gold liquid will set off your Christmas table with style.
Made using grapes from 15 of the finest crus of chardonnay, then blended with wines from the Grands and Premiers crus which have been matured in oak cases for up to 20 years, Le Blanc de Blanc is then aged for a minimum of five years.
This fresh, aromatic wine has subtle flavours that are perfect for the festive season. On the nose, it’s slightly sweet, with a light fruit and citrus fragrance which is laced with an almost buttery note. There’s a hint of sesame in there too, giving some depth to the fragrance.
Once in the mouth, the citrus flavours develop further and a hint of almonds comes through. It’s a clean, fresh flavour with fine bubbles which leave a slight chalkiness.
What: Lanson Le Blanc de Blancs
How much: £60
Where from: Selfridges
Pale Fox Prosecco
You may not have come across Pale Fox before; it’s pretty new to the market, having first been produced in 2018. However, once you’ve tried it, you’ll go back to it again and again. It was recently judged by world-renowned wine expert James Suckling to be the best prosecco in the world, and there is some tough competition out there.
On the nose, Pale Fox is light and fruity, with floral notes coming through too. There is a crispness in the mouth, from the tangy apples, but with a stone fruit flavour just under the surface. It’s clean and fresh, and with long-lasting bubbles – a result of the longer fermentation period – there is no wonder it has rated so highly.
Alongside all that, it’s vegan, low in sulphite and low in sugar and produced using 100% renewable energy. That’s a tough act to follow.
What: Pale Fox Prosecco
How much: £26
Where from: Pale Fox
Chapel Down Brut NV
If you’re looking to add a bit of pizzazz to your celebrations, but aren’t a fan of Champagne, then perhaps an English sparkling wine would be more to your tastes.
Based in Small Hythe, near Tenterden, Kent, Chapel Down vineyards produce a variety of award-winning wines, both still and sparkling. Brut NV is a classic English sparkling wine, made with a blend of four grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot blanc, pinot noir and pinot meunier) from vineyards in Kent, East Sussex, Essex and Dorset.
On the nose, Brut NV is packed with apples and citrus. It’s delightfully fresh and fruity, and on the palette, there is a hint of strawberries, but just enough acidity to cut through without overpowering the flavours.
With a long, well-balanced finish, it’s a wine that would suit so many situations, from your dinner table to a relaxed evening with friends, making it a great choice for your festive fizz.
What: Chapel Down Brut NV
How much: £27
Where from: Waitrose
Bollinger B13
2013 was a tough year for winemakers, with a long, cold winter seeing frequent frosts and snow, fading into a cool, wet spring, followed by an incredibly hot summer with violent thunderstorms.
It’s a testament to the experience of the winemakers at Bollinger that it released this limited edition vintage, when other winemakers opted not to produce vintage champagnes in that year.
B13 is the first vintage produced solely using pinot noir grapes since the launch of its 1969 vintage.
On the nose, B13 is both rich and complex. There’s a fruitness that immediately makes the mouth water, and a spicy hint to liven the fragrance and add a little zing. Once in the mouth, the fruity theme continues, with stone fruits cutting through and a hint of nuttiness and citrus rounding out the flavour. The finish has an incredibly subtle salty hint, but is velvety and smooth, thanks to the fine bubbles.
What: Bollinger B13
How much: £100
Where from: Master of Malt
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