Morrison’s £18 own-brand Champagne is named best Christmas fizz

Morrison’s £18 own-brand Champagne beats supermarket rivals including M&S and Waitrose and £36 Moët & Chandon in blind taste test – while Aldi’s was the worst

  • Morrisons’ Adrien Chopin Brut Champagne, £18,  topped the expert lead panel 
  • Judges described the fizz as a ‘golden champagne with stewed apple aromas’ 
  • Narrowly missing out on the top prize was Waitrose own brand £20 bottle
  • Both supermarkets beat likes of Moet & Chandon, Lanson and Veuve Clicquot

Shoppers need not break the bank for the best bottle of Christmas fizz this year as Morrisons own brand Champagne has beaten its famous French rivals in a blind taste test.

The £18 bottle of Morrisons’ Adrien Chopin Brut Champagne topped the expert lead panel assembled by Which? proving that you can get your hands on a top-class festive fizz for less than £20.    

Judges described the fizz as a ‘golden champagne with stewed apple aromas, rich flavours and a hint of sweetness’.

Narrowly missing out on the top spot but awarded a Which? Best Buy in its own right was Waitrose’s Brut Champagne which fizzed into second place with a score of 79 per cent. 

Narrowly missing out on the top spot but awarded a Which? Best Buy in its own right was Waitrose's Brut Champagne which fizzed into second place with a score of 79 percent.

The £18 bottle of Morrisons’ Adrien Chopin Brut Champagne (left) topped the expert lead panel assembled by Which? proving that you can get your hands on a top-class festive fizz for less than £20.

The Which? expert panel commended its ‘ripe red apples and apple blossom’ character that makes it an ideal party fizz.  

In joint third place but not quite achieving Which? Best Buy status was Moet & Chandon’s Imperial Brut Champagne, earning a score of 78 percent. 

It was described as a pleasure to drink due to its ‘candied notes, mellow aromas, crisp acidity, and a cashew-nut finish’. However, one expert called it a ‘little bland’, which might disappoint at £36.

Also rated a solid 78 per cent score was Sainsbury’s Landric Champagne Brut at £25. 

It only narrowly missed out on Best Buy status, pleasing experts with its ‘lemon acidity and toasty, nutty aftertaste’. However, its lone critic felt it was short of fruit with a slightly bitter finish.

At the bottom of the table and summed up as ‘wishy washy’ by one panelist was Aldi’s Philizot et Fils Organic Champagne, which only managed a 67 per cent rating.

In joint third place but not quite achieving Which? Best Buy status was Moet & Chandon's Imperial Brut Champagne, earning a score of 78 percent.

Also rated a solid 78 per cent score was Sainsbury's Landric Champagne Brut at £25.

In joint third place but not quite achieving Which? Best Buy status was Moet & Chandon’s Imperial Brut Champagne, earning a score of 78 percent (left). Also rated a solid 78 per cent score was Sainsbury’s Landric Champagne Brut at £25

Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine, said: ‘Your Christmas might be a bit more low key this year, but there is no reason to scrimp on the bubbly and we’re delighted that you can enjoy this season’s best fizz for only £18.

‘Whether you opt for outstanding champagne at a great price or fancy paying a little more for a premium brand, our expert picks will make sure that whatever you’re doing this year, it won’t lack any sparkle.’

Some budget bubbly has also achieved a respectable rating. 

The cheapest of the 18 types in the survey were Lidl’s Comte de Senneval Champagne Brut at £12.50 and Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut at £13. 

Both achieved a score of 74 per cent. 

Lanson's Le Black Label Brut at £33 scored 72 per cent

M&S Louis Vertay Brut Champagne, at £17, scored 74 per cent

Lanson’s Le Black Label Brut at £33 scored 72 per cent (left) while M&S Louis Vertay Brut Champagne, at £17, scored 74 per cent

Also on 74 per cent was Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Blanc De Noirs Champagne, at £21, with judges praising its ‘tasty aroma with a citrus-driven palate’ and M&S Louis Vertay Brut Champagne, at £17, as well as their £20 Delacourt Brut Champagne, which was praised for being ‘citrusy, crisp, and toasty, but balanced’.

They beat out Tesco’s Finest Premium Cru Brut Champagne, at £20, and Asda’s Special Louis Bernard Premier Cru.

Tesco and Asda also scored higher than Veuve Clicquot’s Brut Yellow Label Champagne, at £35, and Lanson’s Le Black Label Brut at £33 which scored 73 per cent  and 72 per cent respectively.

The Veuve Clicquot was described as ‘too unambitious for some’ with ‘zippy lemon notes’ while the Lanson was praised for ‘herby flavours’ but was criticised for being ‘a little undefined’.