Sparkling wine is fine for celebrating everyday occasions, but we at SideDish feel there’s something special about ringing in the new year with a proper glass of champagne. For this week’s taste test, with some help from a wine expert, I selected five bottles of champagne that cost less than $50 a piece. Some were dry, others juicy, but only one reigned supreme. Here’s what we thought.
The champagne:
A. Laurent-Perrier Brut
B. Charles Mignon Brut Rosé Premier Cru
C. Charles-Le-Bel Brut
D. Perrier-Jouëtgrand Brut
E. Bernard Remy Carte Blanche
Tasting notes:
Laurent-Perrier Brut
- Very grape-forward at the beginning, low carbonation. Not too sweet.
- I don’t know sh*t about this, but I guess this is my favorite because it’s the most dry.
- Nice, dry, and it tastes like apples. Aftertaste is oddly synthetic, though.
- This is dry, in a highly desirable way. Perhaps I’m wrong, but in any case, it’s regal. It is to be sipped s-l-o-w-l-y. I spent many years as a teetotaler. I had no idea you weren’t supposed to shoot champagne. My wedding dates would look on in horror at myriad toasts.
- Dry, tart, very dry aftertaste.
- Thin and acidic. A hangover waiting to happen.
- Crisp and dry. Not sweet. Bubbly.
- Dry. Although a little flat.
Charles Mignon Brut Rosé Premier Cru
- Crisp, great bubbles. very fruity finish. Color is beautiful.
- Champagne-y.
- Bit sour for a rosé. Big bag of sour-meh.
- Ah, Rosé. I had some at the Fairmont just last night as I walked back to our offices following a comedy performance. I had to abandon my glass so I could actually drive home. This drink is not as good as what they serve at the Fairmont, but that’s no surprise. A bad Rosé is still better than most things in life. This is entirely inoffensive and I’d probably just let it pour as generally as I felt at any dinner party.
- Less sweet, tastes almost like grapefruit.
- Pink champagne is always the best, a tad of sweetness and fine bubbles.
- It’s pink! Elle Woods’ drink of choice.
- This is really nice! Dry, not too sweet. Well-balanced. Tiny bubbles.
Charles-Le-Bel Brut Champagne
- Champagne-y.
- I don’t even know, I just don’t like it.
- These are getting sweeter as we move along. That’s not good for purposes of reasonable sobriety and it’s not good for you either. The bubbles have dissipated with abandon, but that could be because we have used spoons in lieu of wine bottle stoppers.
- A little bland, few distinguishing characteristics. Weak.
- OK, but nothing special.
- Funny taste at the front end. Not pleasant. I dislike this more with each sip.
- Bright and light. The boy with the light emoji.
- The most bubbly. A bit on the sweet side. Large bubbles.
Perrier-Jouëtgrand Brut
- I have no opinion on this champagne. I don’t know; cool I guess.
- Champagne-y.
- This is terrific. Bright, perfectly acidic. I could turn up to this!
- A cutesy balance of geyser-like carbonation and sweetness. But perhaps this drink is too cute. What’s that old Dylan lyric? “Your debutante just knows what you need/But I know what you want.”
- A bit sour, almost like granny smith apple sour. Syrupy.
- Not surprisingly this is good — low end of Perrier-Jouëtgrand is better than most high ends.
- Super sparkly and very fizzy. Not too sweet. All the sugar for your nickel.
- Super dry, and I like it!
Bernard Remy Carte Blanche
- B-. ***. 82/100.
- Champagne-y.
- Not really that interesting, an acidic bomb that I wouldn’t buy otherwise.
- Overly sweet. Flat.
- This is a shot-put dropped into the sand next to a defeated olympian. You made it into the competition but stopped just short of making a real effort.
- This is nice, but not the best. Nice yeasty nose.
- Light and bubbly. Feels like your typical champagne.
- More floral than the rest.
Tally up:
A. Laurent-Perrier Brut 2
B. Charles Mignon Brut Rosé Premier Cru 4
C. Charles-Le-Bel Brut 0
D. Perrier-Jouëtgrand Brut 2
E. Bernard Remy Carte Blanche 0
The winner is:
The Charles Mignon Brut Rosé won this week’s challenge. It was followed by the Laurent-Perrier Brut and Perrier-Jouëtgrand Brut. So what’s your favorite champagne? Let us know in the comments below.
