Close Menu
News

Champagne Masters 2013: the medalists

The results of the Champagne Masters 2013 have been released and once more the competition highlighted the quality and value available in the vintage category.

In 2013, as in previous years, the highest number of gold medals were awarded in the vintage £35+ category, with five Champagnes gaining a gold and a further two receiving the top title of Master.

Just two further Masters were awarded in 2013, one in the prestige cuvee (£35+) category and a further in the tasting flight for non-vintage Champagnes priced over £35.

Outstanding in this year’s competition was the house of Charles Heidsieck, which gained the only Master for a brut non-vintage, as well as another for its Brut Millesime 2000 in the vintage category (£35+).

Charles Heidsieck was also the only producer entered into this year’s competition to take home not just one but two golds in the rosé category, with one for its Rosé Reserve and another for its Rosé Millesime 1999.

Sister house Piper Heidsieck also performed well, earning a gold for its brut in the non-vintage category (£25-35), and a further gold in the vintage (£35+) flight for its 2006 release, followed by a Master for its Rare Millesime 2002.

Piper Heidsieck also gained a gold for its Cuvée Sublime demi-sec, which the judges agreed was a brilliant example of this sweeter style.

Other standout Champagnes in the competition included Champagne Palmer, which gained the only gold in the flight of non-vintage wines priced below £25, and Henriot’s Brut Souverain, which earned one of only two golds along with Piper-Heidsieck in the category for non-vintage Champagnes between £25 and £35.

Some lesser-known houses also performed well, with Champagne Autréau de Champillon and Chassenay d’Arce both picking up golds in the vintage (£35+) category.

Meanwhile, among the blanc de blancs over £35, both Mumm and Cattier were awarded golds while, in the vintage category, Philipponnat was given a gold for its Cuvée 1522 from 2004.

Aside from the high number of medals awarded in the vintage category, it was notable that the ultra-brut style of Champagnes performed less well in the tasting competition, along with the rosés, which earned mostly bronzes and silvers, despite the high cost of the Champagnes in this category.

The full results can be viewed over the following pages and the judges are listed below.

  • Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW, buying director, Private Cellar
  • Patrick Schmitt, editor-in-chief, the drinks business
  • Anthony Foster MW, director/buyer, Bonhote Foster
  • Michael Edwards, journalist/author/ Champagne expert
  • Michelle Cartwright, consultant and former Searcy’s Champagne bar development manager
  • Euan Murray, tastings director, The Wine Society
  • Jamie Hutchinson, owner, The Sampler
  • Sue Daniels, wine buyer, Marks & Spencer

About the competition:

The Champagne Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business and an extension of its successful Masters series for spirits. The competition is exclusively for Champagne and almost 100 entries were judged by a selection of highly experienced tasters using Riedel Chianti/Riesling glasses supplied by Sensible Wine Services. The top Champagnes were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those Champagnes that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Champagne Master. The Champagnes were tasted over the course of one day at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

Non Vintage £15-£25
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Palmer Brut Réserve NV Gold
Champagne Cattier Brut Icone Silver
Champagne Forget Brimont Brut Premier Cru Silver
Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaïque Silver
Champagne Autréau de Champillon Brut Premier Cru Bronze
Champagne Beaumont de Crayères Grande Réserve Bronze
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne NV Bronze
Non Vintage £25-£35
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV Gold
Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain Gold
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Brut Essentiel Silver
Champagne Pannier Sélection Brut Silver
The Wine Society The Society’s Champagne, Brut Silver
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV Silver
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce Cuvée Première Brut Silver
Champagne Mumm Brut Cordon Rouge Bronze
Non Vintage £35+
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Master
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Sublime, demi-sec Gold
Champagne Taittinger Brut Réserve NV Silver
Champagne Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Silver
Champagne Deutz Brut Classic Silver
Champagne Cattier Blanc de Noirs Silver
Champagne Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut NV Bronze
Champagne Cattier Brut Absolu Bronze

Vintage £15-£25
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Chaudron La Belle Helene 2005 Bronze
Vintage £25-£35
Company Product Name Medal
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut 2006 Gold
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvée Spéciale 2004 Silver
Champagne Beaumont de Crayères Nostalgie 2002 Silver
Vintage £35+
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime 2002 Master
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Millesime 2000 Master
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2006 Gold
Champagne Autréau de Champillon Prestige Millésimée 2006 Brut Grand Cru Gold
Champagne Deutz Brut Millésimé 2006 Gold
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce Millésime 2005 Brut Gold
Champagne Philipponnat Cuvée 1522 Vintage 2004  Gold
Champagne Mumm Vintage 2006 Silver
Champagne Pannier Vintage 2005 Brut Silver

Blanc de blancs £25-£35
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Palmer Blanc de Blancs 2007 Silver
Champagne Le Brun de Neuville Chardonnay, Brut, NV Silver
Champagne Jacquart Blanc de blancs 2006 Bronze
Champagne Alfred Gratien Blanc de Blancs 2007 Bronze
Champagne Henriot Blanc de Blancs NV Bronze
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Chardonnay 2005 Bronze
Blanc de blancs £35
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Mumm Blanc de Blancs Mumm de Cramant Gold
Champagne Cattier Cattier Blanc de Blancs Gold
Champagne Deutz Amour de Deutz 2005 Bronze

Rosé £15+£25
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Forget Brimont Rosé Premier Cru Bronze
Rosé £25+£35
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Jacquart Brut Rosé Silver
Champagne Cattier Rosé Glamour Silver
Champagne Henriot Brut Rosé Bronze
Champagne Palmer Brut Rosé Bronze
Champagne Pannier Brut Rosé Bronze
Rosé £35+
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millesime 1999 Gold
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve Gold
Champagne Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé Silver
Champagne Philipponnat Brut Réserve Rosée  Silver
Champagne Deutz Rosé Millésimé 2008 Silver
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce Rosé Brut Silver
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage Bronze
Champagne Mumm Brut Le Rosé Bronze

Prestige Cuvée £25-£35
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Beaumont de Crayères Fleur de Prestige 2004 Bronze
Prestige Cuvée £35+
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires Millesime 1995 Master
Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2005 Silver
Champagne Deutz Cuvée William Deutz 2000 Silver
Champagne Drappier Grande Sendrée 2005 Silver
Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Alpha Silver
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’or Brut 2002 Silver
Champagne Gosset Celebris Gosset 2002 Vintage Extra Brut Bronze
Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Vintage 2003 Bronze
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce Confidences Brut Bronze
Design & Packaging
Company Product Name Medal
Champagne Taittinger Gift Pack range Gold
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime 2002 Silver
Champagne Cattier Brut Absolu Bronze
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce Confidences Brut Bronze

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No