Global Masters Wine of the Week: Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label

Every week we select a wine that picked up either a Gold or Master from our competition series, and tell you why the judges loved it. Enter the Global Masters and this could be your wine.

Prosecco may be the nation’s favourite fizz right now, and English sparkling wine may be on the up, but if there’s one thing we learned from the results of our Champagne Masters 2019, it’s that France is still the home of top notch bubbles.

In the run-up to Christmas, we are using this slot to showcase some of the truly outstanding serves that won medals in our competition this year, starting with a Champagne that has been a stalwart of dinner parties, networking events and all manner of evenings fuelled by canapés for decades.

Veuve Clicquot’s distinctive yellow label NV is a favourite with thousands of fizz drinkers, and it’s not hard to see why.

The sparkler impressed our panel thanks to a “crisp, clean and elegant” nose with hints of smoke, lemon zest, toast and pastry. There’s a sweetness on the palate that gives a brioche-like quality to the toastiness we’ve come to associate with Champagne, alongside some zingy green apple and delicate white peach flavours. Our judges were also impressed with the Champagne’s crisp acidity, definition and structure.

To make the most of that toasty note and complement the citrus notes, serve this with smoked salmon blinis at the Christmas party, or with a generous slab of comté after a big dinner. Bon appétit.

The wine: Champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut NV Yellow Label

The source: Champagne, France

The grape(s): Chardonnay (28-33%), Pinot Noir (50-55%), Pinot Meunier (15-20%)

Vintage: NV

ABV: 12%

Dosage: 10g/l

The style: A rich but elegant non-vintage brut with crisp acidity, a fine mousse and toasty aromas

The winemaker/cellarmaster: Didier Mariotti

The price: £30-£50. You can get this at most retailers, Laithwaite’s sells it for £32.99, while Tesco has it on for £35

The medal: Gold – The Champagne Masters, 2019

With high quality judges and a unique sampling process, the Global Wine Masters provides a chance for your wines to star, whether they hail from the great vineyards of Europe or lesser-known corners of the New World.

It’s a competition dedicated to making winners out of winemakers.

Please visit the Global Masters website for more information, or please call +44 (0)20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com