Champagne brut from Russian producers. The best Russian champagne: photos and reviews

Champagne- a drink that was invented for kings. Apparently, hence its prestige and price. Only the taste of the contents of not every bottle with the label "Champagne" makes you feel like a king, or at least enjoy a few sips. You need to be lucky and get a real high-quality product, not a surrogate.What you need to know when choosing champagne?Let's find out.

Manufacturers secrets

Champagne, or rather sparkling wine, is produced all over the world in two ways: classic - in bottles and acratophoric - in tanks.

The tank method involves an accelerated production mode at minimal cost and large volumes. That is, the price is low, and the quality of drinks differ slightly.

Wines made in the classical way have an aging period of three years and are more expensive. On the label you can find a note - "seasoned".

If you are a gourmet, then it will not be difficult for you to determine the taste characteristics of wines made in different ways. A classic wine tastes different from a “reservoir” wine with a characteristic yeast tinge.

Please note that there are also sparkling wines, but simply - "carbonated". They are saturated with carbon dioxide artificially. On the label with such a "champagne" small print there is a corresponding inscription.

Kinds

Sparkling wines, depending on the sugar content, were divided into 6 types.

1. Extra- brut or ultra - brut - less than 6 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

2. Brut- from 6 to 15 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

3. Extra dry- from 15 to 20 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

4. Dry- up to 35 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

5. Semi dry- from 33 to 55 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

6. Doo- more than 50 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

For connoisseurs, brut or dry champagne is more suitable - they have a stronger bouquet inherent in the drink. If you drink champagne only on holidays, it is better to take semi-sweet.

Quality level

Champagne, according to the level of quality, is usually divided into three groups:

1. No year of manufacture This is about 80% of the total production. The label does not indicate the year, but there is information about the sugar content.

2. Millesime or vintage champagne. Made from grapes of the same harvest in good years. It has undergone secondary fermentation, there is a vintage year on the label, it has been aged for at least three years.

3. Prestigious and special- made from selected grapes, there is a year on the label, it has its own name, it is unrealistically expensive.

Color

Champagne happens white And pink. The French believe that champagne cannot be red, since carbon dioxide creates unpleasant combinations with tannins, which are found in significant quantities in red wines. Although if you have tried Crimean and Moldovan red sparkling wines, you are unlikely to agree with this statement. As for pink sparkling wine, this is a real rarity. It produces about 1 percent of the total. Its taste is more “dense”, but in terms of elegance it is not inferior to white.

grape varieties

Most champagne is made from grapes. Chardonnay- on the label Blanc de Blancs.

From black varieties, for example, Pinot Meunier or Pinot Noir, it turns out stronger wine. called blanc de noirs- in translation: "white from black".

If there are no inscriptions on the label, then this means that the wine is made from white grape varieties plus at least one black variety.

We meet by clothes

After you decide on the type of champagne, inspect the bottle. The color of the glass should be dark green. Then the sparkling wine will be protected from sunlight, which means it will retain its properties longer. The high quality of the product is also indicated by expensive cork. By the way, the bottle should be stored in a horizontal position, then the wine wets the cork and does not allow it to dry out, which means that carbon dioxide does not escape.

Do not buy bottles with crooked and damaged labels.

The label itself must indicate the energy and nutritional value, composition of the product, sugar content, color, shelf life and date of manufacture.

The bottle is open...

Everything will become clear after the cork flies.

Regardless of color and sugar content, sparkling wine should be free of sediment. A benign drink is always transparent, and the color of white champagne is golden or light straw, that of pink is from light pink to red, and that of red is from light red to maroon.

The aroma of champagne is well expressed and without foreign odors. Brut has a refreshing, sour taste; semi-sweet wine has a slightly sweet and sour tint.

If you uncork the bottle correctly (without a shot), then the foam will be fine and persistent, and the bubbles will “play” for at least 24 hours.

And if the label says "carbonated wine"? This suggests that the drink did not ferment, but was simply carbonated using a special apparatus. It will take 10 - 15 minutes after opening the bottle, and the artificial bubbles will disappear. And in real champagne, they persist for at least 24 hours.

Buy a bottle with a cork stopper because oxygen can pass through the plastic stopper.

If there is an inscription "seasoned", then this is a good champagne.

But the presence of the words: “with flavors” or “with additives” is a sign of a fake.

Some tricks

Ordinary, not vintage, champagne is stored for no more than two years. Therefore, you should not uncork a bottle that you have kept for 10 years from the date of your wedding - most likely, the champagne has already deteriorated. Sparkling wine does not tolerate temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. But don't put it in the freezer! It is better to keep in the refrigerator, and 20 minutes before serving - in a bucket of ice.

Champagne is poured a couple of minutes after the bottle is uncorked. This makes the taste better. Pour the champagne by tilting the bottle slightly and preferably slowly.

The choice of dishes is very important. Pour sour varieties of champagne (brut and dry) into elongated tall glasses, and sweet varieties - into wide glasses such as bowls on a leg.

Champagne is best eaten with olives, shellfish, cheese, poultry meat. Black caviar is also suitable. From sweet snacks, cakes and cakes, dry biscuits, fruits and ice cream are suitable. But chocolate is not suitable, it does not allow you to feel the aroma of the drink.

Good luck choosing!

When choosing champagne for the New Year's table, even before going to the store, decide which champagne you would like to savor on New Year's Eve: brut (sugar content less than 15 g / l), extra-sec (very dry, sugar from 12 to 20 g / l) , sec (semi-dry, sugar from 17 to 35 g/l), demi-sec (semi-sweet, from 33 to 50 g/l of sugar) or du (sweet, more than 50 g/l of sugar). Experienced winemakers advise: if you drink champagne once or twice a year, then it is better to buy semi-sweet. If you drink champagne every month, then choose dry. Specialists, experts and aristocrats who drink champagne daily should drink only brut.

Champagne- a traditional drink that is drunk on New Year's Eve to the sound of chimes. But not all people know how to choose a good champagne. Here are some ways:

1. Good champagne, or sparkling wine, rarely costs less than 200 rubles.

2. Buy champagne only in dark bottles. If the bottle is light, it is likely that the champagne will be bitter. The drink should be clear and without sediment.

3. If the label says that the wine was produced by the classical method, this means that the champagne was carried out according to French traditions, separately in each bottle. This champagne will most likely please you with exquisite taste.

4. The label on the bottle must be glued evenly and exactly in the center. The glue should not be visible.

5. Read the composition of the drink carefully. In good champagne there can be no flavorings or food additives. Fruit and berry notes can only be present as a result of the characteristics of the area in which the grapes grew.

6. Ideally, champagne is stored in a horizontal position so that the drink wets the cork and keeps the bottle sealed. If champagne is stored upright for a long time, there is a risk that the cork will dry out and air will enter the bottle.

7. Champagne should not be older than one to one and a half years. After this period, the taste of the drink deteriorates.

8. When choosing real champagne, carefully read the label on the bottle. For example, the letter combination N. M. means that the wine producer is also selling it at the same time. This is the highest quality champagne, which comes directly from the manufacturer to your table.

Other designations - M. A., R. M., S. M. - indicate that the company sells, but does not produce wine. Champagne can be produced by small farms that supply grapes to large producers and use their symbols. At the same time, the quality of champagne is noticeably inferior to branded wine.

In general, champagne is made from three types of grapes: two red - pinot noir(pinot noir) and pinot meunier(pinot meunier) and white - chardonnay(chardonnay). As a rule, champagne is an inflorescence of wines from these three grape varieties. Champagne gains weight thanks to Pinot Noir grapes, Chardonnay gives elegance, Pinot Meunier - softness.

When buying a bottle of branded champagne, make sure that the bottle that the seller sells to you lies in a horizontal position before that (this applies to bottles with a cork, not a plastic stopper) and the wine wets the cork.

On the eve of the New Year, it's time to talk about a wonderful sparkling drink, without which most Russians simply cannot imagine the chiming clock. Of course, we will not in any way diminish the merits of Veuve Clicquot or Dom Perignon champagne, but we will take into consideration products that the average Russian can afford. Our champagne rating will help you choose the best and tell you what ingredients should be present in it.

New World

This is real champagne, made in the Crimea by the bottle method. The first place in our ranking of champagne is deservedly given to this brand.

More than a century and a half ago, Prince Golitsin himself had a hand in ensuring that Russian champagne could compete with French. These traditions have survived to the present day.

Champagne is produced from Pinot Noir, Aligote, Chardonnay and Riesling grapes, according to the classical canons, with aging from 9 months to 3 years. All processes are done manually. Champagne "Novosvetskoye", "Pinot Franc" and "Crimean Sparkling" have long been loved by customers for their exquisite taste and rich aroma. And it's cheaper than French.

CJSC Sparkling wines, St. Petersburg

CJSC "Sparkling Wines" St. Petersburg

"Russian champagne" has been produced according to classical technologies for more than 80 years. Raw materials are delivered to them from all over the world, including from the Crimea.

All alcohol complies with GOST standards and is made by three common methods, and an innovative recipe for continuous fermentation in a stream was even sold to the French at one time.

The company produces only 3 types of white sparkling wines: brut, semi-dry and semi-sweet.

The brand "Lev Golitsin" was created in memory of an outstanding winemaker. The fame of the prince was so great that the St. Petersburg brand decided to use his name to create a new brand.

Cricova

Moldovan champagne with an optimal price-quality ratio (from 500 rubles). All products are created by the classical method, the drink is aged in oak barrels and stored in cellars.

In "Soviet champagne" there is little foam, bubbles play in the glass for a long time, the aftertaste is wonderful. And there is also “Muscat”, “Rose”, “De Luxe” - the choice of drinks is quite worthy.

Collection drinks are offered in rock crystal bottles.

Golden Beam

Sevastopol company, one of the oldest on the market, occupying a significant segment of the sparkling wine market. All products are created exclusively from our own grapes, harvested by hand.

To date, the tastes of consumers have changed - semi-sweet champagne occupies most of the produced, and the second half is divided among themselves by brut, semi-dry and dry.

The basic collection is made according to the Sharma method (from 350 rubles). They don’t really bother with the names here, so everything becomes immediately clear from the label - white or nutmeg.

The premium line is monosort, aged from 6 to 9 months.

Tsimlyansk wines

Tsimlyansk wines

The Don steppes gave birth to this champagne, which is produced mainly in the tank way. But there are also three brands produced according to the classic champagne recipe - Bouquet of Victory, Onegin and Tsimlyanskoye Sparkling.

Today, the vineyards occupy more than 1,000 hectares used specifically for sparkling wines. At one time it was another Russian response to the French.

The main range: a series of "Soviet champagne", aged for at least 6 months and "Tsimlyanskoye Gold" with a high content of nutmeg.

ABRAU-DURSO

Production is located in the Caucasus, at the same latitudes as the famous Champagne province. Sparkling drink is produced in several ways - bottled and in tanks.

The first involves the classics: aging and infusing the drink in glass containers - the Victor Dravigny and Imperial brands (from 600 rubles). But the tank method produces "Russian Champagne" and "Light", which is with a black label (from 500 rubles).

Phanagoria

These are Taman wines of the brand of the same name, including the "Number Reserve" and "Madame Pompadour" lines. Drinks are easy to drink, pleasant enough, and at a ridiculous price (from 200 rubles).

Brut "Madame Pompadour" for lovers of dry unaccustomed seems sweetish, but "Fanagoria", which has the best reviews, is produced by secondary fermentation in tanks and aged in bottles.

Asti

Asti is the territory of the same name in Piedmont (Italy), which served as the name for this fragrant champagne. “Asti Martini” is a light and pleasant drink made only from white nutmeg. It has no sugar at all, just the natural sweetness of grapes.

At its core, Asti is a sparkling wine with one stage of fermentation, since the secondary fermentation takes place in steel vats, and not in bottles. That is the only reason why it occupies the penultimate place in our ranking of champagnes.

Nevertheless, the floral-fruity fragrance is liked by all the fair sex without exception. “Cinzano Martini” and “Mondoro” are famous and popular lines.

The price of the product starts from 700 rubles. for a bottle.

Bosca

Inexpensive sparkling wines from an Italian manufacturer. The brand has more than 15 items, but in the vastness of Russia, white and sweet ones, on which “carbonated wine drink” is written, are especially popular. The alcohol content of the Anniversary brand is 7.5% - due to the fact that sugar is replaced by malt. Foaming is moderate, without carbonic acid hitting the nose. Price - from 300 rubles.

Stronger drinks - "Chardonnay", "Red label", "Asti". They are produced according to classical technology, and the price is correspondingly more expensive (from 400 rubles).

There is also a premium segment - Verdi spumante, Classic, Anniversary double and Moscato.

10 brands - 10 champagne houses, the most famous of all. Robert Parker lists eight of them in his book on the great wines and great farms of the world, and we added two brands to this list at our own discretion, one - "the most Hollywood brand", and the other - "the most sports-adrenaline".

1. Widow Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin)

Women go ahead. The world's most famous "feminine" champagne brand is Veuve Clicquot. At the beginning of the 19th century, the heroic 27-year-old widow Clicquot, nee Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, inherited a medium-sized winery from her husband - and raised it to unprecedented heights. She filled 18 km of dungeons with her wonderful product, buying them from the city and turning them into wine cellars. She owns the authorship of the method of cleaning champagne to crystal transparency, which is still used by all winemakers in the world.

She also invented a wire bridle that is worn on a cork - the liquid in the bottle is under pressure, 3 times the pressure in a car tire.

She even took… space as her allies. The “Comet of 1811”, which visited the solar system, gave the widow an excellent idea - to send a ship with a batch of 10,000 bottles of “comet wine” - champagne harvested in 1811, with a tailed star on the label, to Russia that defeated Napoleon. And this was the beginning of a long successful commercial relationship between the widow and the far northern empire.

This woman lived for 88 years and deprived her relatives, indifferent to winemaking, of their inheritance, transferring her prosperous business to the one who worked with her to the very end - her manager and friend, Eduard Verde, whose descendants strengthened the fame of the brand after her death - today this brand is one of the most known, it is drunk in 150 countries of the world.

PRICES

In Moscow, a bottle of 0.75 liters. Veuve Clicquot Brut costs from 2500 rubles.

Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame - with an orange branded label on a black bottle - already costs around 10,000 rubles. According to legend, the flashy color of the label was personally invented by the widow herself.

And today, this champagne house attracts the best designers, such as Kerim Rashid, to design the brand, so the cost of the best wines in exclusive packaging can amount to tens of thousands of dollars.

2. Moet and Chandon (Moët & Chandon)

Everyone knows this black bow with a gold border, fastened with a red round seal under the neck of the bottle. It was coined in 1886, and since then has remained an unchanged recognizable detail of the design of Moet & Chandon branded products.

For 250 years, this company has been producing one of the most famous and prestigious brands of champagne. From the very beginning, Moet & Chandon has been one of the main official suppliers of the royal courts. At one time, his wine was supplied to Louis XV, and Napoleon Bonaparte himself called on the estate when he found himself in Champagne.

Among the clients to whom Moet and Shandon supplied their wines was Thomas Jefferson, and King Edward VII of England fell in love with this champagne so much that he went everywhere accompanied by a servant who carried behind him a basket with a couple of bottles. And today the house of Moet and Chandon has a Royal Charter as a supplier of champagne to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

In the modern age of pop culture stars, Moet and Chandon champagnes are actively exploring the world of cinema. For nearly two decades, Moët has been the Official Champagne of the Golden Globe Awards,
and in the spring of this year, the company held a sensational action in the press with the choice of "the face of the champagne house of Moet and Chandon" - it was the rising Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson.

PRICES

champagne house Moet & Chandon- the largest producer of champagne in the world. It produces up to 30 million bottles a year, which is twice the volume of its closest competitor, Veuve Clicquot. Due to the large "circulation" it is quite democratic in terms of prices.

Main wines of the house:

Moet & Chandon Imperial, first released back in 1860, in honor of Napoleon - 2000-6000 rubles, depending on the year of harvest (in Moscow),

Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon- an exclusive vintage champagne produced since 1936 in honor of the "inventor" of sparkling wines Dom Perignon - from 7000 rubles.

3. Dom Pérignon

This "shield" label is known all over the world. Moet & Chandon has been producing this exclusive vintage champagne since 1936.

The brand is named in honor of the famous person in winemaking - the Benedictine monk Pierre Perignon, who lived in the 17th century. The house is an appeal to a clergyman in France. He is credited (by the French, the British think differently) with the glory of the invention of a sparkling frothy drink - no one thought of how to turn ordinary fermented wine into a new wonderful drink.

Probably, he was not absolutely the first, but, of course, he stood at the origins of the technology for the production of champagne, which, in general terms, was inherited by our contemporaries. He owns the ideas of secondary fermentation of still wine, selection of a mixture of white wines and aging it in thick-walled bottles, as well as capping bottles with a cork stopper. In his thirties, Pierre Pérignon took over the wine cellars of the Benedictine Abbey of Ovilliers, declaring that he would create the best wine in the world. And he succeeded - rumors about the excellent quality of the effervescent monastery drink reached Versailles. Wines from Dom Pérignon began to be supplied to the royal court of Louis XIV, the "Sun King".

Modern Dom Perignon, from Moet and Chandon, is produced in accordance with the tradition laid down by the legendary monk - to create the best wine in the world. Its quality is such that the wine, perhaps, does not need additional advertising.

Nevertheless, the manufacturing company has recently attracted Karl Lagerfeld to work on the image of the brand. The action was extremely successful and brought the brand to a new level of popularity. It also became an exemplary example of wine branding, and - a kind of cult event in the world of fashion and lifestyle - Lagerfeld attracted catwalk stars - Eva Herzigova and Claudia Schiffer - to photo shoots with Dom Pérignon. The idea behind the campaign: Dom Pérignon is a magical drink that liberates sexual fantasies.

PRICES

There are three wines:

Dom Perignon - Dom Perignon, Dom Perignon Rose and Dom Perignon Oenotheque

Dom Pérignon is somewhat cheaper, it can be found for 7000-9000 rubles. for a bottle.

Dom Pérignon Rose and Dom Perignon Oenotheque are highly valued and are considered among the finest and most expensive wines in the world. Prices in Moscow - from 17,000 to 22,000 rubles

4. Louis Roederer

The whole world knows this brand by its most famous wine - Louis Roederer Crista l. “Luxurious wine”, “stunning quality” - such epithets are used by Robert Parker. And of course, this is the most prestigious in Russia and the most expensive of champagnes in general. "Royal drink" - it was first produced in 1876, especially for Alexander II.

Until the revolution, the house of Louis Roderer was the official supplier of wine to the court of the Russian Emperor. More than 60% of its products were sent to the Russian Empire. It got its name - Crystal because it was supplied in crystal bottles specially made by order of Alexander II.

In today's "golden" design of the appearance of the bottle, with an elegant ligature of the font and monograms on the label, the association with the royal crown, aristocracy, sophistication and wealth is supported. Around the world, it is considered a luxury drink that is designed for winners and leaders. The policy of champagne house Louis Roderer is also distinguished by aristocracy and independence - not a single international corporation has yet succeeded in attempting to take over it - it is almost the only house in Champagne that remains in family ownership.

The value of the house's champagne products was once again confirmed in July of this year - at an auction in the USA, a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Rose 2002 champagne was sold for $12,000. Funds from the auction were used to support contemporary art. What is symbolic is that a wine with such a history, a level of prestige and such a price is no longer so much a wine as such, but an object of high art.

PRICES

Champagne house produces not so little wine for the family business - up to 3 million bottles per year, which, however, is 10 times less than Moet and Chandon. And Louis Roederer Cristal - only 500 thousand bottles for the whole world.

The limited volume of production, as well as the extraordinary quality and prestige of the brand determine rather high prices for wine, including in Moscow:

Louis Roederer Brut Premier - from 4300 rubles.

Louis Roederer Cristal - from 10,000 to 35,000 rubles, depending on the crop year.

This wine is known as the wine of Hollywood. Almost from the very beginning of the Oscar ceremonies, it accompanies these festive events.

It was Marilyn Monroe's favorite drink, and she was photographed more than once with a glass of champagne in her hand. And this champagne was most often Piper-Heidsieck.

In 1965, Piper-Heidsieck created the largest bottle of champagne in the world - 1 m 82 cm, which corresponds to the growth of the American film actor Rex Harrison. The bottle was intended to celebrate Harrison winning an Oscar for his role in My Fair Lady opposite Audrey Hepburn. The giant bottle contained the volume of 64 ordinary bottles of magnificent vintage Piper-Heidsieck Brut 1959 champagne.

Piper-Heidsieck distinguished himself with a new design and PR move - together with Christian Louboutin, he released a limited edition gift set - a bottle of his wine, accompanied by an elegant lady's shoe with a crystal heel, which simultaneously refers us to Cinderella and to the romantic custom of drinking champagne from a shoe ladies of the heart.

Piper-Heidsieck made festive red and gold colors - recognizable and memorable colors of its brand, and very successfully uses them in the design of its corporate identity - and the label of the wine itself, and all related advertising products, and the company's official website.

PRICES

Naturally, you will not find a gift set with a shoe in Moscow, the entire limited edition is made to order.

But the usual Piper-Heidsieck branded champagne is sold annually in the amount of 5 million bottles, and it is quite affordable with us, at low prices for such a level of promotion of the brand:

Piper Heidsieck Brut -
from 1500 rub. per bottle

6. Mumm (G.H. Mumm)

The style of the MUMM label is easily remembered by the diagonal red ribbon - this is the symbol of the Legion of Honor - with which one of the first owners of the champagne house adorned his wine back in the 18th century. This trademark of the brand is immediately recognizable on the shelves of wine boutiques, and on commercials. And on the balloons that the company so loves to launch for promotional purposes.

In general, MUMM is the wine of adrenaline, extreme sports, travel and discovery. Throughout its history, G.H.MUMM has been a sponsor of all kinds of events related to technical breakthroughs and sports achievements of mankind. The company's slogan is "Courage and the desire for extraordinary discoveries."

At the beginning of the last century, the company implemented its first sponsorship project: the famous traveler Captain Charcot "christened" his ship "Le France" by breaking a bottle of MUMM Cordon Rouge champagne on its side. On July 14, 1904, on an ice floe in Antarctica, Captain Charcot and his crew celebrated Bastille Day with a glass of MUMM champagne.

When you see a Formula 1 broadcast, pay attention to how the winners pour champagne on each other. This year, the company announced the release of the GH Mumm F1 box “Limited Edition”, which is part of the Formula 1 Champagne collection from Mumm, the official sponsor of the race.

And recently, this champagne received a kind of artistic advertising support - unusual glass Mumm-balloons were produced - something in between champagne bubbles and airship balloons in size.

PRICES

MUMM is the world's third largest brand in terms of product sales, after Moet and Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

About 8 million bottles are sold annually in more than 100 countries around the world.

Prices are at the price level of the leading competitors.

In Moscow - from 2500 rubles for a standard bottle of 0.75 liters. MUMM Cordon Rouge

7. Circle (Krug)

Quality and endurance - this is how the creed of the Krug champagne house could be formulated. “Their strict and very conservative policy of aging wine for many years before releasing it to the market seems almost incompatible with the pace of the modern world,” Robert Parker is shocked, “but fortunately, this ensures their highest quality, maturity and complexity.”

These people are not after quantity. The house produces only about 100 thousand bottles a year, which is 300 (!) times less than the production volumes of the mastodon of the champagne market - Moet and Chandon.

The company's own vineyard area is extremely limited - only 20 hectares, and it buys the best grapes from another 56 hectares of the best Champagne vineyards. The mixture is fermented in small wooden barrels, and then aged in bottles for at least 6-8 years. This provides the wine with a unique recognizable complex taste and the ability to further noble aging in the bottle.

The wines of this champagne house are among the most "long-playing", their quality remains unchanged or even improves with time. This is the fault of the so-called "late sale", as they can be aged for 30 or 40 years. This is an excellent object for long-term investment in wine. Robert Parker, after tasting the 1947 Krug vintage, said that this is the most outstanding champagne. that he ever tried.

At a wine auction in Hong Kong, a 750ml bottle of an even older 1928 champagne from the Krug Collection fetched $21,200, making it the most expensive champagne ever sold. According to the expert of the auction house Sotheby's Serena Sutcliffe (Serena Sutcliffe), this wine is one of the best champagnes in the history of winemaking.

PRICES

Despite the small volumes of production, Krug can be found in Russia. Not in every wine boutique, but it is, and this is not a cheap drink, in Moscow - from 12,000 to 25,000 rubles for a bottle of 0.75 liters.

8. Paul Roger

Founded in 1849 by Paul Roger, the Champagne house Pol Roger is still family-owned, resisting the general process of mergers and acquisitions of small family businesses by large holdings like LVMH. And today the house is managed by two great-grandchildren of its founder, who even changed their surname in honor of their great-grandfather - now it is written with a hyphen - Paul-Roger.

This is one of the best Champagne companies and one of the best champagnes in the world. Robert Parker, the world's top wine critic, is extremely enthusiastic: "If there is one vintage Brut champagne that can clearly claim to be one of the world's greatest wines, it is Pol Roger."

The exceptional quality of this vintage wine is its ability to keep for 30 years or more, which even many of the great red wines of Bordeaux can not. This circumstance makes Pol Roger very attractive for wine collectors and for reliable and profitable wine investments.

Paul Roger is known as Sir Winston Churchill's favorite champagne. He once said: “I can't live without champagne. After winning, I deserve it, and after losing, I need it.” And this was not a general remark about all champagnes - Churchill was a loyal fan of this particular brand. Pol Roger even supplied him with their wine in a unique container - specially made bottles of 1 imperial pint (0.57 l). Such champagne was served to Churchill by his butler at 11 am when he woke up.

Later, in honor of Churchill, the company included in its line of wines a special brand, Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill, which is made from grapes from the best vineyards of the best years, and which Robert Parker appreciates exceptionally highly.

PRICES

One of the best champagne houses, being a local family business, nevertheless, operates at the level of the mastodons of the champagne market - it produces about 1.5 million bottles of wine per year. And keeps world-class prices.

Pol Roger champagne can be found in Moscow, although not in every boutique.

Paul Roger Brut -
starting from 3000 rub.

Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill - about 10,000 rubles.

9. Bollinger

Bollinger is another wine from Olympus from the best Champagne wines. Specialists - Robert Parker, Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson and many other world-famous wine critics - include it in top five leaders in quality, along with Dom Perignon, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger and Krug.

And especially critics highlight the brand Bollinger Grande Année (Bollinger of the Great Harvest Year), ranking it among the most elite brands, with impeccable quality.

All other fans of champagne, paying tribute to the taste of Bollinger, know and remember this wine also as a favorite drink of James Bond, which he sips with a very aristocratic look in almost half of the twenty-odd Bond films.

On the eve of the premiere of a new film with Daniel Craig, Bollinger decided to support this association - "Bollinger - James Bond" - by releasing a limited edition of champagne, only 207 bottles. A bullet-shaped steel case engraved with “Bollinger 007″ contains a 1999 Bollinger Grande bottle.

And one more fact from the history of the brand, bringing it closer to the brand of Veuve Clicquot. Surprisingly, in the history of winemaking there is such a phenomenon - the "famous Widows of Champagne". The widow Clicquot-Ponsardin, the widow Laurent-Perrier, the widow Pommery, the widow Enriot... Their names have become trademarks. This list includes the legendary Lily Bollinger.

Widowed at 42, Madame Lily Bollinger devoted all her extraordinary energy to improving the technology of champagne production, maintaining the tradition of the highest quality of the brand, which was admired even by Thomas Jefferson.

Today's heirs of the house of Bollinger maintain these traditions of quality - the house is known for its famous "Charter of Ethics and Quality", which he promulgated in 1992, and which follows at the expense of production volumes. However, this is bearing fruit - the demand for elite Bollinger champagne exceeds supply so much that it is distributed across countries in accordance with the quotas established by the company.

PRICES

The company produces 1 million bottles a year, which is quite a lot for a family business. Some of these products are also in Moscow:

Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut - from 3000 rubles.

Bollinger Grande Annee - from 6000 rubles.

Bollinger Grande 1999 in the form of a bullet for agent 007, in a wooden box weighing 22 kg - $ 5765.00 - you are unlikely to find in Moscow.

10. Salon

Salon is one of the smallest great champagne houses that started with a 1 hectare vineyard purchased in 1911 by a charismatic personality named Eugene Aimé Salon. Having managed to be a teacher, a fur trader and many others before, having made a million-dollar capital, the Salon decided to become a winemaker, to produce wine that had never happened before.

It is not difficult to reconstruct his motivation - as a frequenter of restaurants and a connoisseur of the best French wines, Salon felt that there was a niche for him in winemaking - he could create something completely unique, a wine of unsurpassed quality and extraordinary properties. The idea was to create wine, firstly, on the basis of Chardonnay alone and, secondly, only in the years of the best harvests. In not very brilliant years, he did not want to make wine.

And thus, for almost a century, the house he founded in 1921 in the period up to 2006 produced only 37 vintage wines. Which, of course, from the very beginning made them famous as a luxury drink - extremely rare, prestigious and expensive. Already his first vintages made him a name, in the 1920s his Salon was the “wine of the establishment” in the legendary Maxime restaurant, a meeting place for the Parisian elite.

After Salon's death, his property was resold twice, and today it belongs to the Laurent-Perrier group. The new owners are trying to maintain the Salon brand, the wine is still made only from grapes of the best years, over the past 30 years only one of three vintages has been embodied in wine. Robert Parker, characterizing the quality of all Salon wines as "indisputable", especially highlights his favorite vintage - the 1990 vintage.

PRICES

The volume of production of Salon champagne is extremely small - about 50,000 bottles per year, and this, as was said, is not every year.

Naturally, such a rare wine is not a frequent visitor to Moscow boutiques and online stores, and it can be found with great difficulty.

Prices, however, are relatively low for such an exclusive - starting from 13,000 rubles for a bottle of a standard volume of 0.75 liters.

The article was updated and supplemented at the end of 2015.

This article from the New Year's Eve series is dedicated to the choice of inexpensive sparkling wine. The word "champagne" in this case is not quite correct, although I indicated it in the title of the article. The fact is that only sparkling wine made according to a strictly defined technology in the French province of Champagne can be called champagne (according to international standards). Of course, many Russians continue to call sparkling wines champagne. There is nothing wrong with this, but in this article I will use the word "champagne" only in quotation marks.

I must say right away that by inexpensive sparkling wine (“champagne”), in this article, I mean drinks worth up to 1000 rubles per bottle of 0.75 liters. Real French champagne in Russia usually costs much more than 2,000 rubles for a bottle of the same volume. Of course, this is expensive, moreover, for most Russians, such prices look simply wild. It is interesting, by the way, that in France itself real champagne is much cheaper (2-3 times).

Of course, the amount of 500, 700 and even more so 1000 rubles per bottle is also rather big, but still, in honor of the holiday, I think you can afford really good wine. Sparkling wine is cheaper than 300 rubles per bottle - usually very, very mediocre; in some cases it is not even sparkling, but sparkling (carbonated).

The most budget options

In supermarkets you can find "champagne" - "Russian" or "Soviet" - even for 99 rubles per bottle. This is, to put it mildly, a terrible drink. In most cases, such wine (usually of the lowest quality) is artificially carbonated, while in real sparkling wine, carbon dioxide (and, accordingly, bubbles) is formed naturally as a result of the fermentation process. Cheap "champagne" can also be supplied with flavorings and various additives, and its taste and aroma are coarse, inexpressive. Sometimes there is even a distinct chemical aftertaste. Well, it's completely disgusting, although many Russians are quite satisfied with this option.

For about 250-300 rubles you can buy a bottle of "champagne" Lev Golitsyn, Tsimlyanskoye. Bosca is not actually sparkling wine, but "carbonated wine drink"; I wrote more about it. That is, it is clear that this is only a semblance of a good sparkling wine (to be specific, Bosca is made like a semblance of Italian Asti wines, and a rather pathetic semblance at that). Lev Golitsyn and especially Tsimlyansky wines are higher than Bosca, but at a price of around 200-300 rubles, there is nothing to expect from them.

True, it is worth adding that for a large noisy company, "champagne" for 250-300 rubles is in most cases a suitable option, since it is unlikely that anyone from this company will carefully study the taste and aroma of wine. But for a more intimate (let's say) atmosphere, it is better, of course, to buy better sparkling wines.

Russia: sparkling wines Abrau-Dyurso

In my opinion, Russian sparkling wines Abrau-Durso have a good price-quality ratio. But no more. The cost of one bottle is from 300 to 1000 rubles, and sometimes more (depending on the specific variety). Expensive Abrau-Durso sparkling wines (they cost from 500 rubles) have a much better taste, aroma and game than cheaper options. This is a very good "champagne", but only in its price segment. Again, this only applies to expensive options - Imperial and Victor Dravigny; cheap ones have a much simpler taste and aroma.

Abrau-Durso produces semi-sweet sparkling wines (for those with a sweet tooth), semi-dry and brut wines (for those who prefer dry wine). Expensive sparkling wines Abrau-Durso (for example, "") differ from cheap options (for example, "Abrau") in a more multifaceted bouquet because they are made according to classical technology (with secondary fermentation in bottles), and cheap ones - by the tank method. Accordingly, if possible, it is better to buy Victor Dravigny or Imperial.

Sparkling wines

The Artyomovsk winery produces relatively good sparkling wines Krim, however, they cannot be called brilliant. The cost of one bottle is from 350 rubles. Under the brand name "Krim" rosé, white and red sparkling wines are produced; semi-sweet, semi-dry and brut (=dry). If compared with the expensive sparkling wines of Abrau-Durso, then "Krim" is clearly worse, despite the use of classical technology. And the lower line of the same manufacturer (the Artyomovskoye brand) definitely leaves much to be desired.

Moldova: Cricova sparkling wines

I myself, to be honest, have not tried Cricova “champagne”, but, judging by the reviews, its price-quality ratio is normal. It looks like it's even better than Krim's. And the price is low, from about 300 rubles per bottle. Well-known Russian wine blogger Denis Rudenko speaks well of Cricova wines in particular (see, for example, this post of his).

Italy: Lambrusco sparkling wines

Sparkling wine made from Lambrusco grapes (more precisely, from several variations of this variety) differs markedly from Abrau-Dyurso and Krim: as a rule, it is light, refreshing, and very drinkable. In my opinion, however, many Lambrusco wines are primitive and boring; this is especially true for cheap varieties. Lambrusco is produced by the simplified ("reservoir") method of Sharma.

The cost of a bottle of Lambrusco is from 300 to 1000 rubles, and sometimes more. Of course, the more expensive, the richer the taste and aroma. There are many manufacturers of Lambrusco, a good price-quality ratio, in particular, Lambrusco Dell’Emilia differs from Chiarli. Prices - about 400-500 rubles per bottle.

You can buy Lambrusco sparkling wines sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry and brut; red, pink and white. I will say right away that red sparkling wine is an amateur wine.

Read more about Lambrusco in

Italy: Asti sparkling wines

Many of the fair sex are very fond of the Italian sweet sparkling wine Asti, made from Muscat White grapes (Muscat Bianco). It costs not so little, but it has a very pleasant taste, sweet, slightly honey, harmonious and refreshing. A lot of beautiful bubbles, rich fruity-floral aroma. Drinks easily and intoxicates imperceptibly. Like Lambrusco, it is produced by the Charmat method.

Perhaps the most famous, but it costs a lot - from 700 rubles per bottle, and in terms of quality and bouquet, it is rather ordinary. Another popular option is, which some people like more (including me). It costs about 550 rubles per bottle (the cheapest is in Auchan). Other budget options: Santero, Tosti, Toso; but I don't recommend the last two. Very good Asti wines are produced by Canti.

I talked in detail about Asti wines in.

Italy: Prosecco Sparkling Wines

Prosecco sparkling wines, which are very popular in Italy, should also be mentioned. The cost of one bottle of Prosecco (many manufacturers) - from 500 rubles. Prosecco are white dry and semi-dry wines, they are produced by the Sharma method (that is, "reservoir"). The taste is "light", harmonious and refreshing, with fruity and sometimes floral notes. A great option for those who like dry and semi-dry sparkling, but not sweet and semi-sweet. Prosecco is very popular in its homeland - in Italy.

Among the best producers of Prosecco I would mention Nino Franco, Ruggeri; Valdo and Carpene Malvolti produce very worthy options. Good Proseccos at Gancia and Casa Defra; slightly weaker (in my opinion; in terms of level, not fortress) by Zonin; Tosti is even weaker (I do not advise). I talked more about Prosecco.

Be careful: recently, the production of Prosecco has been mastered by ZAO Sparkling Wines from St. Petersburg. Apparently, this company is engaged in bottling very cheap sparkling wine imported from Italy in large quantities.

Spain: Cava sparkling wines

Among Spanish sparkling wines, Cava deserves attention, which are produced by the classical method (secondary fermentation in bottles). They cost from 500 rubles, but basically their prices start at about 900 rubles per bottle. Generally good value for money. There are semi-dry/semi-sweet varieties (demi-sec) and dry varieties (brut, brut nature/brut zero). The largest and most reliable producers of cava are Freixenet and Codorniu, but other firms (for example, Muga) also make very worthy drinks.

I talked more about Cava in .

Portuguese sparkling

The Portuguese also make sparkling wines according to the classical technology. One good example is Santo Isidro de Pegoes Brut, which I talked about in detail. It costs about 1000 rubles per bottle.

France: Cremant sparkling wines

It so happened that French wines are more expensive than not only Russian and Ukrainian, but also Spanish and Italian wines. Yes, you can buy French "champagne" for 300-400 rubles per bottle, but it will be a very mediocre drink; in my opinion, it is better to buy Abrau-Durso for this money.

More or less decent French sparkling wines cost from about 800 rubles per bottle and are designated by the word Cremant (Kremant). All of them are made by the classical method (with secondary fermentation in bottles). There are varieties of Cremant de Bourgogne (Burgundy), Cremant d'Alsace (Alsace), Cremant de Bordeaux (Bordeaux) and others. The production of all Cremant wines is controlled and complies with strict rules set for each region. The result is consistent quality.

The sugar content should be dealt with separately. In France, the following designations are adopted:

• Brut Nature (Natural), Brut Zero - there is no sugar in sparkling wine at all
• Extra Brut - sugar from 0 to 6 grams per liter
• Brut - sugar from 0 to 12 grams per liter
• Extra Sec - sugar from 12 to 17 grams per liter
• Sec - sugar from 17 to 32 grams per liter
• Demi-Sec - sugars from 33 to 50 grams per liter
• Doux - more than 50 grams of sugar per liter.

The French drink mostly sparkling wines Brut, this is the most common option, a real classic. For many Russians who are accustomed to the “Soviet semi-sweet”, brut seems too sour / tart, dry, tasteless. Therefore, sweet tooth can be advised the Demi-Sec option (in fact, an analogue of semi-sweet in terms of sugar content). Demi-Sec sparkling wines are produced in France (albeit in much smaller quantities than brut), and it’s real to find them on sale.

I talked in more detail about one of the French cremans in.

Happy shopping and bon appetit!

P.S. Of course, I cannot know about all brands and varieties of sparkling wine; in this article I have mentioned only the most popular ones, those with which I myself am familiar. This does not mean that all other sparkling wines are rubbish; among them there may well be very good specimens.

According to the results of the study of tasters, the champagne “Heritage of the master. Lev Golitsyn ”- according to the results of the examination, it scored 85 points. Bourgeois is in second place with 80 points, Abrau-Durso is the third with 77 points.

“The examination showed that the tested samples of champagne are not counterfeit, as they meet the requirements of the standard specified in the label in terms of quality. The markings also correspond to the name. Four out of six samples have good organoleptic properties, and all wines can be considered safe.”

To distinguish one drink from another, look for the corresponding inscriptions on the labels.

Sparkling wine - means that you are holding wine naturally saturated with gas.

- "Wine drink", "Carbonated drink", "Champagne sparkling" and their derivatives - means that this wine is produced using a cheaper technology, when bubbles are obtained by injecting carbon dioxide into the bottle.

The GOST marking, of course, is a good guide, which means that the drink is prepared in accordance with the interstate standard using the traditional reservoir method.

According to the results of a study by Roskachestvo, in a quarter of cases, wine artificially saturated with gases is sold under the guise of real sparkling wine.

It's not against the law at this time and doesn't have to be labeled, but non-natural gases can make you feel bad.

That is why last year Roskachestvo carried out an examination, according to the results of which 10 samples of semi-sweet sparkling wines made using the Charmat method received the Quality Mark.

If you have not yet decided which champagne to put on the table, you can choose a drink from this dozen:

The price of champagne on the store shelf most often starts at 3,000 rubles, and you can find real champagne for less money on a promotion or during sales. You can safely buy sparkling wines in the region of 500 rubles, and I would not recommend going below 200 rubles per bottle - the chance of running into low-quality products is too high. It is worth noting that now the vast majority of sparkling wines are produced correctly: not artisanal and without falsifications, so it is unlikely to buy a fake in a decent store.

“In each batch of sparkling wine, 2-3% of the bottles, for whatever reason, usually reach the consumer of poor quality.

Perhaps a separate bottle was frozen, this is especially true now, in December, - then there will be a violation of acidity and precipitation of cream of tartar.

Perhaps the quality of the capping turned out to be poor, a bad cork. There is no clear answer as to what exactly happened; you need to look at the path and history of each bottle. But things at the level of "pleasant - unpleasant" can be felt by any person.

If you open champagne, and it smells like rotten apples, then there are no comments. Sparkling wine should have a neat, clean, fresh fruity tone, without extraneous shades, ”advises leading Russian wine critic Denis Rudenko.