EmailBest Reviewed
Champagne
- Best value, sparkling wine Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV *Est. $20
- Best inexpensive bubbly Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV *Est. $15
- Best value, French Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV *Est. $30
- Best special-occasion Champagne Charles Heidsieck 1995 Blanc des Millénaires *Est. $100
- Best value, sparkling rosé Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rosé NV *Est. $25
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- Among the best values in non-vintage Champagnes in its price class
- Complex and refreshing
- Full-bodied, medium-dry and dense
- Complements many foods well
- Not vintage-dated - impossible to tell how long it's been on store shelves
- Not as refined or complex as vintage Champagne
Although we're not sure whether Slate and WineReviewOnline.com tasted this wine blind, we appreciate the detailed comparisons and tasting notes these two publications provide. Wine Review Online's comparisons to Louis Roederer's expensive Cristal Champagne are particularly helpful.
Critics agree that Louis Roederer Brut Premier (*est. $40) Non-Vintage Champagne is an excellent value. Although they're not as elegant as vintage Champagnes, non-vintage Champagnes really showcase a winery's house style - and they cost less. In the case of Louis Roederer, the house style is said to be medium-dry and full-bodied, so these wines pair well with a variety of foods. Reviewers say Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV has the biscuit-like flavors that characterize Champagne, along with apple and pear notes. If you're looking for a less expensive wine that's nearly as good, reviews point to Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Non-Vintage Brut (*est. $20), a domestic sparkling wine some critics say is even more "crowd-pleasing" than Champagne. Consumers posting to Wine.com and WineAccess.com are full of praise for this sparkling wine.
Our Sources
In this roundup of non-vintage Champagnes, Steinberger calls Roederer Brut Premier "the finest non-vintage champagne on the market - a consistently complex, elegant bottling with a refreshing mineral austerity."
Review: Something New: Nonvintage Champagnes for Snobs Who Prefer the Good Stuff, Mike Steinberger, Dec. 26, 2007
McCarthy says the Roederer Brut Premier, which he calls "dense and full-bodied" and "defines its house style." It is rich and medium-dry.
Review: Exploring Champagne's Non-Vintage Classics, Ed McCarthy, Dec. 20, 2005
3. Wine.com
This online wine retailer lets you sort Champagne and other sparkling wines by combined ratings in such publications. One reviewer says this Champagne is similar to Cristal but costs much less.
Review: Louis Roederer NV Brut Premier Reviews, Editors of Wine.com
Most reviewers posting to this site call this Champagne very good, but some say it might be overpriced.
Review: NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier Reviews, Contributors to Wineaccess.com
Champagne Runners Up:
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