After a flaming June and a couple of rainy days at the start of July there's no doubt there's plenty of summer days still to come over the next couple of months. True to form then at the start of Wimbledon competition hots up once again between the major supermarkets to sell us non-vintage champagne at discounted prices. Other than the weeks building up to Christmas this is the best time to push the boat out and bag yourself a bargain bottle or two of bubbly. As luck would have it the discounts in the wine aisles in Waitrose changed this week, running until 1st August, and I can confirm they are offering some of the best prices available at the time of writing. Of course, I cannot guarantee they won't be price-matched by their competitors in the coming days but Waitrose have certainly set some good benchmarks. This is how things stand at the time of writing:
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV
Simply described as one of the best and the emblematic cuvée of Bollinger's expertise. This is a blend of 60% Pinto Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, aged for a minimum of three years in bottle before disgorgement. The Waitrose price is £42.99, discounted from £55.99. Tesco, Morrisons, and Sainsburys still have it listed at £55.99.
Taittinger Champagne Brut Réserve NV
A dry and light champagne made from 40% Chardonnay with the balance of 60% made up of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier giving the wine a fresh and citrus quality. Similar to the Bollinger it is aged in cellars for 3-4 years before disgorgement. The discounted price in Waitrose is £31.99 against a headline price of £43.99. Tesco and Asda are selling it for £43.00, Majestic for £45.99!
Lanson Champagne Black Label Brut NV
Here is a popular champagne that the majority of supermarkets (Asda, Sainsburys and Tasco) are offering for £31.00. Greedy M&S lists it for £38.00! But, if you want to save a penny Waitrose are selling it for £30.99. The blend here is 50% Pinot Noire, 35% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier and therefore the nearest match to the Bollinger Special Curvée Brut (see above). I know which one I would choose!
But if you cannot or do not want to run to the expense of champagne Waitrose also have some some promising traditional method sparkling wine discounts that might tempt you to buy. Crémants from different regions of France are the go-to alternatives at the moment and Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay) is a good place to start, especially when discounted from £15.99 to £11.99 until 1st August. And if you want to support English producers this summer the Chapel Down Classic NV Brut - a traditional method Chardonnay-led blend, is widely available but check it out at Waitrose first because it is £21.99 discounted from £28.99 until 1st August. This is £2 and £3 respectively less than Tescos and Sainsburys are selling it.
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