Home > Trade Tastings > Champers Champagne

Champers Champagne

There's never a time where Champagne isn't appropriate, whether it be a birthday or similar celebration, seasonal festivities or in my case the pop of a Champagne cork often marks nothing more than the arrival of the weekend. Good value Champagnes can be hard to come by, however, and thus I was glad for another opportunity to take a look at some wines that fit this description from Champers Ltd, a UK independent and member of the Association of Small Direct Wine Merchants (ASDW). Henry Speer, who runs the firm, focuses on the wines of Du Mont-Hauban, a label of the Coopérative Vinicole de Monthelon-Morangis (CM-830-001), based in Monthelon, although he also carries a few other familiar names, including Pol Roger and Joseph Perrier, and he has a tempting array of pre-mixed cases which would be perfect lubrication for any festive soirée.

Here I took a look at the Du Mont-Hauban wines, as well as the rather special 1996 Joseph Perrier, a wine from a great vintage that just oozes class. I have included current prices from the Champers Ltd list, but as with last time I have also included links through to Wine-Searcher for comparison. For transparency I should point out that, at the time of writing, Champers Ltd is a Winedoctor sponsor (what sensible merchant wouldn't be?), but there is no other commercial connection here. (26/11/08)

Champers Champagne - Tasting Notes

Tasted in November 2008. Click to locate stockists.

Du Mont-Hauban Brut Sélection NV: This is dominated by Chardonnay, although with a big dollop of Pinot Meunier too. Initially quite foamy and youthful in the glass, it soon settles down to show a pale straw hue and a moderate-sized bead. There are notes of gently honeyed oak on the nose, with a little nut too, and a little dried lemony fruit. The palate starts off nicely composed, with a nicely gentle mousse, which shows a more firm, sherbetty, lemony character in the midpalate and a firm, upright one in the finish. Along with some nice acidity this supports a gently honeyed, nutty character. Quite firm at the end. Nicely composed, drinking well now, but should be more settled and genteel in six to twelve months I think. Very good. 16.5+/20 (£14.90)

Du Mont-Hauban Brut Rosé NV: This particular cuvée, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, has a much deeper colour than the last incarnation of Du Mont-Hauban's rosé that I tasted, with a deep pink-sunset glow, and there is a fat, plentiful, foaming bead. The nose offers up strawberry and redcurrant fruit with a leafy character, with just a hint of creamy richness. The palate shows a fine, vibrant immediacy as soon as it hits the palate, before settling down to a more creamy midpalate, where there is a delicious, tingling weedy-nettly acidity alongside the fresh fruit character. A good, stony-minerally character too. The green elements show through in a flourish in the finish. A very nice wine, with plenty to interest everybody here I think. 16.5/20 (£15.85)

Du Mont-Hauban Brut Réserve NV: Remarkably this is mostly Pinot Meunier, 85% in fact, with the remaining 15% Chardonnay. This blend gives the wine a lot of character on the nose and palate, the former dominated by warm, slightly honeyed, nutty notes, with a little touch of polished wood. Based on my limited experience with the likes of Egly-Ouriet, Pinot Meunier often gives these warm, richer aromas when well managed. The palate is gently creamy and meaty, with a well-poised mousse and a rich, rather caramelly lemon finish, backed up by plenty of sharp, nettly, tingly acidity. A very nice and inexpensive Champagne. 16+/20 (£14.40)

Du Mont-Hauban Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs NV: This is 100% Chardonnay. A plentiful bead in the glass, white foam on the top, and clearly a young cuvée here. The aromatic profile confirms this, as the nose is still very fresh with lemon citrus characteristics, although there are undertones of polished oak and cashew nut. The palate is very crisp and upright in the same vein as the nose, with a firm and tingling mousse and a punchy core of acidity. There is plenty of structure and raw potential here, rounded off in an steely, lemony, nettly finish. This is a wine that can be drunk now, but will be much more polished with another year or two of bottle age I think. 16.5+/20 (£18.25)

Joseph Perrier Brut 1996: A rich and golden hue, although the bead is still moderately fat. Plenty to smile about on the nose though, a honey-caramel tinge, draped over golden fruits, suggesting early maturity. On entry it is fresh, clean and well defined, then quickly revealing complex flavours, of maturing fruit, honey and bread, all wrapped up in a very complete, gently composed style, with fine acidity and a lively but precise, prickling mousse backing up the flavour. Very nicely balanced, with deliciously complex notes of mushroom, with sweetly roasted, caramelised notes alongside. It finishes very crisply and has a good length too. Very fine stuff here, which is great for drinking now, but is still on the way up I am sure. 17.5+/20 (£34.50)