Champagne Summer

Roll out the red carpet, Piper-Heidseck has arrived! But what’s it saying? It’s saying “Hello, I’m a bit classy”. Like the Moët we reviewed recently, this is another universally appealing fizz, with some depth of flavour and a nice feel in the mouth. It won’t blow your socks off, but it won’t give you the ick either. It’s a peck, not a snog. When a wine is great, there’s lots to say about it, when it’s bad there’s lots to say about it, when it’s good, it’s good, and that’s that. We picked up this Piper-Heidseck Cuvée Brut for £22.50 from @tesco It’s currently on offer, plus an extra 25% off when you buy 6 of any wine. Which makes this an absolute barg. @piper_heidsieck @liberty_wines

Yes, we climbed into the forget-me-knots to get the shot. This is a seven and we LOVE it. Here’s why…. It’s delicate and dainty, the first thought was of honey suckle. It’s not a heavy hitter but is a very respectable seven. It doesn’t taste super posh, and the flavour doesn't hang around for long, but it is bloody delicious. There’s no clag, there’s no bitterness and she’s gorgeous. 7/10 This Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut is currently on offer at @waitrose for £40 @pernodricarduk @perrierjouet

This is a perfectly nice Champagne. A classic, you see it everywhere, and there’s a reason for that. It sits very much in the middle ground, a universally appealing fizz. It looks good, it smells good, it tastes good. Nothing is great, nothing is bad. Slurp it out of a mini bottle, through a straw, at a fashion show, and it’s fabulous in that moment. Chug a glass at the airport, and it feels right there too. For being respectably satisfactory in all areas, it’s a 6/10. We bought this Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial for £45 from @asda @moetchandon @moethennessy

Bom dia from sunny Lisbon. Portugal, of course, has its own domestic sparkling wine industry - but this isn’t a Portuguese sparkling wine summer, it’s a Champagne Summer, so we picked up a bottle of Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs from @garrafeiraimperial . This looks and smells like it’s going to be great, but first impressions can be deceiving. The taste delivers none of the buttery brioche your snout has promised. It’s sharp, citrus and we found it slightly hard work after a couple of glasses, but if you love lemon, this could be for you. Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne, so undoubtedly there’s a market for this style, but it’s not for us. 4/10 Sidenote: Big up @garrafeiraimperial , an absolutely cracking wine shop well worth a visit. We paid €69, and you can get it for £61 from @ocadouk

We’ve peaked too soon. To kick off with Bollinger Special Cuvee may be a mistake. If scoring out of 10, logic dictates the first score should be a 5… a benchmark for everything that follows to be scored against. But we just can’t do it. A 5? For this? No. It’s posh in the mouth and offers everything you’d expect from a Grand Marques Champagne; stinks of brioche (in a good way), tastes like expensive toast at your mum’s house, it’s creamy, it’s delicious. It’s 9/10. Bought for £60 from @morrisons @champagne_bollinger @mentzendorff_co