Festive fizz 2024

Billecart-Salmon champagne service © Leif Carlsson

Reviews of 127 champagnes and other sparkling wines tasted recently by Tam and Jancis. Image © Leif Carlsson, courtesy of Champagne Billecart-Salmon.

Jancis writes Most champagne and English sparkling wines are relatively expensive so it’s good to see many retailers listing France’s Crémants. These are made by the same, bottle-matured traditional method as champagne but with, in many cases, different grape varieties and, of course, different terroirs. Quite a lot of them can offer good value for early drinking. However, they are rarely aged on the lees of the second fermentation for as long as a serious champagne, so don’t...