When I’m asked to write about New Year’s Eve wines, my mind invariably goes to Champagne. Really, could it be anything else? The pop of its cork punctuates the year past with a full stop, its aphrodisiac qualities (or so I am told) prepare you for the long evening ahead. It’s the bottle to smash against the stern of HMS 2024.
It must be Champagne. But, crucially, not all Champagne is created equal, nor is all Champagne suitable for all situations. A bottle of grand cru is far more precious when shared with a lover than it is in 25 ml spoonfuls amongst a room of 30, for example. (Unless someone opens it without your knowing and helps themselves.) Here are four suggestions of Champagne to uncork on New Year’s eve, no matter what situation you find yourself in.
You’re at pre-drinks
Pre-drinks (or pre-gaming) serves a purpose. It gets you from A to B, if A stands for ‘a drink’ and B stands for ‘(more) booze’. It’s certainly not the place to break out the luxury stuff, but it’s nice to bring something to share with a few with your party before you go out. There is currently a Champagne at Aldi that properly punches above its price tag (considering most of the grandes marques are tickling £50). This is all classic bruised apples and brioche. And at £14.99, you can’t be too incensed if someone steals it from the fridge.
Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, £14.99
You’re with your family
Fewer people to share it with means buying better Champagne. Perhaps I’m revealing myself to be a bit of a wine hoarder, but surely, the more Champagne to go around, the more it’s going to be appreciated. As the children play with an illogically noisy toy and the parents fuss over the trifle, it’s time to open the Bollinger. It’s the favoured grande marque of many sommeliers for good reason. The Pinot Noir-dominant blend is toasty and rich, with a fine mousse, ergo, it pairs as wonderful with food as it is with nothing, horizontal, on the sofa.
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV
You’re at a dinner party
Champagne remains criminally underrated as a food pairing wine, so it deserves a place at your New Year’s Eve dinner party. How about a gastronomic Grower Champagne? Grower Champagne is made by those who have historically worked for the region’s cooperatives or sold grapes to the big names, and broke away to make their own label. It doesn’t get more boutique than this: Thomas Perseval owns a miniscule 2.5 hectares, focusing on single-vineyard expressions aged in oak. This 100% Pinot Meunier is weighty and textured, abound with red fruits – a good pairer for all manner of dinner party staples, from roast chicken to salmon blinis to pavlovas.
Champagne Thomas Perseval ‘La Pucelle’ 2017
You’re with your partner
What do you drink when no one else is watching? Whatever you bloody well like, of course. Moments stolen away with your beloved when it feels like the rest of the world is going apeshit are some of the most intimate. For these moments, open something special. This bottle is from Leclerc-Briant, a producer that focuses on organic and biodynamic winemaking (one of the first in the region to do the latter). This wine is focused, chalky, yet fleshy, with festive spiced patisserie. The 2018 vintage was one of the best in recent history – and it feels extremely fitting to toast one good year with another.
