The Very Best Champagnes for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Beyond

Words by Emilie Dock

Shall we open a bottle of Champagne? It’s a question more commonly asked during the festive period – and one that can only be reasonably answered with: yes, yes, a thousand times yes. For cosy dinners, Christmas drinks, New Year’s Eve parties and every sparkling moment in between, we’ve consulted our resident Champagne buyer, Alice Archer, to recommend a toast-worthy bottle for every occasion.  

Champagne isn’t just for grand toasts and glittering parties – it’s a pleasure worth savouring in smaller moments too. Non-vintage (NV) bottles, blended across multiple harvests to maintain a house style, offer a more accessible way to enjoy its effervescence any day of the week. 

Harrods Brut Premier Cru Champagne NV 

You’re decorating your Christmas tree. Jingle Bells is playing. Pop the cork on a bottle of Harrods Brut. Dry, light to medium-bodied, with fine citrus notes, it’s a wonderful apéritif, produced by the fifth-generation Lauren Hostomme family.  

Moët & Chandon White Brut Impérial Limited Edition NV 

Hosting a cheese and wine soirée? A glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial NV, reimagined in a festive red bottle, complements mild, creamy cheeses like Brie with crisp, fruity notes. Find more cheese and wine pairings in our seasonal guide.   

For treasured moments like Christmas morning (or winter proposals), only a prestige cuvée will do. Crafted from a single exceptional harvest rather than a blend of years, these top-tier cuvées undergo extended ageing, often a decade or more, to develop extraordinary depth, complexity and the finest of mousses. 

Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015

Among the most revered prestige Champagnes, Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015 is a standout. Its ethereal profile opens with roasted and cocoa notes, before flooding the palate with a balance of white flowers and orchard fruit.

Salon Champagne 2013 

This vintage marks only the 44th release in Salon’s 120-year history. It has been hailed by critics, with Antonio Galloni awarding it 99 points and praising its “robust and densely textured” style – a testament to the maison’s unwavering rule of bottling solely in extraordinary years.   

The party doesn’t start until someone – that’s you – walks in with a magnum. Pouring 10-12 glasses each, 1.5L bottles are perfect for larger gatherings. Not only are they inherently celebratory, but the size supports slower ageing and greater flavour development.  

Bollinger Special Cuvée NV Magnum 

Pairing well with sushi, lobster and shrimp, as well as poultry and charcuterie, this Special Cuvée NV is the perfect Champagne to serve with canapés at a party. Dry and refined, it offers classic toasty, chalky richness, with a beautifully fine mousse that feels almost velvety on the palate.  

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2012 Magnum 

Yes, Cristal has a reputation as a party Champagne, and while its gold foil and amber hue lend themselves to celebration, it’s the finesse and subtleties of each vintage that excite critics. The 2012 promises aromas of lemon peel, yellow plum, vanilla and almond, a rich mid-palate of fruit, lively acidity and complexity, and a harmonious finish that seems to go on forever – much like the best soirées.  

We shouldn’t judge books by their covers – but let’s be honest, we all do, don’t we? That’s why, when gifting Champagne, paying special attention to the presentation will add a certain je ne sais quoi to an already fantastic gift. 

Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Rosé 2014 

As pretty bottles go, Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Époque line takes the crown. Named after France’s Golden Age in the 19th century, it’s beautifully adorned with hand-drawn Japanese anemones, thanks to Art Nouveau artist Émile Gallé. Luminous and pale pink in hue, the 2014 rosé is graced with aromas of pomegranate and raspberry.  

Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime 2010 

Founded in 1729, Ruinart may be the world’s first Champagne house, but its innovative spirit shines through in its commitment to sustainability. The brand has crafted an entirely recyclable paper bottle case made from wood fibres, its textured surface mimicking the underground caves where its precious wine is aged. 

When selecting a bottle of Champagne, there’s a temptation to choose the familiar – Veuve, Bolly, Krug and Moët. But if you’re thirsting for the unknown or the rare, consider these bottles. 

Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 

In the world of blanc de noirs, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire vintage is a 50-carat diamond – extraordinarily rare, meticulously crafted and dazzlingly complex. Never heard of it? You’re forgiven. It comes from a single-hectare plot that meets exacting standards: an enclosed, unbroken parcel with complete vinification on-site. No more than 3,500 to 7,500 bottles are produced per vintage, and the 2005 rewards those who secure one with a cuvée of remarkable depth and elegance, where rich, ripe fruit meets a surprising minerality. 

 Frerejean Frères Cuvée des Hussards 2008 

In 2018, bottles of this vintage were plunged 60 metres beneath the sea off the coast of Brittany, where the cool, stable temperatures and gentle ocean currents created the perfect conditions for maturation. The result? A Champagne with an extraordinary purity, fine bubbles, and a whisper of salinity.