A Blind Tasting Full of Precision, Purity and Surprise
The festive season naturally heightens the appetite for sparkling wines, offering the perfect opportunity to invite our partners to share their favorite bottles for a blind assessment: the 2025 Dutch Wine Apprentice Sparkling Wine Contest.
Their enthusiasm brought together a broad and compelling lineup of traditional-method wines from Champagne, Franciacorta, Corpinnat, England, Trento, and the Loire.
Conducted blind, the tasting ensured a level playing field—panelists had no indication of origin, grape composition, or pricing. Chardonnay-led cuvées claimed many of the top spots, while entries from Corpinnat and England confirmed their growing significance on the global sparkling wine stage. The results underscore that excellence and value can emerge from multiple regions and that reputation alone is no guarantee of blind-tasting triumph.
A valuable reference for wine lovers and professionals alike, and a timely guide as we enter the most celebratory season of the year.
For the 2025 edition of our annual Sparkling Wine Contest, we assembled a six-member tasting panel drawn entirely from our writing team: Kazumi Uejo, Martin Bronkhorst, Saskia Nijssen, Inma Muñoz, Arco Verhulst, and Niels Aarts.
The purpose of the tasting was clear: evaluate sparkling wines solely on intrinsic quality. To ensure absolute objectivity, all bottles were served blind, and the panel was unaware of each wine’s origin, grape varieties, or price point. Even the number of Champagne versus non-Champagne entries was withheld.
Eligibility was simple:
Scores were assigned for Appearance, Smell, Taste (double weight) and Overall Impression (double weight), creating an evaluation framework that rewarded both technical precision and emotional impact.
The results revealed a tasting rich in diversity, surprises, and standout performances.
Chardonnay Takes the Lead
Blanc de Blancs excelled across regions. Champagne Palmer Blanc de Blancs 2018, our top wine, combined clarity with tension. Ca’ del Bosco and Philippe Gonet followed closely, showing how expressive Chardonnay can be from Champagne to Franciacorta.
Franciacorta’s Precision Shines
Ca’ del Bosco demonstrated once again that Franciacorta’s best wines can rival Champagne in finesse and depth.
Corpinnat Continues Its Ascent
Recaredo Subtil 2018 stood out as one of the most thought-provoking wines—complex, savory, and best enjoyed with food, where its structure thrives. Gramona Lustros 2016 also impressed with its depth and lees influence.
England Earns Its Place at the Top
Gusbourne Blanc de Noirs 2019 validated England’s growing reputation, showcasing ripe Pinot Noir and vibrant acidity.
When Reputation Meets Blind Conditions
Some classical Champagne houses did not score as expected. Without labels or expectations, wines such as Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée and Pol Roger Réserve showed more modest profiles compared to the competition.
Value and Prestige—A Revealing Contrast
Because the panel did not know prices, the tasting produced stark contrasts: Philippe Gonet TER significantly outperformed many costlier wines. Meanwhile, the premium Vilmart & Cie Les Blanches Voies 2013 delivered remarkable quality through aged depth and exceptional fruit selection, though its oxidative nuances made it a stylistic outlier.
Our Top 3:
1 — Champagne Palmer & Co. Blanc de Blancs 2018
Distributor Residence Wijnen | Producer Champagne Palmer & Co. | Retail price ~€74,95 | 130 points
This wine impressed the panel from the very first pour. Its bright, pale colour with fine, persistent bubbles set the tone for what became a benchmark Blanc de Blancs performance in the tasting. On the nose, the jury noted striking purity: lemon zest, white peach, crushed chalk, and delicate acacia florals layered with the faintest hint of pastry.
The palate delivered impeccable balance—crisp acidity woven seamlessly into a creamy, mineral-driven texture. Several panelists highlighted the wine’s architectural precision, describing it as “chiselled” and “effortless in its harmony.” The finish was long, saline, and lifted, leaving a lingering impression of citrus peel and wet stone.
A wine of finesse and clarity, showing the strength of Palmer & Co.’s approach to Chardonnay.
One juror summed it up as:
“A complete wine, nothing excessive, everything in place.”
2 — Ca’del Bosco Vintage Collection 2020 Saten (Franciacorta)
Distributor Wine & Spirits |Producer Ca’del Bosco | Retail price ~€79,95 | 129 points
Ca’ del Bosco’s 2020 entry immediately stood out for its textural elegance and silky integration of fruit and lees. The aroma profile offered ripe orchard fruits—pear, baked apple, subtle stone fruit—wrapped in gentle notes of brioche, hazelnut, and light spice.
Compared to the racier Blanc de Blancs styles, this was a wine of rounded sophistication.
On the palate, the jury remarked on its tactile richness, with beautifully judged ripeness offset by clean, refreshing acidity. The mousse was particularly praised: “silky yet energetic,” offering a luxurious mouthfeel without heaviness. Minerality added lift and definition, guiding the wine into a long, composed finish.
The 2019 Vintage Collection confirms Franciacorta’s capacity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Champagne in blind conditions, delivering an interplay of precision, depth, and restrained opulence that the panel found irresistible.
3 — Champagne Philippe Gonet Blanc de Blancs TER
Distributor Colaris | Producer Philippe Gonet | Retail price ~€57,50 | 128 points
This cuvée was one of the most discussed wines of the tasting. The panel was struck by its distinctive aromatic profile—a combination of chalk dust, lemon oil, white flowers, and subtle spice, framed by a palpable sense of terroir. Several jurors noted how confidently it expressed its Côte des Blancs origins even in a blind setting.
The palate was described as electric and linear, with high tension and a crystalline structure that carried flavours of citrus zest, green apple, and saline minerality. The wine unfolded gradually, revealing depth without ever losing its sense of precision. The finish was long and mouthwatering, marked by a purity that made it stand out even among more expensive Champagnes.
One juror summarized it in a clearly expressed manner:
“This is terroir speaking—uncompromising, clean, and deeply expressive.”
Its exceptional price-to-quality ratio was an additional revelation once the wines were unveiled.
While the top three wines distinguished themselves through exceptional balance, clarity and refinement, the remainder of the lineup offered a compelling spectrum of styles, terroirs and personalities. Many wines showed strong craftsmanship, distinctive character or surprising angles that added depth to the overall tasting experience.
Below, we highlight the Best of the Rest, celebrating the individuality each wine brought to the table.
Recaredo Subtil 2018 (Corpinnat)
Distributor Smaragd Wijnen | Producer Recaredo | Retail price ~€41,85
One of the most complex wines in the lineup. Smoky, herbal and citrus-driven with deep lees character. Its structure is wonderfully gastronomic—a wine that truly shines with food, where its savory nuances have space to unfurl.
Gusbourne Blanc de Noirs 2019 (Kent–Sussex, UK)
Distributor Vinites | Producer Gusbourne | Retail price ~€62,50
A polished English sparkling with expressive red-berry fruit, subtle spice and vibrant acidity. Confident, textural and elegantly structured, showing how far England has come in crafting world-class Pinot Noir–based wines.
Vilmart & Cie Les Blanches Voies Blanc de Blancs 2013
Distributor Best of Wines | Producer Vilmart & Cie | Retail price ~€220,83
A beautifully mature Champagne with notes of almond cream, patisserie and baked citrus. The exceptionally high-quality fruit selection is evident in its depth and texture. Distinctive and complex, with an oxidative nuance that adds character.
Gramona Lustros 2016 (Corpinnat)
Distributor Wijnimport J. Bart | Producer Gramona | Retail price ~€55,16
Aromatic and savory with fennel, citrus peel and toasted notes. Broad-shouldered yet balanced, offering a long, lees-driven profile that remains food-friendly and expressive.
Ferrari Trento Perlé 2018 (Trento DOC)
Distributor Goessens | Producer Ferrari Trento | Retail price ~€47,50
Fresh alpine character with green apple, citrus and herbal lift. Clean and precise with a refreshing profile—lighter in weight but impeccably crafted, showcasing Trentino’s Mountain elegance.
Langlois Crémant Cadence 2017 (Loire)
Distributor Verbunt Verlinden | Producer Langlois | Retail price ~€36,95
A graceful Crémant with pear, quince and floral notes. Soft mousse, gentle structure and approachable charm. A refined example of Loire sparkle with understated appeal.
Champagne Rousseaux Batteux Blanc de Noirs
Distributor Brouzje | Producer Rousseaux Batteux | Retail price ~€46,00
Its subtle pink tint immediately set this Blanc de Noirs apart—an honest reflection of its Pinot Noir heritage. Red fruit tones and light smokiness follow, with a soft, approachable palate and a pleasant, easy-drinking profile.
Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée Extra Brut
Distributor Anfors Imperial | Producer Bruno Paillard | Retail price ~€67,51
Citrus and almond aromas with a clean, taut palate. Structured and precise, though more restrained in this lineup. A stylistic expression that favours finesse over exuberance.
Champagne Pol Roger Réserve
Distributor De Bruijn in Wijnen | Producer Pol Roger | Retail price ~€53,95
Light, floral and straightforward, offering accessible drinking. While less intense than some peers, its delicate style will appeal to those seeking purity and subtlety.
Our 2025 Sparkling Wine Contest highlighted the evolving landscape of traditional-method sparkling wine. While Champagne delivered several of the top performers, the blind format confirmed that excellence is increasingly global: Franciacorta showed poise, Corpinnat delivered complexity, and England proved its rising stature among world-class sparkling wine regions.
The results also reaffirmed that price is not always a predictor of quality. Wines of exceptional craftsmanship can be found across diverse regions and price points, and blind tasting remains the most honest way to reveal them.
Most importantly, the tasting showcased how traditional-method sparkling wine—regardless of origin—continues to evolve in precision, terroir expression, and stylistic identity.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all importers who generously supplied bottles for this contest and to the producers whose craftsmanship made this tasting possible. Your contributions allow us to explore, compare, and celebrate sparkling wine at its finest.
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