I’m often asked what my favourite Champagne is. These days I tend to try and answer a subtly different one: what’s my favourite style of Champagne?
The answer tends to be something along the lines of: long-aged blanc de blancs, preferably in magnum. Wines with austere DNA, chipped away at and mellowed by time. Wines that take a bit of work to prise apart, but reward you for doing so. Champagne has many natural advantages over other sparkling wines in its ability to ripen grapes to the rare specifications required for extended ageing, but seldom are they felt as keenly as in those moments.
It was a surprise, then, when hunting back through a year’s worth of tasting notes, scores, Instagram posts and Decanter reviews, to find I didn’t recognise my own answer. Where were these monumental blanc de blancs?
Scroll down to see notes and scores for Tom Hewson’s Champagne highlights of 2023
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"}
See notes and scores for Tom Hewson’s best Champagnes of 2023
{}
{"wineId":"78136","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"60590","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"78137","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"72443","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"72444","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"73025","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"69186","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"78139","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"78138","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"75702","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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