Top supermarket sparkling for Christmas

A complex, yeasty nose of wheat crackers and lemons, dried apricots, bruised apples and sour dough. Creamy and intense, with plenty of buttered brioche, roasted nuts, yellow apple and tangerine peels on the palate with sharp acidity as the backbone, followed by a long, biscuity finish. This is a quality 2012 vintage Champagne of exceptional value.

Gosset is the oldest house in Champagne, and although it's a name that may be unfamiliar to many consumers, it's a favourite among wine trade insiders. This non-vintage cuvée is redolent with the aromas of mellow red apple fruit. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, with creamy apple and plum flavours, and a great precision at the same time. This is elegant, fresh and has great length. 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. Dosage: 8g/L.

Richly biscuity on the nose, with steamed rice, fresh pear and citrus blossom complexity. Creamy mousse dissolves into red apple peel, lemon and stone fruits, with a depth of honeyed biscuits. The Reserve NV from Pol Roger is a blend of base wines from at least three vintages. With 6 months of post-disgorgement ageing, the wine is ready to enjoy now.

Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Champagnes (made by Philizot & Fils) are regular award winners – particularly the bargain-busting Brut NV (£13.49). This is a little pricier but worth it for the extra nutty, biscuity complexity the longer ageing brings to the Chardonnay's lipsmacking green apple and citrus flavours. Online only.

The 40% of reserve wine added to the 2016 base gives great depth and savoury complexity, as does the 24 months' lees ageing. Toasty nougat, digestive biscuit and apple purée flavours and a long finish. In store and online. For £28, the Delacourt Blanc de Blancs 2012 is also worth every penny.

Aged for 15 months, this vintage Cava is a blend of the three traditional grapes Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo. Ripe lemon, stone fruit, tropical fruit and brioche on the nose, layered with stewed apples floating in custard with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Full of flavour and a soft mousse. Great fizz for the price.

2015 was a hot year in Champagne but provided the right amount of sun and intermittent rainfall to make it a notably stellar vintage. This 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards is rich and leesy on the nose with incredibly toasty, warm pastry, yeasty, honeyed tones. Crusty bread and bruised apples also spring to mind. The palate is more about lemons, limes, stones and minerals. An elegant and well-balanced Champagne for your money.

<p>Made for Aldi by renowned Cava producer Freixenet, this is a traditional blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo. Firm mousse and crisp acidity carries flavours of green apple and lemon zest on the light-bodied palate, with a mineral and hay lift through the finish. In store only.</p>

Of M&S's seven Proseccos, this the driest and most characterful, including 12% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Bianco. With vineyards influenced by the Adriatic sea and Dolomite alps, the orchard fruit palate is invitingly fresh – a perfect standby to have for an impromptu party. In store, online and via Ocado.

This méthode Champenoise English sparkler is a blend of the classic Champagne grapes: 55% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier. There's a delicious toastiness to the fresh citrus nose; while the palate is elegant and lifted, with lovely balance of rounded citrus and crisp acidity, plus good persistence on the finish.

A well-balanced blend of the classic Champagne grapes: 45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier. Appealing aromas of citrus, pear, creamy apricot and brioche. Toasty notes play against fresh citrus and stone fruit on the rich palate, which is balanced by refreshing acidity, with a light mousse and a crisp finish. A super aperitif and great value.

Creamy, yeasty aromas, with hints of citrus, beeswax and nuts. Fresh and well-balanced; lifted citrus, clean mineral character, finishes with notes of freshly sliced green apple.

New to the Co-op sparkling range, this Loire Cremant features a fresh, bready nose of white blossom, candied pear and a hint of flint. Crisp green fruits with honeyed depth on the palate. A blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Cabernet Franc, it's a serious, good-value sparkling wine calling for food.

<p>Always a great-value sparkling, made the same way as Champagne and left on its lees for 18 months for toasty, yeasty complexity. The 2024 release uses 2021 base wine from vines averaging 20 years, it's 43% Pinot Noir and 24% Aligote, supported by Gamay and Chardonnay. Crisp acidity, ripe red apple juiciness and a tart redcurrant finish.</p>

Using the three traditional grapes, this is a very tasty Cava for the money, made by noted producer Freixenet. Made in the traditional method, it spent 20 months on its lees and the bone-dry palate has good toasty and creamy autolytic notes and ripe but crisp citrus flavours. In store only.

There are some cracking value Cavas to be had if you know where to look, and this is one of them, made by a leading family estate in the region. Remember that Cava is produced using the traditional (Champagne) method, this one spending 15-18 months ageing on lees for the fermentation in bottle. It's fresh, harmonious and faintly toasty, with mellow red apple and citrus notes. Very drinkable.

An immediate perfume of soft golden apples dipped in yoghurt, with creamy, leesy, toasty characters bubbling away underneath. It’s very creamy in the mouth and has a little hint of cream cheese. Wait a beat and apple pie and cinnamon come through. The finish is only medium, but has a pleasant zippy lemon tart freshness. The 66th vintage from Veuve Clicquot, 2012 was particularly favourable weather-wise.

As so often with Cava, you get good bang for your buck here, and even more when on offer at £7.99 (1st December to 2nd January). Made by the Champagne method, this is made from the traditional grapes used for Cava (Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo), from old vines. It's Brut in style, with 8g/L residual sugar, and has an expressive yeasty and warm leesy character, with good acidity and elegant lemon citrus notes.

This good-value fizz from Australia's Adelaide Hills includes a splash of Shiraz, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay alongside the 85% Pinot Noir. It's a straightforward and appealing wine, perfect for parties. A pretty pale pink in colour, it's bursting with juicy and fresh red cherry and strawberry fruit, and a dash of cream. Lively, and modern in style. Part of the Waitrose 10 at £10 pre-Christmas promotion, this will be on offer at £10, from 1st to 14th December 2021.

A floral nose of citrus and pear, plus yeasty complexity. The red Pinot grapes-driven Champagne has a rounded palate of red apple and lemon, with a depth of buttered crackers. Residual sugar sits at 9.85g/l, well-refreshed by acidity at 5.6g/l. Tangerine peel and a touch of red fruits on the finish.

Made by Freixenet for Morrisons, the Brut Cava has a bready nose of citrus and fresh green apple, plus a hint of dust. Very foamy; 9 months of ageing on lees gave the wine a buttery mouthfeel of brioche, crisp lemon and green fruits. Moreish and food-friendly, providing great value.

A Methode Cap Classique blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Lemon-and-lime citrus aromas with hints of vanilla pastries. Fresh, fruity pineapple and lemon palate, buoyed by brisk acidity, with some rounder toasty, apricot notes and fine, persistent bubbles.

Fresh pears and ripe peach on the nose, crunchy and dry on a palate of lime and apple. The finish is citrusy with a honeyed tinge. This is a Prosecco sourced from organic vineyards.

Made for Sainsbury's by Codorniu, this vintage Cava is great value for money. Bready citrus aromas, with a touch of honeyed peaches, lead to a vibrant citrus palate, with rounder notes of nuts and nougat. Super-fresh, with focused acidity and brisk bubbles.