Under $40 & Fabulous!

It’s so rare to find a fabulous Champagne under $40, that I still can’t believe Charles Ellner Carte Blanche Brut is just $38.99.

This might be the best Champagne I’ve ever had at this price point.

We tried a bottle in my Master of French Wine Advanced Sommelier class, and it’s beautiful from the first pour to the last sip. This bubbly has a gorgeous golden color with flecks of onion skin. (If that sounds crazy, you just need to look at an onion skin-colored Champagne once and you’ll never mistake it again; there’s no better way to describe the translucent pinky-golden hue. ) The mousse (or bubbles) on top of the wine are lovely and so vibrant that they jump into your nose on first sniff. I got aromas of pecan, flower petals, some cooked or wet mushrooms (this sounds gross, but it’s deliciously earthy), and fresh bread as the wine opened up.

On first sip, the bubbles are very fine: a delicate wave that wafts over your tongue. I tasted green apple and a really soft chalkiness. This Champagne is complex, elegant, and smooth as hell.

I still can’t get over the price. You could serve this to the most Champagne-savvy guests and they’d think you paid twice as much. It’s a perfect sparkling wine to serve over the holidays.

And to that, I say…

Chin!