A sensual champagne for Christmas

NV Waitrose Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France (£18.99, Waitrose).

The strong euro is playing havoc with European wine purchases, and the Champenois have had their worst year of sales in living memory. So there is a lot of flux in the prices and more importantly the quality of champagne on the shelves this Christmas.

You will, no doubt, have spotted some pretty big names going very cheap, but avoid these deals. Many of these wines have not been 'made' for the UK consumer and will have been 'parallelled' into the UK from grey markets.

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I would always recommend a truly serious, small-grower champagne, with the right amount of bottle age and the correct 'dosage', over a Grande Marque which has been rushed into the shops and is tasting all knees and elbows.

Alexandre Bonnet, in Les Riceys, in the Aube region of Champagne, makes this offering for Waitrose and it is truly beautiful. With lustrous notes of wild roses on the nose and a sensual, captivating palate, this is a very attractive wine which will seriously impress your pals.

It is rich enough to handle all party food, most starters and even the turkey, too. This is your emergency champs for Christmas and the New Year take my advice, this wine is a real find.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year.