Every Champagne producer tries to produce a luxury marque. They are very useful for publicity purposes, and also a very handy profit centre. Generally no expense is spared to make the very finest of Champagnes. They are then sold at a fairly mind-boggling prices.

Recently, through a mix of luck and bribery, I managed to taste the four leading brands in this rarified market. Two were from the excellent 1996 vintage.

Dom Perignon Brut 1999

Dom Perigon is the luxury cuvee of the largest Champagne house of all, Moet & Chandon. Moet in turn are owned by LVMH, which stands for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. As you might guess, they are pretty big in the luxury goods market. Generally speaking Moet do a good job, given that they make over two million cases of fizz a year. I have tasted some excellent vintages of DP . . . when it is on form, it is up there with all the rest.

Description: This did not fare quite so well . . . it started with an explosion of rich toasty fruit, with plenty of spice, but it fell away at the finish. Good, but not great.

Available from: /130 from off-licences nationwide, including selected Tesco, O'Briens, Dunnes and Molloys.

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Krug Vintage 1996

Krug is one of the smallest, most discreet Champagne houses, never sullying its name with anything cheap or mid-market. Although the wines are made by Remi and Henri Krug, it is distributed by the LVMH group. This is one of the few houses that still barrel-ferment their wines. The basic non-vintage, or Grande Cuvee, can consist of 50 different wines from up to 10 vintages, costing just /145.

Description: The 1996 is a majestic wine combining huge power, with great complexity and an amazing freshness. Interwoven flavours of grilled nuts, ripe pear fruits and lemon zest combine wonderfully, changing with each sip. Champagne does not get much better than this.

Available from: around /200 from selected O'Briens; Jus De Vine, Portmarknock; Green Acres, Wexford; The Vintry, Rathmines.

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Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2000 L

ouis Roederer, Pol Roger and Bollinger form a small elite group of family-owned quality Champagne houses. Roederer is best-known for Roederer Cristal, the favoured tipple of a generation of rappers, until a recent disagreement.

Cristal can be deceptive; in its youth it seems merely pleasant and fruity, nothing exceptional.

Give it a few years and it reveals ethereal elegant honeyed flavours.

Description: A finely balanced wine with subtle but rich honeyed fruits, elegance and a finish that goes on and on. Wonderful now, but this will improve for a few years to come.

Available from: /195 from Karwig, Cork; Blessings, Cavan; Claudio's, Georges St Arcade; Drink Stores, D7; Uncorked, Rathfarnham; Redmonds, Ranelagh.

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Bollinger RD 1996

Long the favoured tipple of upperclass Britain, Bollinger is a very serious Champagne house, making some of my favourite wines.

The non-vintage Special Cuvee is rich and flavoursome, with a character all of its own; the vintage Grande Anee can be stunning in some vintages . . .snap up any 1996 if your local wine merchant still has any.

The luxury cuvee is aged in bottle on its lees for years, taking on some unique flavours.

RD stands for recemment degorge, or recently disgorged.

Description: This has a superb blend of lively citrus acidity, lemon zest and juice, with a gorgeous rich leesy, yeasty edge. You are left wondnering how something can be so rich in flavour, yet so cuttingly fresh. Brilliant wine, and one with a unique character.

Available from: /120 from Mitchells, Kildare St; selected O'Briens.

19.5/20