ENGLAND

Wiston is one of the UK’s best producers and their sparklers genuinely give champagne a run for their money (and I write that as a person that criticized the category for many years).

—NEAL MARTIN

England

The English Quality Sparkling Wine category, to give its official title, provides the parameters that the similar AOC or DO provides in France and Spain. There are quite a few producers in the market now, and it is maturing. There has been a notable rise in quality from the wines that were made ten years ago - certainly now the estates are finding their feet. Importantly, they are no longer trying to make champagne in England. But what is sadly still true is that in general, the wine is expensive when compared to its cousins in Champagne. With start-up costs and an even more marginal climate where whole crops can be lost, such as in 2012, this is almost unavoidable. But the comparisons remain.

Some producers are pushing for specific regional demarcation – like a Sussex PDO. Most however don’t see the benefit in splitting what is a nascent category and dividing their strengths. As mentioned above the marginal climate means producers may need to fall back on bought grapes from across the South of England in difficult years like 2012 where many producers struggled to make anything.

Wiston first cottoned on to the potential quality they had when a couple of champagne houses came knocking to enquire about the availability of certain slopes, and a passion project spiraled into something that is really going places. However, for every Wiston there are people like me who mused on planting some grapes in a field which would have absorbed funds like a sponge to no end result. To start as an English producer, you need nerves of steel and sometimes deep pockets at the outset. Other notable producers include Hambledon, whose wines on the South Downs’ South-western edge, near Winchester, are pretty spectacular. Nyetimber of course is very well-known and one of the largest quality producers. You also have an array of growers who’s actual wine-making is contracted out to those with the expertise, such as at Wiston or Nyetimber – wine-making equipment is very expensive – as is the know-how.

Domaine Evremond in Kent is another exciting newcomer on Kent’s Green-sand, a joint project between Taittinger and their UK

Importers Hatch Mansfield. Their first harvest should be soon.

Its’ a very exciting time in a nascent industry. Quality is on the up as are export sales, with Scandinavia a huge market. We’re proud to be close partners of Wiston Estate and encourage you to taste these remarkable creations.

Tom Meade

CLASSIC GRAPE VARIETALS

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Bacchus

SOIL TYPE

Chalk, calcerous clay, green-sand

FAVOURITE PRODUCERS

Wiston Estate, Chapel Down, Nyetimber, Hambledon, Domaine Evremond, Gusbourne

AREA UNDER VINE

3,500ha

MEET THE GROWER

Wiston Estate

Dermot Sugrue, Wiston’s winemaker cuts quite a roguish figure in both the stories about his professional background (Irish beer and fruit wine brewer, turned Champagne and English winemaker extraordinaire) and the devilish glint of the eye and the wry smile he casts.

I first came across the estate after a chance meeting with a family member of the owner, who scoffed at my regard of Nyetimber. He said if you want serious quality, try Wiston and the work of Sugrue, the winemaker formerly of Nyetimber (at least until he fell in love with the terroir at Findon Park – Wiston’s 7ha amphitheatre vineyard). Interest piqued we promptly got in touch, tasted the wines and duly fell in love. What superb quality they have!

What we love about Wiston Estate is their down to earth character, jaw-dropping quality and wholly reasonable prices (their Estate Cuvee 2015 retails at £36 and is, in our humble opinion, far superior to NV Grand Marque Champagne around the same price).

We visited the West Sussex estate in August 2020 and were so pleased that our previous quality perception was maintained – even increased - as we tasted across a wider range. Their 2014 Rose (a great Pinot Noir vintage) left us speechless. The Blanc de Blanc is terrific, too. “One of the finest English sparkling wines that I have encountered.... Now this is how you make a great Blanc de Blancs,” gushed Neal Martin in July 2020. He rated the Blanc de Blancs 95 points and we wholeheartedly agree with him.

Please seek out these wines – we usually have them in stock – they are the real deal. Their Estate Cuvee 2015, unscored by Neal Martin, is the team favourite, with 66% Pinot Noir and Meunier and 33% Chardonnay. Another plus is these wines are perfect for food, such is their stuffing and complexity. We will 100% be arranging a dinner for our clients with the roguish Dermot Sugrue at the helm. It will certainly be a fun night!

CUVÉE

WISTON ESTATE 2015

DRINK 2020+

6x75 £148

This is a wonderful golden raisin colour in the glass. The nose is concentrated and complex – with the Pinot noir evident - strawberry, peach, lemon zest and white chocolate along with grilled brioche and honey. It’s quite a dry style but the fruit on the palate is deeply weighted with such concentration and length that you’re pleased there is no more dosage than the 8g / l. Disgorged on 19 November 2019. I drunk this with food and it was more than a match. Highly impressive – I will be a regular buyer myself!

BLANC DE BLANCS

WISTON ESTATE 2015

DRINK 2020+

6x75 £182.85

Wiston’s 2015 Blanc de Blancs is one of the finest English sparkling wines that I have encountered... to date. It was picked from October 22 to November 3 after a warm, dry October, the yield 15hl/ha, 50% fermented in stainless steel and 50% in old Burgundy barrels and aged on the lees for nine months. Dosage is 8g/L. This has a fantastic bouquet of bewitching scents of lime, green apple, honeysuckle and slithers of tinned peach, all beautifully defined. The palate does not disappoint, delivering exquisite balance, wonderful focus and a touch of mineralité toward the harmonious finish. Now this is how you make a great Blanc de Blancs.

—NEAL MARTIN

WA 95

POINTS