English sparkling wine to celebrate the Jubilee

With the Platinum Jubilee around the corner, it feels ridiculous to reach for Champagne when we have properly world class fizz on our doorsteps. English sparkling wine has come of age with even the most ‘basic’ bottles now really packing a punch in terms of flavour and complexity. This is thanks partly to more and more stocks of ‘reserve’ wines, which is wine from previous vintages held back deliberately to add to more recent, non-vintage blends. These older, reserve wines tend to add the toasty, brioche and apple pie crust notes to sparkling wine that we have come to love in the traditional method of sparkling wine. Here are some top English sparkling wine picks that should be on your radar.

Hampshire

Hattingley Valley, Classic Reserve

Hattingley Valley winery is found in rural Hampshire where the first vines were planted in 2008 and the first wines released in 2013. Made by multiple award-winning female winemaker Emma Rice with 53% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir and 16% Pinot Meunier grapes, the Classic Reserve is Hattingley’s most widely available and most loved wine. A non-vintage sparkler based on the somewhat challenging 2015 vintage, this is the wine that gives you a true flavour of the Hattingley house style: Golden with fine bubbles, elegant notes of brioche, nougat and a touch of oak with a characteristic hedgerow note on the finish.

Find it at Waitrose for £30 a bottle.

Hambledon Classic Cuvée

Established in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon is England’s oldest vineyard and can be found nestled in the home of Cricket at Hambledon in Hampshire. Their Classic Cuvée is again, a blend of all three traditional grapes, (56% Chardonnay, 27% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Meunier). Grapes are handpicked on the estate and this cuvée uses the 2017 harvest as a base with 20% reserve wines added, giving it the characteristic toasty richness that Hambledon has become famous for. Hambledon also does fantastic tours, tastings and events. 

Find it at Majestic for £34.99 (or £23.99 as part of a mixed 6 case)

Sussex

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs 2018

Rathfinny has an enviable position on the sunny, south-facing slopes of England’s South Downs in Alfriston, Sussex. It has quickly made a name for itself as one of England’s finest wine producers. Blanc de Noirs is a sparkling wine made only from black /red grapes which in this case are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and these wine grapes came from just one single harvest in 2018, which has been dubbed the vintage of the decade. Rathfinny has a style that is rich but precise with a fantastic, lean, mineral character. Seriously elegant and will keep for a while. Rathfinny is another great place for a vineyard picnic too!

Find it at Lea & Sandeman for £38.95 (or £36.95 when in a case of six) 

Kent

Balfour Brut Rosé 2018

A renowned winery located on the Hush Heath Estate in Kent, the Balfour sparkling brut rosé was the first ever English wine to win a gold medal and the Trophy at the International Wine Challenge. This 2018 vintage wine is only ever made in tiny quantities from a single vineyard and it has a special story. The estate has belonged to the Balfour-Lynn family for three generations, but it was Richard and Leslie’s idea to plant vines at Hush Heath in 2002, with a view to making a pink sparkling wine like their favourite ever Champagne: Billecart Salmon Rosé. Their thinking was “If we can’t sell it, we’ll drink it”. But they did sell it and the rest is history. It’s a great place for lunch and a tasting with a lovely walk around the vines and the apple trees too. 

Find it at Waitrose for £39.99

See what else Helena has been tasting with talkTV here.

The Best English Wines To Try This Summer

June has become a time where English wine is celebrated in all its glory here in the UK and as we gradually creep out of lockdown, there are even more reasons to celebrate it as many wineries open their doors for tastings, lunches, dinners and events. Don’t forget; English Wine Week also falls on the 19th - 27th June this year, so why not support the industry and celebrate by cracking one of these fantastic bottles - all from producers you really need to know. 

STILL

Bolney Estate Chardonnay 2020 (West Sussex)

Bolney Wine Estate in West Sussex is becoming well known both for its fantastic wines covering just about every style as well as for its status as an enviable wine tourism destination, thanks to its tasting tours, restaurant and experiences. Their still Chardonnay 2020 is a limited edition that shows off both crispness and texture, combining notes of lemon peel, apricot, lightly toasted brioche, baked peach and honeysuckle. It reminds us of a Premier Cru Chablis, but with a beautiful, British accent.

Find here: £24.99

Denbies Pinot Noir 2018 (Dorking, Surrey)

Planted in 1986, Denbies is one of the largest wine estates in the country and was one of the first on the wine tourism scene with its vineyard hotel and restaurants. Mostly famous for its sparkling wines, this still Pinot Noir is only made in exceptional years when the grapes are perfectly ripe. They get the proper French oak treatment for 17 months, no less. It’s really gorgeous, with enticing notes of dark cherry, cocoa and a waft of vanilla bean, plus a silky, elegant raspberry milk chocolate palate.

Find here: £22.50

BRUT SPARKLING

‘Brut’ is simply the French word for ‘dry’ in the world of sparkling wine. You will see it on sparkling wines from all around the world including Prosecco and English fizz. Here are two you need to try. 

Rathfinny Brut 2017 (South Downs, Sussex)

Rathfinny is rapidly establishing itself as a leading light for Sussex sparkling thanks to its incredible location on a south-facing slope in the South Downs. Here, the climate, chalk soil and aspect make it ideal for producing grapes for fizz. The Brut 2017 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay and has a quintessentially English note of tangy apple skin and lightly baked brioche. Lovely chalky texture too. 

Find here: £29.50

Exton Park Reserve Blend 32 Brut (South Downs, Hampshire)

Exton park is a 60-acre single vineyard located in the South Downs National Park divided into nine separate plots according to terroir and aspect. Since 2011, winemaker Corinne Seely has kept an extensive library of reserve wines in order to create what she describes as an ‘English Bollinger’, where most of the blend (80%) is made up of reserve wines rather than the base from the most recent vintage. This Brut is 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, has had 3 years on lees and uses 32 different reserve wines. Expect notes of apple pie, a golden weight and a cool, mineral core. Weighty and serious.

Find here: £39

BLANC DE BLANCS

Translated literally from the French, blanc de blancs means ‘white from white’, i.e. white wine made from white grapes. With Champagne, this always means 100% Chardonnay as it will also do for English Sparkling wine and many other fizzes from around the world, but not all of them. It’s a style known for making great food matches, especially with the likes of fish and seafood, from lobster and fish and chips, to sashimi and even cheese.

Rathfinny Blanc de Blancs 2017 (Alfriston, Sussex)

The 100% Chardonnay offering from ravishing Rathfinny down in Sussex, is a limited production of only 9,333 bottles, each aged for 36-months on the lees to give it a glorious, golden colour, a creamy weight and complex flavours of tropical fruit, white peach, blossom and a squeeze of lime. A serious wine that’s light on its feet, giving any blanc de blanc Champagne a run for its money. 

Find here: £39.50

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 (Appledore, Kent)

Gusbourne is another need-to-know name in English wine as it continues to win just about every award going. 2016 was an exceptional year in England with all that sunshine and this resulting fizz from grapes grown in Appledore in Kent offers a heady mix of flavours taking in ripe citrus, pear and orange peel with subtle, toasty notes and a moreish salinity on the finish. Very elegant. We love it.

Find here: £59

SPARKLING ROSE

Langham Rosé 2017 (Dorchester, Dorset)

This elegant beauty from Dorset was the only pink English sparkling wine to be awarded a Gold Medal in this year's International Wine & Spirits Competition (the IWSC). Made with 54% Pinot Noir, 23% Pinot Meunier and 23% Chardonnay, it’s pale and pretty with a nose of fine strawberry tart decorated with other ripe, red fruits. Refreshing, pure and perfumed. Lovely!

Find here: £29.90

Exton Park Reserve Blend Rosé

Another in the Reserve Blend (RB) range, the Exton Park pink is extraordinary. Made with 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier using 23 reserve wines and 3 years on the lees to give weight and complexity, this is a rich and textured pink that’s dry and savoury with notes of dried rose petal, peach and a hint of spice. Allow it to open up in your glass over time and you’ll be treated to a flavours that change subtly with every sip. 

Find here: £39

Roebuck Estates Rosé de Noirs (Petworth, Sussex)

Roebuck is a relatively new kid on the sparkling wine block and it arrived with a bang, winning a tonne of awards for its inaugural release. This is their first ever rosé, made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes from their stunning Roman Villa vineyard. With a delicate, rose petal hue, this is a classy, elegant wine with notes of red apple, hawthorn, cranberry and soft brioche. A lovely pink with its own personality and it has just won the trophy at the IWC this year!

Find here: £40

Hambledon Première Cuvée Rosé (Hambledon, Hampshire)

And now for something completely different; a very dark rosé made from 100% Pinot Meunier. This savoury fizz is full in body and flavour with notes of smoky strawberry, tobacco leaf and even a touch of grilled meat. With a fabulous texture and no added sweetness, this a great food wine and certainly one for a meaty barbecue in the sunshine. Hambledon established themselves early on as one of England’s top wine producers. Definitely a name to watch. 

Find here: £69.50

DEMI-SEC

Charles Palmer Demi Sec 2014 (Winchelsea, East Sussex)

When you want an elegant fizz with a lighter pudding or even a salty cheese, the Charles Palmer demi-sec has a little sweetness and a lot of personality. With 5 years spent on lees giving it those toasty, brioche notes, this Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend has got a good amount of age in its too, which adds to the complex and fruity flavour profile. Think apricot, apple and peach compote under a delicate crumble. It’s amazing with pavlova. The palace is also worth a visit and they have rooms! Ideal for after that long tasting tour when you forgot to spit...

Find here: £26

Want to know more about English wines? Check out this piece on The Best UK Vineyard Stays.

English Sparkling Wines to Rival Champagne: Names You Need To Know

Words by Helena Nicklin

This article produced by Helena was originally written for and published by Luxurious Magazine in January 2020.

You may have heard about the rise of English fizz; you may still be sceptical, but having kept a close eye on the industry over the last sixteen years, I can tell you that we’ve now, officially, nailed it. Our relatively new English wine industry has observed the successes and failures of hundreds of years of winemaking globally, waiting patiently until the time was right; until temperatures had increased just enough to put England on a par climatically with the world’s most famous sparkling wine-producing region. In some parts of the English south coast, the soils are almost identical to those of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne. Couple that with an almost identical climate in places, the same grape varieties, same ‘traditional method’ used, cutting edge equipment, experienced winemakers and vines that are finally coming of age and you’ll see precisely how we are now creating world-class bubbles to rival Champagne and in some cases, dare I say it, outclass it.

The best way to learn about wine is to taste it, so here are a few of the biggest names in English sparkling wine that you absolutely need to know, along with some of their more exclusive, limited-edition wine offerings to seek out.

Jenkyn Place Blanc de Blancs 2015 – Hampshire

If you’re looking for quintessentially English charm, Jenkyn Place, owned by the Bladon family in the North Hampshire Downs, has it in spades. While the family has been making wine with the classic Champagne grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) since their first vines were planted in 2004, this ‘blanc de blancs’ (with sparkling wines, this usually means made with 100% Chardonnay) is the very first Chardonnay-only wine, thanks to the exceptional quality of the harvest; they didn’t want to blend it! Think ultra-fresh citrus balanced by ripe orchard fruit and shortbread notes with rich, creamy bubbles. An elegant English rose of a wine. RRP £38 from www.jenkynplace.com

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2014 – Kent

As far as awards go, Charlie Holland, winemaker for Gusbourne, has been cleaning up over the past few years. Gusbourne’s wines are consistently excellent with a tell-tale purity that sets them apart from their peers. The blanc de blancs is the flagship wine of the estate, made with 100% Chardonnay and aged for at least forty two months on its lees (the dead yeast cells leftover from fermentation) to give biscuity notes and a rich, creamy texture. This 2014 has an incredibly complex palate packed full of candied fruit and notes of hazelnut and baked apple with a refreshing, mineral core. Fabulous. RRP £59 Gusbourne Website

Hattingley Valley King’s Cuvée 2013 – Hampshire

Another much-loved, family-owned winery in Hampshire that since the very early days have also been winning countless awards. The winemaking team lead by Emma Rice, often like to use a bit of oak for added spice, texture and toastiness and this extremely limited release is no exception. A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, the wine was barrel fermented and then aged in oak, giving it a weighty feel and a palate rich with sweet spice, waxy lemon peel and fragrant, red apple skin notes. Will age beautifully. RRP £80 Hattingley Valley Website

Harrow & Hope Blanc de Noirs 2015 – Buckinghamshire

This bijou, family-run winery is still pretty new (just 7 years old), but wine has been in the blood of winemaker Henry Laithwaite his entire life. After travelling the world learning how to make it, Henry and his wife Kaye decided to settle back in England, finding an ideal spot in the Chiltern Hills to create their own world-class fizz. While still young, these wines have caught the attention of the top wine writers for their elegant purity and exceptional ageing potential. ‘Blanc de noirs’ means ‘white from black’, i.e. white wine made with black (red) grapes only, and while the 2015 is starting to open up now, with its cool minerality and tangy, red fruit notes and spice, if you lay it down for another year or so, you will see it truly blossom. RRP £38 from Harrowandhope.com

Pink English Fizz

Ambriel Rosé 2014 – Sussex

There’s something unique about the wines from Ambriel – a relative newcomer on the English wine scene. Based on the sunny South Downs in Sussex, Wendy and Charles Outhwaite have swapped a hectic, legal life for a slice of countryside heaven, complete with tiny sheep (ouessants) who graze between the vines during the winter. Ambriel bubbles have the class of champagne with an undeniable English accent thanks to a slightly unusual way of making sparkling wine, using skin contact rather than blending red wine with white. The result for The Ambriel Rosé 2014 is vibrant, ripe and juicy wine, packed with wild strawberry fruit and a moreish leafy aroma. Wendy describes it as ‘an English garden party in a glass’ and I wholeheartedly agree. I had to double-check the price as it’s worth twice this… RRP £26.95 from Corney & Barrow

Hambledon Premiere Cuvée Rosé – Hampshire

Hambledon, to my mind, have been leading the charge in Hampshire, if not the whole of England, with richer styles of sparkling wines that have been grabbing headlines. Having released their elegant, classic cuvée rosé last year to great applause, this year’s offering is a quirky, very limited edition of pink made with 100% Pinot Meunier – the grape that even in Champagne is usually only used in blends and even then, only in small quantities. Deep pink, almost red in fact, with an intriguing, smoked meat quality balanced by ripe, morello cherry notes, this sparkler is bone try with a wonderful sappy texture and toastiness. Beguiling and unique, you could easily match this with meat dishes too. Grab a bottle if you can find it! RRP £69 from Hambledon Vineyard Website