Beyond Champagne: Why Gusbourne Is leading England’s sparkling wine revolution

English sparkling wine has come of age. Popping corks to celebrate two decades of production, Gusbourne recently held a unique tasting of 13 vintages from the last 20 years, including an extremely rare sampling of its 2006 bottling.

The idea behind the retrospective was to examine the evolution of its sparkling wines, vineyards, and winemaking choices. The Luxe Review was there, to experience what has been a remarkable journey.

If you’re unfamiliar with Gusbourne read on. You may be about to discover a ripe alternative to more familiar champagnes.

It’s a great time for English wine. The Appledore-based winery is now exporting to around 40 markets, including Norway, the United States, Japan and the Nordics.

Our tasting, at Hide in London, was hosted by Gusbourne Head of Wine and Master Sommelier Laura Rhys Laura, and Head of Wine Operations Alastair ‘AJ’ Benham. The pair describe the Gusbourne house style as “a balance of freshness, elegance, weight and generosity, with a distinctive saline freshness”.

AJ credits location for the flavour profile. “We’re only eight miles from the coast. Despite the generosity that I think comes from the soils, there is still that freshness. I think it’s the marrying of the two that’s the style.”

There’s “a balance between freshness and elegance, but also weight and generosity as well…” agrees Rhys.

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs offer a balance of freshness, elegance, weight and generosity…

Inside Gusbourne’s extraordinary vintage retrospective

Inevitably, our afternoon involved a lot of wine production talk. Ground covered included blending across vineyard blocks, clones and base wines; oak selection, barrel formats; residual sugar; disgorgement timing and the influence of lees ageing. 

But ultimately all that really mattered was what was in the glass – and that was spectacular.

Highlights were many and the vintages – from 2006 through 2020 – surprisingly varied and background comments insightful.

The summer of 2020 was warm and sunny, and the resulting vintage ripe and creamy, with around five years of ageing on lees. On the nose we noted green apples, and citrus, while the palate is fruity, crisp, acidic, and refreshing. 

2019 was a more challenging year for wine production, with the harvest picked between rain showers, but the resulting wine is elegant, distinguished by minerality and saline.

In contrast, 2018 was a year of warm nights with a short, sharp harvest. The resulting liquid isn’t as fruity or as sweet as its peers, while 2017 was a year of spring frosts, creating more brioche and pastry notes.

2015 was another cool summer, resulting in a superior Blanc de Blanc (meaning it’s produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes) – green apples, limes, citrus, with a touch of sweet nougat.   

With the London Olympics in full swing, 2012 was a particularly difficult year for UK winemakers – some estates didn’t release at all that year – but while it may have been a small yield for Gusbourne, it produced a highly regarded wine, with a distinctive salty bacon nose.

After that we moved into rarefied air. There are less than 10 bottles of the 2006 vintage in the world. Notable as the first Gusbourne vintage, it has a divine sweetness that was gratefully savoured.

Gusbourne sparkling wine Best Buys

None of the wines sampled at Hide are commercially available, precisely as tasted. They were all disgorged specifically for the masterclass as a ‘time capsule’ of Gusbourne through the ages.

However, if you’re looking to enjoy Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs, 2020 is a great place to start; it’s available from gusbourne.com, priced at £65. Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018, the current magnum vintage, is also available, priced at £135.

And keep an eye out for the Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 Lily Mixe (artist) edition, which launches October 22, priced at £95, in a limited edition of 500. 

Finally, Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2015 Late Disgorged will ship in November, priced at £125. Definitely one to watch out for.

Want more? Gusbourne offers two tiers of annual membership for aficionados. Members have access to older cellar stock, chef events and London tastings. Prices start from £540.