THE VERDICT

A strong performance from Sussex and Hampshire, and many high scores, though winemaking choices and England’s variable weather continue to play a dominant role, as Sylvia Wu reports

Vintage variation, use of oak and the choice of variety played a more crucial part than regionality in shaping the quality of these new-release English sparkling wines, our experts found. The tasters identified high overall quality among the varied styles and vintages of the 53 wines tasted, with half (26) hitting the mark for Highly Recommended and one (see right) achieving Outstanding.

Susie Barrie MW found the wines were generally ‘well made and attractive, but they hit the Silver spot (90-94 points), as opposed to Gold (95-97pts)’.

Though there were some diverse individual scores, all three tasters agreed that the 2014 vintage, which accounted for 14 of the 33 vintagespecific wines tasted, didn’t shine.

‘The wines from what was perceived to be a good vintage, which was early and high in sugar levels, are never as good in sparkling wines, because they don’t have the acidity,’ commented Stephen Skelton MW. According to Freddy Bulmer, ‘muddled’ flavours and ‘a lack of purity and focus’ were the typical deficiencies.

Climate change has so far been favourable to most English producers, but weather extremes can still be threatening, added Barrie, who also voiced her concerns over the yet-tobe-released 2018 vintage, as it was also a ‘big, warm vintage’, like 2014.

The Champagne grapes dominated the top-scoring wines, although two, from Camel Valley and Three Choirs, were blends containing a considerable proportion of Seyval Blanc. This early-ripening, high-acid hybrid variety thrives in England’s cool climate, though EU regulations do not permit its use in the production of officially designated ‘quality wines’ – a fact which has caused some discontent among English producers.

Nonetheless, Barrie held that in the realm of English sparkling wines, Seyval Blanc may be ‘the one variety that really can go beyond the Champagne varieties and be really successful’. Skelton, however, pointed out that Seyval Blanc doesn’t yet have a place in mainstream English vineyards.

In terms of the origins of the wines, among the 27 scoring 90 pts or more, 11 were from the county of Sussex and five were from Hampshire. However, Skelton deemed that regionality ‘isn’t an obvious indicator of quality in English sparkling wines’ (see p99).

Oak ageing, on the other hand, did shape the style and quality of several examples – nine wines were specified as having been aged in oak before the second fermentation, with the longest maturation period being nine months. In some of the Chardonnay-dominant wines, Bulmer found the use of oak left ‘obvious’ and ‘less desirable’ marks: ‘It seemed like people were trying a little bit too hard to make a premium wine,’ he said. The Pinot Noir-dominant blends were more harmonious, with ‘a nice layer of toasting’, indicating a better compatibility with oak.

However, trial and error is part of the learning process for a young wine industry such as England’s. Barrie noted the oldest vintage tasted was 2010: ‘That may have been the first wine that this winery made,’ she said.

‘Since then there’s been a decade in which English winemakers have been desperately trying to work out the best thing to do, not only with their terroir and their vines, but how to deal with the conditions of each vintage. Champagne has had hundreds of years to work it out.’

‘Trial and error is part of the learning process for a young wine industry such as England’s’