RAISE A GLASS
I WAS asked to do a little bit of a talk the other day. On wine by the way, as I’m not much of an expert on the effects of climate change on bird migration or the politics of 20th century China.
I thought yes, wine, I’m better suited to that. People can enjoy a little glass or two of something as well, which is much more interesting on a Saturday afternoon than hearing about the Qing dynasty.
Two wines in particular delivered an “ooh, aah” factor from my enthused bunch of sippers. The bottles were both English sparkling wines at opposite ends of the style and price spectrum.
Balfour 1503 Foxwood Classic Cuvée NV (£17.99, the Co-op, 11.5% abv) is created on the Hush Heath Estate in Kent by winemakers Victoria Ash and Owen Elias and is a blend of the three grapes allowed in the Champagne region.
Did you know that most English sparkling wines use the same grapes as champagne? Our winemaking skills are increasing, we’re investing more in the industry, our vineyards are maturing, and climate change is allowing us to grow grapes to perfect ripeness. Move over Champagne, we’re on our way.
Balfour is a blend of pinot noir (63%) chardonnay (35%) with a touch of pinot meunier and has a woosh of fruit notes, with green apples, a shortbread of apple tart and a good flash of citrus. It’s a great value English sparkling if you’re having a celebration and want to dip your toe in for the first time, so to speak.
My final wine received the biggest wow of the day. Digby 2010 Vintage Reserve Brut (£39.99, digby-fine-english. com, or £35, thechampagne
company.com, 12% abv) is a blend of those same grapes, with 65% chardonnay and the pinots sharing an almost even split.
The grapes for Digby’s flagship wine are sourced from the chalky soils of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and Dorset. The bubbles are persistent and elegant, the aromas deliver a subtlety of spring flowers, fresh and dried apples, a peep of brioche and a shiver of lemon. In the mouth the fresh fruit notes are rich, the acidity all-embracing and the finish is long and delicious. It’s a showstopper.
Also in my glass... I’m a bit sad when people say their favourite wine is PG (my shorthand for pinot grigio). I’ll then enthuse about PG Tips, which are my recommendations for much tastier white wines (in my humble opinion). Don’t be stuck in a pinot grigio rut, I say.
Then along comes a pinot grigio which is rather nice and I have to eat my words (or perhaps drink them). This is the case with Seven Numbers 3 Pinot Grigio
2016 (RRP £16, woodwinters.
com, 14% abv) which won the 2018 The Drinks Business Global Pinot Grigio Masters Awards. This Slovenian wine may stretch the purse strings a bit more than you’re used to for a PG, but it’s worth it.
It is made by winery Puklavec and the grapes are fermented and aged in Slovenian oak, delivering a wine with a soft mouthfeel, expressive ripe notes of apple and pear, a hint of peach, in a silky sheen of vanilla. The taste sensation is delightfully in balance and long-lasting.