Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2016

Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2015 is a classically-styled English sparkling wine. Silvery golden colour with green reflections. The nose is full of minerals, green apples and tertiary leafy, earthy notes. Reveals a unique fruit profile of crisp apples, dried apricots, soft orchard fruits, zesty lemon and ripe pears. These classic flavours are underpinned by light biscuit, crusty brioche, cinnamon and almond nut nuances. The dry palate is tense and linear with a lively acidity, cutting freshness and persistent bubbles. Long meyer lemon finish.

53% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 7% Pinot Meunier grapes from Gusbourne's vineyards in Kent, England. Hand-picking and sorting in the vineyards, bringing only the highest quality grapes to the winery. Separate vinification of individual vineyard parcels. Gentle pressing in whole bunches, then fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks and a selection of oak barrels. After bottling, the wine enjoys 36 months ageing on its lees.

Gusbourne believes that when making solely vintage wines, the most valuable ingredient is to use only the finest quality fruit. This is why their range of over 100 base wines are vinified separately by individual vineyard parcel. It's also why their annual blending tastings are done completely blind, so judges rely only on taste. As such, the Brust Reserve 2015 is unique to its growing season and reflective of the vineyard's time and place.

Chief Winemaker, Charlie Holland notes: “this is of course a Pinot driven wine, and it very much embraces a classic Pinot personality being round, generous, textured and brimming with rich, ripe fruit." Charlie also recalls 2015 to be a cool year, “there is a little less warmth in the 2015 compared to 2014, the style of the wine is more similar to that of 2010 and 2013 – it has real potential for longer-term ageing."

12%

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

- 94 POINTS
 Light, silvery gold with green reflections. Delicate scents of fresh yeast pastries, lemon balm, underlaid with white flowers, nuances of roasted almonds. Elegant mousseux, structured with finesse with dark mineral notes, stimulating straight-lined acidity, sparse on the palate. Elegance through to the slightly salty, long finale.

 Chalk, flint and stone are the first impressions on the nose. These are followed by overtones of lemon and shortbread. The palate is vivid with lively mousse and a zesty backbone of citrus that encompasses flesh, pith and zest. Wonderfully vivid, energetic and alive with a dry, lasting, refreshing finish.