Will Stanley

9.4

My second time trying this wine having opened my case three years ago, and the 2015 BdB from Wiston hasn’t budged an inch. It remains a taut, incredibly youthful and monolithic Chardonnay which will age well for another decade at least. While the nose is a little shy, it has great effervescence and pristine aromas of gooseberries, lemon sherbet, crushed shells and hints of bread. On the palate the wine is very singular and direct; a testament to great English Chardonnay, with massive acidity and flavours of brioche and bitter lemon, and great minerality – perhaps the most I’ve experienced in an English fizz. The finish is, well, endless, and the wine benefits greatly from time in the glass, gaining a bit of fat and broader mouthfeel. Really complex stuff, and a wine I’ll leave for another three years at least before trying again. — 5 months ago

Will Stanley

9.1

Cranberry, orange bitters and sweet cherry notes (and a heck of a stink!) make this old-vine, high-altitude volcanic soil red from Tenerife a very interesting experience.

High acidity, moderate tannin, really well poised - a tightrope of a wine that offers sweet cherry one second then searing orange zest another. The acidity carries through the finish exceptionally well, making this a wine of great balance.

Fascinating to try this alongside Wiston Estate’s 2014 Rosé, a completely different wine on paper but one that somehow shares so many characteristics with this. — 4 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.0

First English bubbs and it was very nice. Color super vibrant! Strawberry and rhubarb, pretty dry. — a year ago

with Natasha

Roberto Carli

9.2

Very well done! First uk wine for me. Toasty, big, some ripe pear, marzipan — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Second time trying a wine from Wiston Estate in Sussex, and a wholly different experience to boot. This vintage (2014) rosé comfortably stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any of the pink Champagne I’ve had in recent years, and is the most memorable sparkling rosé I’ve tasted since Krug NV some years ago.

The wine’s aromas are dominated by the Pinot Noir that comprises 68% of the cuvée, with dried cherry, rose petal and cranberry, as well as a touch of earthiness. The palate is generous, savoury but with beautifully ripe fruit, medium bodied with mouthwatering acidity and a long, sumptuous finish.

This really is impressive stuff and I encourage anyone new to English sparkling to seek out this splendid wine. — 4 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.3

Even better than the brut! Though It’s partly fermented in oak it’s quite pleasantly reductive on the nose, starting with struck match, and Chablis-like light florals and citrus with hints of mandarin peel. The palate is focused and acid driven, with lingering Meyer lemon and minerality. It would be hard for me not to mistake it for a well made Mesnil — a year ago

Will Stanley

9.4

By some measure the most impressive and unique English sparkling wine I’ve tried to date, Dermot Sugrue’s 2014 ‘Trouble With Dreams’ is a fabulous standard-bearer for the potential of English wine, and for the terroir of the South Downs in particular.

Deep golden in colour, the wine has medium effervescence and opens with gorgeous aromas of almonds, pastry, burnt butter, pear and red apples. The palate is profoundly complex, with a gorgeous display of acidity on entry that transforms to a broad, nutty mid-palate and a creamy, very lengthy finish.

Production is tiny - Dermot Sugrue’s main focus is at Wiston, where the vineyards are far bigger - and hence TWD retails for around £45, which can be considered at the pricier end of the spectrum for English sparkling. Nonetheless this represents superb value in my opinion and is a wine that should continue to age well. — 4 years ago

Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.5

Stunning !! Dermot Sugrue the greatest winemaker in England ! Acid , minerality . So long . Beautiful !!! — 5 years ago