RE: Examining English Fizz

Bob Lipinski — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 19:05:14 GMT

Courtney... very good article. Thank you!

RE: Examining English Fizz

Christopher Lavin — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:06:06 GMT

Well done Courtney - very exciting stuff for sure. ESW - is what I've been 'shortening' it to. Makes it a little easier.

We are thrilled to be working with the Gusbourne wines here in the US market and the reception has been exceptional - but most importantly, the wines are superb. The original estate in Appledore, Kent dates back to 1410. The vineyard lies 6 miles from the coast (61ha planted on sandy-clay loams). The clay-rich loam soils leads to a slower start but help retain moisture for the growing season. Clay-rich soils are also more compact, which has the upside of naturally lower yields - aids in ripeness. The slope (2m-41m) is south-facing, gently rolling down to the old seashore, which is today, the edge of the Romney Marsh. The warm south-westerly is blown onto their vineyards up the north-south rows, protecting the vines against spring frost, rot and boosting ripening in the autumn (and providing a savory tang). Gusbourne are usually the first to pick. Their West Sussex vineyards are planted on chalk-rich, flinty-clay loams - which are more friable, favoring good rooting capacity, contributing to the health and vigor of the vines. The chalk-clay soils means good moisture retention, producing a good continuous growth during the season, but less consistent ripeness year-in year-out than in Kent. Results in wines that tend to be lighter than Kent's, with good acidity and mineralogy, with is an especially welcome partnership in the final blends in warmer vintages. An interesting fact at Gusbourne - over half of the grapes (100% estate) are Burgundy clones - which are lower yielding. but pay off with earlier ripening and more flavorsome wines. Gusbourne only makes vintage wines.

If anyone finds themselves with a few days in London - a quick high-speed train ride (45 minutes) from St Pancras station to Ashford in Kent gets you close to Gusbourne and their "Nest". Be sure to reach out to your 'local' Broadbent person - and I'm sure we can help with an appointment/visit.

There are over 150 vineyards open to the public in the UK.

RE: Examining English Fizz

Brandon Ford — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 23:18:50 GMT

Awesome article Courtney! Super exciting stuff happening with English bubbles right now.