I feel compelled to write about an English 'Champagne' that we had today, not because I am biased, you understand, but because I have never tasted an English wine before that was worth mentioning, and this one, in all honesty, was bloody good! I know I said I would talk about the Easter meal, but this was so interesting I am going to give it its own post. The wine was a 1996(!) Nyetimber Premiere Cuvee Blanc De Blanc, and I decided to serve it blind to our Easter guests because I wanted to gauge their reaction and, more interestingly, I wanted to see where they thought it was from.
I've read all the reports about English sparklers winning awards, and being compared to real Champagnes, but I've never really believed it. Until today. This wine is made using the traditional method (which I would expect given the price of around $40) and is left on the lees for at least 3 years, well long enough to give it a splendid yeasty, biscuit and slightly honeyed taste. The same characteristics are also evident on the nose, along with grapefruit and lemon. It is quite full in the mouth with a creamy mousse and enlivening acidity to balance, and is overall a very well-crafted wine. None of the guests was able to guess where it was from, with suggestions ranging from California to Spain, and the biggest wino of them all, my dad, said he thought it was a genuine champagne, a comparison I have heard many times before. And, believe me, he has had plenty of experience!
I hope I'm not just being totally biased in my enthusiasm for this wine, but it really was excellent! I have one more bottle which I am going to crack open this weekend to confirm my previous impression. I will let you know how it goes.
Nahthern, have you had any experience of this producer or any other decent limey sparklers, such as Chapel Down? Your experience here would be appreciated...
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