English Sparkling Wines
Court Garden Blanc de Blancs 2010
A beautiful medley of orchard fruits, lemon, ripe grapefruit, hay, honey and toast
Court Garden are one of the few English vineyards that are keeping back bottles from each vintage to form a library stock for special occasions and later releases after significant time under cork, and their 2010s, with over a decade on them, show just how ageworthy top English Sparkling Wines can be. 2010 was a fabulous vintage, with excellent conditions throughout the growing season. The Ditchling Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs are perhaps the most long lived of all sparkling wine styles, and more than a decade into its life, this wine is phenomenally fresh and in our view has another decade in it, at least. Varied citrus aromas, ripe green apple, a hint of peach blossom and honeysuckle mingle with shortbread and vanilla on the nose. On the palate, a beautiful medley of orchard fruits, lemon, ripe grapefruit, hay, honey and toast plays out. The finish is very long.
Court Garden is a family-run, single-estate vineyard and winery in East Sussex, set on a beautiful south-facing slope with the South Downs as a backdrop. The vineyard was established in the spring of 2005 and now extends to 17 acres, mainly planted with the three traditional Champagne varieties of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. In 2008 the still varieties Pinot Gris, Ortega, Dornfelder and Rondo were added.
