If it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for me! (Nyetimber Sparkling Wine)

Member Name: RoryGriffiths

Product:	Nyetimber Sparkling Wine
Date:	02/04/08 (110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A wonderfully balanced ENGLISH flavour

Disadvantages: A little expensive, but not compared to genuine Champagne

Nyetimber sparkling wine comes from Nyetimber in West Sussex, and is the leading English star in the competition to rival the world-famous champagne produced strictly in the northern French region of Champagne.

It is one of the largest vineyards in the U.K, with 260 acres planted, containing the three grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir. At present the vineyard is under rapid expansion, with 148 acres added in 2006 and 74 acres added in early summer last year (2007).

There are only three different vintages currently on offer in the Nyetimber collection: the 2000 Premiere Cuvée Blanc de Blancs, the 2000 Classic Cuvée, and the 2001 Classic Cuvée. Many of the vintages from previous years in the nineties have all sold out. These are undoubtedly extremely desirable wines and can demand prices as high as £20 upwards per bottle. However, considered to the extortionate rates that champagne can reach this is surely great value for money.

A true indication of the sheer quality of Nyetimber wine is that their Classic Cuvée has won the Yarden award at the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) on two occasions. This award was for the best sparkling wine in the world.

Importantly the wine tastes absolutely stunning. Nyetimber themselves describe their Cuvée as having "expressive aromas of honey and nuts with fresh floral and lemony hints, and some subtle toasty notes. It is medium to full bodied with a rich yet delicate mousse with more honey and toastiness on the palate along with a touch of lime. Good balance, length and complexity all point towards a promising future."

Indeed...If you understood a word of that then you're doing well. Fortunately I have had the pleasure of tasting their 2001 Classic Cuvée as part of a wine tasting course. I can honestly say that it is one of the finest sparkling wines I have tasted; it far outclasses some of the genuine, renowned champagnes I have drank, despite their illustrious reputations.

On the nose the wine is very appealing, and I could definitely smell the hints of honey and lemon given off. For me the taste was just as good. I felt it had a fantastic balance between sharp citrus fruity flavours and the round, woody, vanilla tones of the Chardonnay grape. It is perfectly weighted, neither to sharp nor too sweet.

Not only does Nyetimber produce wines of wonderful quality, they produce them right here, on the hallow turf of England. For me it feels special drinking a top-class wine produced in your very own country. You can feel almost proud to be drinking it, knowing that the money you have forked out has stayed far from the clutches of the smarmy French (apologies to any French people reading this, but yes, we can finally, honestly, claim to rival you at something in the world of wine).

If you are willing to push the boat out ever so slightly in selecting a sparkling wine, maybe for a formal dinner, or simply a gathering of friends on a warm summer afternoon, then you need look no further than Nyetimber. Indeed, according to them, their wine is listed at venues such as The Capital, The Dorchester, Texture and Aubergine, and is even a favourite of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. If it's good enough for her, then it must be fairly special!

I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

Summary: A top-notch, English sparkling wine