(2025) Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée has become a flag-bearer for English sparkling wine, but they make several other wines, including this Blanc de Blancs. Vintage 2017 was one of low yields but good quality, with a later than usual harvest starting on 11th October. From Nyetimber's Greensand and chalk soils on the South Downs, the all-Chardonnay wine was aged six and a half years before disgorgement in November 2024. It is brut, bottled with 10g/l of residual sugar. The Chardonnay shines through here with a lemony thrust of precision driving the wine aromatically, though there are fascinating top and bottom notes of wildflowers and biscuit in the mix. The extended time on lees and higher dosage combine with pin-sharp acidity to give it great verve on the palate, yet some creamy, but always elegant depth of flavour and texture. A very nice Nyetimber release, and though prices vary across stockists, it can be bought for under £45. Use the wine-searcher link for all stockists.

(2024) This second ever release from Weyborne is a 2019 vintage wine that is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier from their oldest vineyard, planted in 2004. Made in an oxidative style, including 3% barrel ferment, it has a relatively deep colour and has plenty of minuscule bubbles. The nose has nettle and pastry aromas, something reminding me of yellow fruits - mirabelle plum or persimmon perhaps. It's labeled Brut, but has only 2g/l dosage, so it is dry and racy on the palate. There is fruit sweetness, of English orchards and citrus, but a free-flowing acidity and hint of saltiness makes it gastronomic too. Another impressive wine from Weyborne.

(2024) For me, the best vintage so far of one of Nyetimber's flagship vintage wines. Ambition in the English wine industry is a good thing surely, and companies like Nyetimber, who offer prestige cuvées at prices that edge toward Champagne's elite, have their heads well above the parapet. They are willing to be judged by what's in the bottle, and in this case it is an exceptionally fine sparkling wine from a single vineyard plot of Pinot Noir (73%) and Chardonnay planted on greensand. It spent a full five years on the lees, and was bottled with 9.5g/l of residual sugar. The colour has a hint of gold, the mousse is fine, and aromatically it flits between raspberry and nutty russet apples, yeasty autolysis and lime and lemon zestiness. On the palate there is that zippy, streaking freshness, but there is fruit sweetness too, quite intense, absolutely concentrated and direct, but the combination of the long ageing and thrilling acidity gives a long, energising finish.

(2024) From the burgeoning English Sparkling Wine scene, this is a delightful West Sussex Brut blending the three main Champagne varieties. It's a cuvée dominated by 61% Chardonnay along with 34% Pinot Noir and 5% of Pinot Meunier. Though presented as Brut, after four years on the lees it was bottled with zero dosage. It is a dry Champagne, but it is fruit-filled and far from austere. It has a fine mousse and a really biscuity, creamy and nutty nose, those autolytic aromas dominating the lemon and red apple fruit. In the mouth it zips along with dazzling freshness, but the nuttiness and the plush suggestion of sweet, ripe fruit at the core of this fills the mid-palate and gives excellent balance. A super impressive first tasting from this estate for me.

(2024) Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée is a multi-vintage blend of the three main Champagne grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Handily, typing in the code from the back label into the Nyetimber website will reveal the precise composition of your bottle: mine has 9.4g/l dosage, was disgorged in April after almost four years on the lees, and has plenty of reserve wines in the blend: based on 2019 (77%), it also boasts reserves from every year back to 2014. Shimmering light gold, there is a pastry and biscuit character, as well as a bold golden yellow apple and quince. In the mouth it is a juicy, flavourful sparkling wine with fruit that touches on the tropical before being drawn back by English orchard apples and citrus into a balanced finish. Delightful at any time, but this special release to celebrate Team GB's Paris Olympics comes in a special livery for the occasion. Watch the video for more information.

(2018) A small proportion of the Chardonnay for this cuvée from Nyetimber was barrel-fermented, and the wine was released only after a full five years on the lees. Pale straw/gold, with very small bubbles, the yeasty development is inviting, a touch of biscuit against the crisp summer orchard fruit. In the mouth it seems to have quite a sweet edge to the fruit, perhaps towards the top of the 'Brut' range I'd guess, and that, plus the creamy lees character, gives a slightly softer finish despite the wine retaining good zippy acid. It also makes it a very pleasing wine to sip, or match with white fish and sushi.

(2017) Made from equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir by the hugely talented Dermot Sugrue of Wiston Estate, from Wiston fruit and fruit of neighbouring vineyards, this has a gentle note of toffee and nuttiness to otherwise very  pure and clear fruit, the rolling but crisp mousse leading on to a pristine palate, fairly straightforward, but deliciously mid-weight with its sense of roundness and excellent acidity.

(2015) A blend of the classic Champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this trophy-winning wine is excellent, opening with fine bubbles and a fresh aroma with some brioche and pastry notes, but a keen limey fruit and touch of bruised apple. In the mouth it has truly elegant balance, good acidity without any sharpness and a long finish with that touch of creaminess fattening the texture in the mouth. Exemplary wine, and less that £27 on some pre-Christmas deals in 1995, though more regularly between £28 and £33.