The Wine Pantry's English Wine Festival, and some thoughts on 2008s

I went down to this mini-festival of all things English on Sunday, held in the Jubilee market section of Borough Market. It was also the day of the Jubilee Pageant on the River, and in typical fashion the skies were grey and drizzle was abounding. There were jolly scenes in the market though, with lots of wines on show, as well as some tasty nibbles (although I probably should have saved the smoked eel until the end). I tried to focus on the sparklers. Firstly, a few tasting notes, then a few general thoughts:

Jenkyn Place Brut 2008Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier. Fragrant green apple, lemon zest and macroon aromas here, with the citrus character dominating the palate, which is a little bit brisk at the moment. I find it verging on a lemon juice flavour profile, which may be down to the vintage (more of that later)....dosage a little low perhaps?

Meopham Valley Cuvée 2008Unusually Pinot Gris is included in this wine, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Slightly riper fruit profile here, more red apples and even a touch of berry fruit. Shades of richness too, with ground almonds and a bit of bakery aroma. Pure and elegant mouthfeel - an easier wine to enjoy that the Jenkyn Place at the moment.

Gusbourne Estate Blanc de Blancs 2008Another 2008 to compare here. I like the scented bramley apple and vanilla nose, and there's a noticeable step up in savoury complexity on the palate here over the last two wines. It is still brisk and verging on austere, but it feels very fine and essentially in balance, and will benefit from a few years tucked away.

Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2003A step back in time, and a step up in, well, most respects. There's some vinous depth to this wine, with toasted macaroon and whitecurrant aromas, vanilla and dried apple on the palate and a lovely lift of honeysuckle on the finish. 2003 was an unusually warm year, but there's no lack of freshness and precision to accompany the slightly more generous nature of this wine. Somewhat alarmingly for some of the younger wines here, this is just starting come into its own and will be drinking very nicely for a few more years.

Camel Valley Pinot Noir Brut Rosé 2010 This is all lively, primary fruit; strawberries, raspberries and a touch of creaminess, set off by a grassy, meadow-like aroma. The palate certainly fits the style, with a strawberry-cordial like sweetness to balance out the acidic zip. It's quite a young, simple wine - very fresh and fruit-driven, but not my favourite rosé here.

Gusbourne Estate Sparkling Rosé 2008
This is made from all three champagne grapes. It is mineral and restrained, with rosehip and icing sugar on the nose and a supremely elegant mousse delivering pure strawberry shortcake flavours. Balance and finesse here.

Nyetimber Rosé 2008Chardonnay and PInot Noir. This is slightly more outgoing and expressive than the Gusbourne with its complex redcurrant-led fruits and pleasing savoury dimension on the palate. There's a little biscuity richness going on too. Really like this.

Hush Heath Estate Balfour Brut 2008Pale salmon in colour with fragrant fresh strawberry and crabapple fruit, delicate minerality and impeccable balance on the palate. It feels ethereally bone dry and (drier than the Gusbourne and Nyetimber examples), but absolutely pulls it off. Unique.

I also tasted the Camel Valley Sparkling Red 2010, from Rondo grapes, partly because it is something I had thought of doing with my Leon Millot in Kent. Fun stuff, all herb-tinged cherry and hedgerow fruit, with sprightly but gentle bubbles. Made me want a barbeque and a cheeseburger. And more importantly, some sunshine....

In general it was the Rosés that stole the show here - they work better as younger wines than most white sparklers, and all three of the 2008s were in a more drinkable place than their white counterparts. Chardonnay, the latest to ripen of the three champagne grapes, had a very tough year in 2008 - Stephen Skelton reports that in some cases acidity levels reached 14 or 15 g/l. Those are truly epic acidities. I felt that the Jenkyn place was just over the edge in this sense, and could have done with a higher dosage. I enjoyed the Meopham, and the Gusbourne was in balance but felt young and coiled up - it will open up over the next 3 or 4 years, but I think that the most successful 2008s will be ones that include a fair percentage of the Pinots.
A special mention must go to Nyetimber here. This is a winery on a mission - they are simplifying their portfolio, beautifully rebranding their wines and selling their wines with just a bit more age behind them than some of their competitors. I slightly worry that, with cooler vintages like 2008, we might be releasing some difficult adolescents into the world. Camel Valley is an example of how to turn around some delicious wines in a short period of time, but for vineyards with ambitions towards a more complex, savoury style and lower dosages, time is an essential ingredient.