Nyetimber, Blanc de Blancs

The Nyetimber estate, based in the heart of West Sussex, is widely regarded as an ideal site for sparkling wine production. First recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book, the estate has a lengthy history and was first established as a vineyard in 1988, planting just over 14 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines. The ever-increasing demand for Nyetimber’s sparkling wines led to considerable vineyard expansion from 2006 onwards. Today, Nyetimber comprises 11 carefully selected vineyards across Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent, with 425 hectares under vine.

The estate is owned by Dutchman Eric Heerema, who, alongside Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs, has installed an impressive cellar. Cherie Spriggs won the much-coveted IWC ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ in 2018, becoming the first winemaker outside of Champagne and the first woman to achieve this coveted accolade. Nyetimber’s grapes are 100% estate-grown, handpicked and gently pressed, parcel by parcel, using their six state-of-the-art Coquard presses from Champagne. Their vineyard holdings are planted on either chalk or greensand soils, both favoured for their good drainage and low vigour. Their vines are rigorously managed to ensure excellent flavour concentration, and de-leafing is carried out to maximise the grapes' exposure to sunlight.

Nyetimber was the first producer to make English Sparkling Wine exclusively from ‘Champagne varieties’, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The estate provides a Lot code on the back label of each bottle. Entering this code on their website will provide a precise chronology of each bottle from the moment it was bottled to when it was riddled and disgorged.

Their flagship wine, the ‘Classic Cuvée’, has been a multi-vintage blend since 2016 and is aged for more than three years on lees. It shows spicy and toasty aromas and an excellent development on the nose. The palate is elegant and complex, with notes of honey, almond and pastry. It is perfect to enjoy on its own or with smoked salmon, sushi or oysters.

The ‘Blanc de Blancs’ includes a small portion of barrel-fermented Chardonnay. Following secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine ages for around five years on its lees, followed by an additional 18 months under cork before release. This gives the final wine a subtle richness of character, combined with floral and citrus aromas alongside deeper notes of pastry and brioche. The Rosé pairs beautifully with slightly weightier dishes and has a delicate nose of anise, redcurrants, raspberries, and cherries. The ‘Cuvée Chérie’ Demi-Sec, named as a nod to Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs, adds a sweeter element to their portfolio, making a wonderful accompaniment to fruity desserts, afternoon tea or gently spiced savoury dishes. ‘Tillington’ is sourced from a single vineyard in the middle of the South Downs National Park. The plot’s south-facing aspect, combined with excellent shelter and drainage, helps produce grapes of exceptional quality. Made predominantly with Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay, it spends three years ageing on its lees, creating flavours of toast and praline to complement the intense red fruit characters.

In 2018, to celebrate their 30th Anniversary, Nyetimber launched two Prestige Cuvées, a white and a rosé. These are named ‘1086’ after the Estate’s first mention in the Domesday book and have been ten years in the making. Immediately excelling in blind tastings and receiving lavish critical praise, they have cemented Nyetimber’s place as a leader in the world of sparkling wine.