2013 Tillington Single Vineyard

Tasted blind in a comparison of champagne and English sparkling wine. 76% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay. Very fine bead. Hint of orange in the hue. Quite perceptible dosage. Maybe a tad too sweet for refreshment, but this will be a matter of taste. It’s well made and lively … though still a little astringent. (JR)

The 2013 Tillington Single Vineyard, a blend of 24% Chardonnay and 76% Pinot Noir, was disgorged December 2017. It offers toasted almonds, crushed strawberry and traces of dried honey on the nose, and later just a touch of beeswax. The palate is taut on the entry with sour lemon, honey and pralines, just the right amount of bitterness and a taut if slightly uncomplicated finish.

A blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Chardonnay that was disgorged in July 2017, the 2013 Brut Tillington Single Vineyard opens in the glass with an exotic bouquet of musky peaches, mandarin, honeycomb and mango. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with good depth and dimension at the core, ripe but racy acids and an aromatic finish. To my palate, this gives Nytimber's cuvée 1086 a run for its money.