2016 Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs

Tasted from magnum. Richer, sweeter, deeper, more smoky than its older peers. Notes of honey, grilled lemon, apricots. Sonorous and sine-curve sensuous. There is real amplitude here. Was the dosage higher, I wonder? It doesn't matter because the balance is there and the sweetness adds resonance. It would be beautiful with pithivier or tagines and curries made with dried fruit. (TC)

100% Chardonnay. Fruit from Kent. 100% malo. 42 months on lees. Bottled 2 to 5 May 2017. Dosage 8.3 g/l. Composed, well-integrated nose and really quite frothy. Transparent and very much a Blanc de Blancs in its bracing acidity. Just about ready! (JR)

100% Chardonnay. 'A mild spring resulted in a mid-April bud burst. The weather during flowering was warm and dry resulting in abundant fruit being set. Early August saw 50% of fruit dropped to intensify flavour and concentration. Harvest began in early October and resulted in fruit of exceptional quality.' Fruit from own vineyards in Appledore, Kent, and near Goodwood, West Sussex, on largely clay soils. Fermented mostly in temperature-controlled (18–20 °C) stainless-steel tanks with a small percentage in old oak barrels. Full malo. Bottled May 2017. Minimum 42 months on lees. TA 7.9 g/l, pH 3.01, RS 8.3 g/l. Tasted blind. Very light nose, and a very pale colour. Bright, lemony fruit and a little astringent on the end – very youthful. Went flat fairly early. (JR)