2015 Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs

Disgorged in February 2020, Gusbourne's 2015 Brut Blanc de Blancs bursts with aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, nougat and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and incisive, with a fleshy core of fruit, tangy acids and a youthfully frothy mousse, it concludes with a saline finish. This is a superb effort that I'd love to revisit with a bit more age on cork.

Clay and sandy loam on a south-facing escarpment in Appledore, Kent. Whole-bunch pressed. Fermented over 10 days at 18–20 ºC using temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks with a small percentage fermented in old oak barrels. Full malo. At least 42 months on lees. TA 8.2 g/l, RS 8.2 g/l, pH 3.15. No disgorgement date on this label though there is a place for it. Rich and yeasty on the nose, slightly honeyed. Terrific depth of toasty, super-crisp citrus on the palate, piercing yet balanced. Mouth-filling richness on the mid palate then draws in with tight, electric, mouth-watering finish. Not as immediately fizzy as the Blanc de Noirs but still has a fine, persistent mousse on the finish. The long lees ageing has given this a rounded richness that is not that common on the English sparkling wines I have tasted. On the finish, the fruit is really vibrant citrus and just-ripe apricot. Pure and extremely persistent. Richer, more complex and more refined than the Blanc de Noirs 2016 and greater intensity and length than the Brut Reserve 2016. (JH)