It was the first time that all three members of the GBW team were in attendance for a panel tasting. And the occasion was worthy of it. We assembled a line-up of 10 bottles; exclusive offerings available from our supermarkets and some of the biggest wine retailers in the UK. They are traditional method sparklers, all priced at £26 or under.
They are big volume wines due to their distribution channels, so as you may expect they are made by sizable producers. Denbies, Hush Heath and Ridgeview combine to make up 60% of the line-up, with big names Gusbourne and Chapel Down also represented. Interestingly, it's only Waitrose who have so far produced their own wine, from Leckford Estate; a farm they own - though the winemaking duties are handled by Ridgeview.
Arguably these represent the most accessible English Sparklers on the market. It's so important that these wines are a good advertisement for English Sparkling, because for many consumers this will be their introduction into what English Sparkling is all about. And I'm delighted to say they were were all dependable and recommendable. I had a fear some may be very simple and uninspiring, but there was a potency and sense of character to be discussed in every wine. I would say don't hesitate to grab one when you see it next.
We were careful to ensure strict blind conditions. All neck foil removed, corks popped, then bagged and shuffled excessively. The three of us each scored independently, marking against for appearance, nose, palate, depth/complexity and finish respectively. The wines were not revealed and the scores were not shared until the finish.
It's fair to say there was a sizable divide between the majority of the pack that scored well for entry-level wines, and our stand-out top three which did an excellent job of expressing themselves as premium offerings.
Please read on for tasting notes of our top three and all the other wines too.
