It has been a challenging and disappointing year for most in many respects, but one thing that certainly hasn’t let us down is the wine. It’s traditional for us to do a festive rundown of the ’12 Wines of Christmas’, but with so many superb wines tasted throughout the year, it was next to impossible to narrow the selection down to just 12 wines.
So this year the team has worked together to select the Great British Wine ‘Class of 2020’. It’s a chance for all of us to look back and reflect upon the best wines of the year, covering still and sparkling wines from across England and Wales.
We’ll be revealing a new category each day for the first ten days of December – so do keep checking back to see if your favourite makes it to our list. If not, feel free to comment below with your favourites.
Menu – GBW Class of 2020
Day 3 | Blanc de Blancs / Noirs
An individual celebration of white and red grapes, Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs are some of the most expressive sparkling wines.
Harrow & Hope Blanc de Noirs 2015
Selected by John & Hannah:
“Not just one of the best Blanc de Noirs we’ve tasted, but one of the best English sparkling wines of the year. Stunning textures and generous complexity, this is a must try!”
Gusbourne Blanc de Noirs 2016
Selected by Robbie:
“Gusbourne’s still Pinots have long been in the conversation for best-in-class, and their excellent Classic Blend has always been Pinot-led, so their first BdN was sure to impress. Elegantly crafted in appearance and style. Crunchy, tangy red fruit with deep biscuity complexity.”
Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2014
Selected by Stephen:
“There’s all the depth and complexity on this wine that you would expect from these Kent-based masters. A lovely balance between toasted nutty notes and citrus flavours makes this as ideal for a Christmas apéritif as it would with Christmas dinner.”
Ashling Park Blanc de Blancs 2014
Selected by John:
“Yet another fantastic sparkling wine from Ashling Park and winemaker, Dermot Sugrue. Combining luxurious baked apple flavours and textures of toasted nuts and marzipan – this would be perfect for the Christmas dining table!”
