WINE REVIEW
100% Chardonnay from Hampshire and West Sussex, 60 months on lees and approx. 6 months under cork, 9.4g.l dosage
A long-term favourite of mine, perhaps Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs is, pound for pound, their best and most consistent wine. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this vintage ever since the much-lauded 2018 harvest. So how does the Blanc de Blancs 2018 compare to previous vintages?
Straight away the nose draws you in with a fusion of chalky lemon and green apple freshness, with suggestions of peach, nectarine, and nutty beurre noisette complexity, and hints of baked fruit pudding.
The palate is immediately brisk and crisp. It begins with taut green orchard fruit and crystalline lemon zestiness, but then there are waves of peach and baked apple, underpinned by salinity and again, just a seasoning of toasty complexity. The finish lingers on that intermingling of nut, lemon and salty minerality, and the generous dosage of 9.4g/l never gets in the way thanks to the driving acidity at its core.
For an eight-year-old English sparkling wine, this is still wonderfully youthful – it’s certainly been built with longevity in mind.
