Blanc de Blancs, Wiston Estate NV
Tim Atkin MW 90; Decanter World Wine Awards 98 points; Wine Enthusiast 97; David Allen MW 96; Vinum Wine Magazine 94; JancisRobinson.com 92
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Why this wine
Southern England's chalk is the same seam that runs under Champagne, and Chardonnay is the grape that shows it most plainly. Three to four years on lees and a core of reserve wines going back to 2009 give this the patisserie depth that usually costs considerably more. This is the bottle to open when the comparison with Champagne is the point of the evening.
At a glance
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Sussex, England
- Alcohol
- 12.00%
- Body
- Medium
- Acidity
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Drink now (1-3 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Seafood, Salads, Cheese
How it tastes
Delightfully fresh and taut, with crisp green apple, grapefruit and lemon zest, white blossom and a delicate note of white peach. Delicate bubbles, flinty minerality and a hint of patisserie softness from long ageing on lees, finishing clean, dry and vibrant. Chardonnay 100%.
The producer
The Goring family have owned Wiston Estate in Sussex since 1743, and it is presided over today by Harry and Pip Goring, with their son Richard and his wife Kirsty running the vineyard and winery day to day. It was Pip Goring, who grew up in South Africa's winelands, who held the conviction that the land could grow high-quality grapes, on the strength of the South Downs' similarity of soil and climate to Champagne; the original 16-acre vineyard was planted in 2006. The vineyards lie on a south-facing chalk escarpment, which is exactly what Chardonnay wants, and the team works to biodynamic principles under winemaker Marcus Rayner-Ward: cover crops between alternate rows, alternated yearly for soil health, sheep grazing between the vines through winter, home-made compost and recycled pressed skins, and a Lipco tunnel sprayer that recycles spray and has cut chemical use by 40%. Fruit comes from the estate's own vineyards and a selection of long-term partner growers, all of it picked by hand. The Chardonnay is harvested in late autumn and pressed as whole bunches, fermented in stainless steel and rested eight months on its yeast lees before bottling the summer after harvest, when reserve wines dating back to 2009 are added to make up 20–30% of the blend. The wine then takes its slow second fermentation in bottle and stays on lees at a cool 9–11°C for around three to four years, gaining flavour and structure through autolysis, before riddling and disgorging with a dosage of 8 g/l.
Food and drinking
Serve at 7–9°C. It is a natural with oysters, dressed crab, sushi or a plate of hard mountain cheese, and works as well on its own before dinner; drink over the next two to three years. No decanting. The bottle is closed with a traditional sparkling-wine mushroom cork. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.