Cavendish, Ridgeview NV
Silver, Decanter World Wine Awards 2020
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Why this wine
Ridgeview have been making sparkling wine in Sussex since 1995, which in England counts as a long time, and the consistency is what they are known for. Cavendish is the Pinot-led cuvée in the range, rounder and more red-fruited than the Chardonnay-driven house style most English producers settle on. Eighteen months on lees and a core of reserve wines keep it from being simply fruity.
At a glance
- Grape
- Pinot Noir 36%, Chardonnay 32%, Meunier 32%
- Region
- Sussex, England
- Alcohol
- 12.00%
- Body
- Medium
- Acidity
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Drink now (1-3 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Poultry & Pork, Seafood, Cheese
How it tastes
A cascade of exceptionally fine bubbles carries expressive red berry and almond aromas, and the palate is vibrant but rounded — raspberry frangipane with a streak of bergamot orange and a gentle spice note from the Pinot, the Chardonnay lending grace behind it. Dry, with the high acidity English chalk gives and a soft weight from eighteen months on lees. Pinot Noir 36%, Chardonnay 32%, Meunier 32%.
The producer
Ridgeview was founded in Sussex in 1995 by Mike and Chris Roberts, early enough that the English sparkling wine industry barely existed; Mike Roberts was awarded an MBE in 2011 in recognition of what the estate's pioneering had contributed, and it is now led by the second generation, Tamara Roberts as chief executive and Simon Roberts as head winemaker. Ridgeview won the IWSC 'International Winemaker of the Year' in 2018, its wines have been poured at Royal occasions and State Banquets, and it is a certified B Corporation. The grapes come from the original Ridgeview vineyards, now 28 years old, and from carefully selected partner vineyards across southern England: generally south-facing, free-draining slopes in and around the South Downs, with a couple in East Anglia, on a mix of chalk, clay, gravel and sandstone between 10 and 50 metres of elevation in a cool maritime climate. Vines are trained to vertical shoot positioning and mostly Guyot pruned, with Marco Simonit advising on gentle pruning to preserve the older plantings, and all the fruit is picked by hand. The grapes were gently whole-bunch pressed and fermented at 18°C to 20°C in stainless steel with selected Champagne yeasts; Cavendish blends carefully selected recent vintages with reserve wines, a portion of which went through malolactic conversion. The wine spent six months on its gross lees in stainless steel between harvest and bottling, and secondary fermentation then ran slowly and cool in underground cellars, with an average of eighteen months on lees before disgorging.
Food and drinking
Serve at 7–9°C, and in a white wine glass rather than a flute if you want the aromas. It goes with smoked salmon blinis, roast chicken, a mushroom risotto or a hard sheep's cheese, and makes a generous aperitif; drink it over the next two to three years. No decanting. The bottle is sealed with a DIAM closure. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.