Nyetimber, Rosé

This is absolutely gorgeous wine.

Seriously impressive and really, really tasty, you'll be smiling from the instant you smell it - strawberries and cream, with red and morello cherry notes, a cranberry-like tartness at the very, very end of the palate... it is ridiculously good.

Never mind their marketing spiel of "long English summer days and evenings", what they have created is sheer drinking joy! It delivers flavours summer fruits pudding, Walker's Scottish shortbread with a creamy, round texture and refreshing then all the refreshing acidity from the cranberry and redcurrant flavours. When your glass or mouth is empty you'll also notice the delightfully long, elegant and silky finish.

Yes, it really is this good.

But, from England?

This Nyetimber shot to fame when the late Queen Elizabeth served their wines (I would like to think she was pouring) at Christmas one year, instead of Champagne. It made people think one of a few things - that either she was taste-less; that she was trying to create a diplomatic scene; or that there was something developing in the South Downs that deserved attention.

That England could produce wine should surprise no one - they have the very same soil types as many of the finest areas where grapes for sparkling wines are grown in the north of France. Add to that the climatic change that we have witnessed over the past three decades it seems inevitable that the right conditions could be met. What is different to European wine regions, of course, is the culture and context and size of land available for growing vines. In other words, there isn't a critical mass of producers or universally accepted land usage for grape growing, or even a significant enough appetite for exploring the potential in the UK, which is why the prices are very high and quality is very much dependent on judicious skill, micro-climates and ageing of the wines and the age of vines themselves.

Needless to say, Nyetimber are one of the most serious and highly respected producers and have even been awarded world sparkling winemaker of the year.

This is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, in different proportions to the Classic Cuvée with more Pinot Noir and slightly less Meunier, in order to give generosity of fruit flavours and texture. It's great!