Gusbourne

Any conversation around Gusbourne’s Chardonnay needs to start with our elegant, classic sparkling Blanc de Blancs – a 100% Chardonnay vintage wine. Before we release our Blanc de Blancs, it’s aged on its lees to build layers of complexity. Characteristically, this style of sparkling wine is elegant, fresh and mineral. It’s the best expression of our terroir and our Chardonnay. In the glass, you can expect a golden colour, citrus aromas, green apple, ripe stone fruit, a hint of ginger and toasted hazelnuts. Our current vintage, Blanc de Blancs 2019, is characteristically elegant and pure. We release our vintage wines only when they’re ready to enjoy, and all will have had a degree of cellar ageing. The 2018, for example, was aged on its lees for more than 33 months. Join us for our Blanc de Blancs Vertical Tasting and Lunch 2025 on Saturday 22nd February. Learn more > https://bit.ly/405XPz6

It’s taken centuries of cork-popping to bind together the idea of sparkling wine and celebration. But there’s little doubt that our fascination with this style of wine is inextricably linked to its bubbles. Our relatively new English sparkling tradition stands on the shoulders of Champagne’s long history, we know that “traditional method” sparkling was first observed well over 300 years ago. Throughout a rigorous fermentation process alongside the return of spring's warmer weather, the second fermentation created the prized bubbles. With advances in technology including thick glass bottles and tight cork stoppers, these bubbles were finally able to be captured. Winemaking techniques developed rapidly too, as producers learned that by controlling the sugars and the yeast, they could make the bubbles more reliable. “There’s something quite wonderful about a glass with bubbles in it,” says Laura Rhys, Master Sommelier. “Even just to look at it – it’s special in its own right.” Today, sparkling wine is a luxury that can be dressed up or down. Its mood-lifting, shape-shifting appeal means we’re as happy sipping a glass of bubbles curled up by a winter fireside as at a lavish party, such as our Fifty-One Degrees North 2016 - the perfect sparkling to savour this season. Learn more > https://bit.ly/3Zqn0x6

If you're looking for the perfect wine to savour on Christmas Day, our Head Winemaker Mary Bridges recommends her festive favourites. Gusbourne Rosé 2019 Magnum "I am a big fan of our sparkling rosé all year round and with everything/anything, but this weekend I shared a magnum with family and snacked on some mince pies and jam tarts. The crunchy red fruit and ginger spice flavours in the wine were just delicious with some festive sweet treats." Gusbourne Pinot Meunier Single Vineyard Mill Hill East 2022 "A lazy boxing day afternoon wine, for sure. It's one I like to have in hand when I am sneaking off to the fridge to pinch some leftover pigs in blankets or a slice of Comté from the cheeseboard!" Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2019 "A Christmas morning breakfast table staple at ours. We kick the day off with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and it is even more delicious with a glass of beautifully fresh and mineral Blanc de Blancs 2019. There’s something special about that first 'cheers!' on Christmas morning." Find out more > https://bit.ly/3BvZwh0 #Gusbourne #EnglishWine #EnglishSparklingWine

Laura Rhys – Master Sommelier and Gusbourne’s Head of Wine Communication – tells us what makes our Brut Reserve 2021 such a stand-out from Gusbourne's cellar. "There are lots of similarities between our Brut Reserve and vintage Champagne. Brut Reserve is made with the same grapes as Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier," Laura explains. "We also use the same production method; the second fermentation happens in bottle and Brut Reserve enjoys extended lees ageing." The distinction between Brut Reserve and Champagne comes from the notes developed during ageing. "Brut Reserve will have lots of the more tertiary, toasted brioche notes from the time ageing on lees," Laura clarifies, "but it is likely to be a little brighter, with more vibrant fruit notes and fresher acidity too." If you're looking for more complex, orchard fruit and toasted notes, consider storing a bottle away for a few more years. "Brut Reserve 2021 still feels very vibrant and fruit forward, but as it continues to age under cork, and perhaps in someone’s wine cupboard, it will begin to show more complexity, more orchard fruit notes and hints of spice, buttered brioche and toasted nuts. Stored correctly, this wine should age well for at least five years and possibly up to 10 years," Laura says. Purchase here > https://bit.ly/4h0QFE2 #Gusbourne #BrutReserve #EnglishSparklingWine

Looking to join us for one of our exciting special events in early 2025? The First Vintages Masterclass and Lunch takes place on Saturday the 25th of January, and Saturday the 8th of February - a celebration of some of our oldest vintages with a special tasting and lunch. Experience our vintage wines as they offer a rare glimpse into the ageing potential of English sparkling through our cellar gems. On Saturday 22nd February 2025 we'll be exploring Gusbourne's signature sparkling through the years with our Blanc de Blancs Vertical Tasting and Lunch 2025, showcasing different vintages side-by-side to discover the impact of growing season and cellar age. Learn more > https://bit.ly/3W3wOtZ

At Gusbourne, it’s not just the winemaking decisions which focus on the detail but every part of the procedure down to the luxurious packing which tells our wine's story. This is particularly true for our Fifty-One Degrees North, the finest example of Gusbourne's craftsmanship, not only the wine but the packaging too. The reimagined de Goosebourne coat of arms, which shows three geese on a black shield proudly adorns each bottle of wine we make – and, naturally, it is emblazoned on our Fifty One Degrees North bottle and box. The Goosemark’s origins stretch deep into the history of our estate, back to 1410, when the land we farm was owned by John de Goosebourne. The golden cross on the box showcases an intersection of ideas. It represents the cross of St George – and the fact that we are proudly English; it represents the longitude and latitude of our incredible location, as well as the multitude of elements which must combine to create our fine sparkling wine. Etched in gold, the coordinates 51°2’49”N, 0°47’51”E precisely locate the Gusbourne Estate, a testament to the viticultural and vinicultural risks we’ve taken – and how far we’ve come. Learn more here > https://bit.ly/3ZP3evC #Gusbourne #FiftyOneDegreesNorth #EnglishSparklingWine #EnglishWine

We are delighted to announce our distribution partnership with the UK’s leading wine supplier Enotria&Coe. “Enotria&Coe's values and commitment to excellence, align perfectly with Gusbourne's vision and position in the luxury and premium hospitality sector," says Jonathan White, Gusbourne's CEO. We’re excited to work alongside Enotria&Coe to bring Gusbourne to even more of the UK’s finest hospitality venues. #Gusbourne #EnotriaandCoe #EnglishWine

If you’re looking to add wines to your cellar, you need bottles which will age with grace and gain complexity. “English wines age brilliantly, partly because of the level of acidity in the wine,” says Laura Rhys, Master Sommelier. “Just as with vintage Champagne, the best English wines strike a balance between structure and flavour profile which allows them to age beautifully over decades. “As English wines age, they take on more complex, nutty aromas. They also develop notes of spice and earthy notes as the fruit character diminishes and more tertiary notes take centre stage.” If you’re looking at English vintages for the cellar, Laura recommends 2015 and 2016, which, she says, “are showing beautifully, and wines from both vintages will continue to age for another decade.” Laura adds: “I tasted the Blanc de Blancs 2010 recently and it was utterly delicious. It was full of those nutty, spicy, toasted brioche notes, honey citrus and spiced apple fruit notes too.” #Gusbourne #EnglishSparklingWine #Kent

Nothing signals generosity and decadence quite like a magnum of sparkling wine. Whether you choose to uncork our intense, rich and brooding Blanc de Noirs 2018 (winner of a gold medal at this year's Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships) or our convivial, crowd-pleasing Brut Reserve 2019, these large-format bottles are perfect for when you're hosting a crowd. For fine-wine lovers, a magnum also has the added allure of more subtle ageing. Experts say that there’s no better format, as Master Sommelier Laura Rhys explains: “When you age in a magnum, the wine-to-cork ratio is different from that of a standard bottle. Magnums age wine more slowly, and for that reason I prefer the magnum, especially with sparkling wine." #Gusbourne #EnglishSparklingWine

On Wednesday the 23rd of October we completed our 2024 harvest season; a cooler vintage characterised by delicate, precious, high-quality fruit. With the reality of the high levels of rainfall across summer, the pick was incredibly focused and precise with lots of data gathered to ensure fruit was picked at peak ripeness. A smaller crop meant that when the fruit came in it went straight to the presses with minimal waiting time. Head Winemaker Mary Bridges characterises the vintage as "small but mighty", with base wines which are already something special. Even at this early stage, the wines are showing delicate, pretty aromas and flavour compounds thanks to the fruits’ excellent phenolic ripeness. This was developed through the long hang-time on the vine. The 2024 harvest has also presented some interesting winemaking opportunities for the team, including using exclusively large-format oak barrels for ageing. The winery team are now carefully watching the wines as they go through malolactic fermentation, and looking forward to grading and blending next spring. Read our harvest report here > https://bit.ly/4fGVXCY