Gusbourne Estate

The modern English sparkling wine industry is relatively young – but in just 20 years, Gusbourne Estate has risen rapidly to become one of its most respected and prestigious names. It was served at the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and King Charles III’s coronation, while the country’s best restaurants are just as likely to have it on their list as they are the top labels from Champagne.

Like most English wineries, Gusbourne uses grapes from more than one county – in this case Kent and West Sussex. But crucially, all the vineyards are managed by the winery to its own exacting specifications. Working sustainably in a low-intervention manner is hard work, but a healthy vineyard ecosystem yields great fruit. The temperate British climate and chalky soils – similar to those across the Channel – lend Gusbourne’s wines a trademark elegance and purity of fruit that is rounded out by the wines ageing in bottle for over two years on their lees, prior to release.

At the heart of the Gusbourne offering is the Brut Reserve – a classic sparkling blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – but the Blanc de Noirs (100% Pinot Noir) and Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) are both terrific too.