Nyetimber Cuvée Chérie Demi Sec NV

This English sparkling cuvée comes from Nyetimber’s vineyards in West Sussex and Hampshire, in the south of England. Sheltered by the South Downs, the plots are rooted in chalk, flint and sand soils that encourage slow ripening and preserve the brightness of the Chardonnay.

After harvest, the grapes are pressed and the musts are vinified separately in stainless-steel tanks according to their plot of origin. Fermentation of the base wines lasts about twelve days. The second fermentation takes place in bottle; the wine then rests for about five years on the lees before riddling and disgorgement, followed by at least six more months in bottle before release. The blend includes a proportion of reserve wines.

This wine reveals notes of lemon, mandarin, baked apple, peach, apricot, acacia honey, brioche, praline, almond, vine blossom and minerality. The delicately sparkling palate offers a round, indulgent texture, enlivened by lively acidity that balances its sweetness. The fruit remains clean and pure, with a fresh, lemony and subtly pastry-like finish.

England, a country better known for its green landscapes and rainy climate than for viticulture, nonetheless has a booming wine industry whose reputation keeps on growing. Long regarded as a curiosity, English viticulture has established itself in recent decades as a source of very high-quality sparkling wines, even rivalling some Champagnes in blind tastings. English vineyards are mainly concentrated in the south of the country, in the counties of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Essex, each enjoying climatic conditions and soils particularly suited to certain grape varieties. Sussex is today England's most renowned wine region, famous for its sparkling wines made by the traditional method from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The chalk soils running through the region, a direct geological extension of the Champagne terroir, combined with an increasingly favourable climate, create ideal conditions for these demanding grapes. Kent, nicknamed the “Garden of England”, is home to some of the country's most established estates, producing both highly refined sparkling wines and still whites based on Bacchus, an aromatic grape variety that has become emblematic of the English style. Hampshire and Surrey, though more modest in terms of output, are gaining in energy and recognition, with innovative estates experimenting with traditional methods as well as international grape varieties suited to a cool climate. Essex, more continental, enjoys generous sunshine and low rainfall, which favour a slow, steady ripening of the grapes, essential to the elegance of sparkling wines. English wines, still produced in limited quantities but with remarkable attention to detail and rigour, are mainly consumed on the home market or exported in small volumes to discerning markets, making them true treasures for curious wine lovers eager to discover a new face of European viticulture. England is today a country where traditional know-how and climate innovation meet in the vineyard, offering a surprising, authentic and resolutely forward-looking wine experience.