English sparkling wine star Gusbourne with Laura Rhys MS – Monday 8th December
Right from its founding in 2004, English sparkling wine producer Gusbourne has been resolutely focused on quality above all else. All its wines are vintage releases, and all are sourced from estate-owned vineyards.
That focus reached its apogee with the release a few years ago of its prestige cuvée Fifty One Degrees North – then, and now, the most ambitiously priced English fizz on the market. Selected from the producer’s best base wines from its top plots, aged for 92 months on lees and made only in standout vintages, the second edition of the wine – the 2016 – bested the likes of Dom Pérignon, Dom Ruinart and Krug Grand Cuvée in the ‘Battle of the Bubbles’ blind tasting at the London Wine Fair earlier this year.
Only 5,000 bottles have been made of the 2016 vintage, and now, a tiny number of magnums have been released – the first time it has been bottled in such a format. We are delighted to present Members with the first chance to taste the wine from magnum at an extensive tasting of the Gusbourne range.
In addition, we will enjoy the first taste of a new addition to the Gusbourne portfolio – its barrel-aged Oak Reserve. There will also be a chance to sample the new vintages of the estate’s single-vineyard wines, exploring the differences between sites in Kent and Sussex, while Members will enjoy a selection of Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs, to showcase the difference between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Gusbourne Head of Wine Laura Rhys MS moved from the floor of Michelin-starred restaurants to the vineyards of the South Downs a decade ago, and has since helped guide Gusbourne’s journey to the top table of English wine.
It is fitting that, over that same time, Gusbourne has been a staunch supporter of the Club, right from our own opening a decade ago. As we prepare to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are delighted to welcome Laura back to the Club to guide Members through what is sure to be a fantastic evening.
The wines we will be tasting:
2019 Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs
2019 Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs, Middle Barn Vineyard
2019 Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs, Commanders Vineyard
2015 Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs
2015 Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs (from magnum)
2019 Gusbourne, Oak Reserve
2019 Gusbourne, Blanc de Noirs, Downfield Vineyard
2018 Gusbourne, Blanc de Noirs, Heartbreak Vineyard
2020 Gusbourne, Blanc de Noirs
2018 Gusbourne, Blanc de Noirs
2018 Gusbourne, Blanc de Noirs (from magnum)
2016 Gusbourne, Fifty One Degrees North (from magnum)
Monday 8th December
St. James’s Room
18:30 – Welcome reception
19:00 – Masterclass begins
20:30 – Masterclass ends