The flagship of English Sparkling wine, Nyetimber is one of the few English wineries with enough reserve wine to now produce a consistent multi-vintage house blend on par with the Grand Marques and is aged more than three years on lees.

Ever since the very first vines were planted Nyetimber has had a single aim: To make the finest English Sparkling wine there is. With geography, climate, passion and determination on their side, they knew they could rival the best in the world, including champagne.

The Nyetimber estate counts three major landmarks in its history. Its earliest beginnings saw it first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. Then there was the planting of the first vines, almost exactly 900 years later. Most recently, there was the decision in 2006 that Nyetimber wines deserved an audience on the world stage.

Nyetimber is in the fortunate position to own one hundred percent of their vineyards and all of their wines are produced from the 170 hectares they have planted at the best sites in West Sussex and Hampshire. Nyetimber’s vineyards were the first to be devoted exclusively to the holy trinity of Champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.

A millennium might have passed since the name was coined as Nitimbreha’, likely referring to a newly timbered house or perhaps a small timber plantation. But the most significant developments for this House have taken place in a single decade with the winemaking team among the most proficient in the world.

Vineyards

Nyetimber only uses grapes from its own vineyards, all south-facing with greensand and chalk soils. They own nine vineyards in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, but only seven are currently in production. Harvest was entirely manual, with each plot picked on a parcel by parcel basis to ensure optimal maturity.

Vinification

Each vineyard parcel was processed separately. The grapes were pressed in shallow Coquard presses (which come from Champagne) and vinified in stainless steel. All wines underwent malolactic fermentation. These were blended with 30% reserve wines, which were on average four years old. Once in bottle, the wine was aged on lees for 36 months before disgorgement and dosage, following the traditional method. After disgorgement, they were aged for a further 6 months’ before release.

Tasting Notes

Lovely pale gold and gentle, fine bubbles. Toasty, spicy and complex aromas showing wonderful development after more than three years on lees in our cellar. The palate supports these complex aromas with honey, almond, pastry and baked apple flavours. Very fine and elegant with a great combination of intensity, delicacy and length.