FOOD + DRINK
Kent ’ s Best Wine Lists cont ...
GUSBOURNE VINEYARD
Gusbourne has succeeded . The Pinot Noir 2022 costs £ 40 a bottle and has won an amazing 23 awards and counting .
Tasting notes : An elegant expression of this delicate grape . The 2022 vintage is bursting with fruit : morello cherries , berries and soft spice . There ’ s complexity too , with earthy minerality , smoky notes and a long finish .
Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2020 Another gold winner at the IWC , this white sparkling wine has won 17 awards and is also Gusbourne ’ s best-known and bestselling wine ; £ 45 a bottle .
Tasting notes : Bright gold in colour , this blend highlights red fruit aromas of cherry and strawberry , which then develop into attractive fresh pastry notes with a touch of cinnamon and spice . With a bright streak of citrus fruit , the palate is clean and fresh whilst giving tones of soft stone fruit and a long , refreshing finish .
Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs Single Vineyard Boot Hill 2018 A gold medal winner in the IWC , this sparkling wine is a single-vineyard wine , which means all of the grapes used to make it have come from one vineyard , and the result is a wine that reflects the terroir and conditions of the site in which the grapes are grown . A bottle of the Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs Single Vineyard Boot Hill 2018 is £ 95 .
Tasting notes : Ripe citrus and stone fruit on the nose , with a rich biscuity note . One the palate the wine is dominated by ripe fruit , with yellow apple , white peach and honey citrus notes , plus some tropical notes too , with hints of pineapple and melon . The wine feels bright , vibrant and juicy with more complexity showing through on the finish with notes of croissant , patisserie and apple pie , alongside a saline minerality and salty tang with a lovely length and round texture .
Gusbourne Rosé 2019 A thirteen-time award-winner , this sparkling rosé scooped a gold at the IWC . Made from a blend of chardonnay , pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes , it costs £ 55 a bottle and is described as characteristically complex .
Tasting notes : Delicate pink in appearance , with soft summer berries and floral notes on the nose . The palate shows bright red fruits , driven by ripe strawberries , fresh cherries and redcurrants with a crisp freshness and creamy , rounded texture on the finish . We like to think of this as the perfect expression of halcyon days .
In addition to its four gold medals , in the IWC Gusbourne was also awarded silver medals for its Blanc de Blancs 2019 , Chardonnay Guinevere 2022 , Pinot Meunier Single Vineyard Mill Hill East 2022 , Blanc de Blancs and the Selhurst Park Vineyard , West Sussex 2018 , and the English Rosé 2023 was awarded a bronze .
Balfour Winery Making over 400,000 bottles of still and sparkling wines each year , Balfour is one of England ’ s most respected and renowned wineries . It ’ s located between Staplehurst and Marden at the Hush Heath estate , and was founded by Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn . The first vines were planted in 2002 and now their wines are renowned worldwide . They were served at the London 2012 Olympics and are poured on board British Airways firstclass flights . In the IWC , along with a gold medal , Balfour also received four silver medals , three bronze and won the ‘ Great Value ’ award for its Tesco Finest English Sparkling Rosé NV .
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