2014 Wiston Estate Winery, Blanc de Noirs, Sussex, England

Pinot Noir 65%) and Pinot Meunier 35%) from Wiston’s Findon Park vineyard were co-pressed and fermented in a mixture of five- and six-year-old Burgundy oak barrels with selected yeasts. Thanks to the ideal ripeness of the 2014 vintage, malolactic conversion was blocked. Bottled in July 2015, sur lattes for four and a half years, before being disgorged in December 2020. Dosage 8 g/l.

Rich, brocade, and tasting and smelling so intensely of orange that it’s almost marmalade. Trace of toast. Long and deep. This is stunning. Spiced Seville-orange bitterness, but the roaring depth of that fruit and its acidity is magnificent. Don’t drink it too cold. This is a fire-sipping wine. Bring on the Comté.

Drink 2021 - 2026

Disgorged in December 2020, the 2014 Blanc de Noirs rested on the lees for nine months before its five-year maturation sur lattes. It has a burnished silvery hue. The bouquet is unashamedly fruit-driven, featuring lemon thyme, grilled walnut, and light orange blossom scents. The palate is well-balanced, quite full, and flavoursome, offering orange peel, light saline notes, and red apples mixed with a touch of melon on the finish. It is one of Wiston's more intellectual sparklers.

Drink 2021 - 2032

Blanc de Noirs is not an easy style to get right. Although the aromas can be very enticing, there’s often a disappointing hole in the mid-palate. Not where Wiston or this wine is concerned. Made from a blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Pinot Meunier fermented in old Burgundy oak, it has a gorgeous golden colour and broad, yeasty, cream and spiced plum flavours. It is sumptuous, satisfying, and hugely enjoyable.

Drink 2023 - 2026