"Gold - IWC 2024
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. 76% Chardonnay, 14% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier. Minimum 25 months lees ageing. Residual Sugar: 8g/l"
The Gusbourne estate traces its history back to the time of the Norman conquest but their first vintage of the modern era is founded on vineyards they planted in 2004. Since that time the vineyards have now expanded to cover 60 hectares largely on clay with subsoils including sand and seashells in Appledore, Kent, and 30 hectares near the Goodwood estate in West Sussex on predominantly chalk soils with flint loam. The vineyards are planted with classic Burgundian clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with a predominance of the Pinot Varieties on the clay soils of Kent and Chardonnay on the chalkier soils of Sussex.
Gusbourne have won multiple awards for the consistent excellence of their wines and are a flag bearer for the heights that English sparkling wine can achieve.
The Brut Reserves is a classic blend of the three varieties. This gives a ‘backbone’ of Chardonnay acting as the structural component, Pinot Noir brings body and depth and finally Pinot Meunier which adds floral and additional fruity notes to the wine.
Mild spring temperatures resulted in budburst at the start of April. Shoot development was favourable through the early part of the season with warm temperatures creating steady growth towards flowering, which began in early June. Completion of flowering by end of June set us up well for a mid to late September start to harvest. Weather during ripening remained dry and ideal temperatures allowed for near perfect build of sugar levels and flavour profiles. Harvest commenced at the end of September and was complete by early October.
