Sparkling wine from South Downs vineyard wins 'Battle of the Bubbles'
London Wine Fair’s ‘Battle of the Bubbles’ took place this week – and a sparkling wine produced by a West Sussex vineyard took top place.
Twenty-six wines from all over the world were tasted by 16 expert judges who gave each one a score out of 100. The top scoring global sparkling and the top scoring wine overall went to 1086 by Nyetimber 2010, produced at West Chiltington.
And the wine even pipped prestige cuvées from Champagne – including Dom Perignon 2013 and Dom Krug Grande Cuvée, 172ème Édition – to reach the top spot.
Nyetimber was the first producer to release a prestige cuvée wine in England back in 2018. 1086 by Nyetimber represents the pinnacle of the brand’s winemaking, as the wine is only made from the best parcels from the best vintages and undergoes extended lees ageing.
Earlier this year, Nyetimber became the first prestige cuvée English sparkling wine to be served on an airline, with British Airways now offering 1086 by Nyetimber Rosé in First Class, and its white equivalent later this year.
Eric Heerema, owner and chief executive of The Nyetimber Group, said: “It is wonderful to see 1086 by Nyetimber being recognised in such a renowned competition. So much hard work and passion goes into creating this wine, and we only make it from vintages when the quality of the harvest has been strong enough.
"Champagne has been renowned for its prestige cuvées for decades; however, we have always been quietly confident that prestige cuvées from England can match, if not exceed the standards of those from Champagne.”
1086 by Nyetimber 2010 is available to buy from Majestic (£145) and Harrods (£120). 1086 by Nyetimber 2013 (£150) and 1086 by Nyetimber Rosé (£175) are available from Nyetimber.com, as well as Waitrose Cellar, Majestic Wines, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Selfridges and Berry Bros & Rudd.