English sparkling wine has rocketed to the top of the taste charts for its clean lines, fresh garden aromas and delicate, small bubble effervescence. But is it as good as champagne?
The answer is yes – many are just as good, though they are far from identical. Despite using the same grape varieties – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier – and the way the wines are made being the same, there are differences in climate, daylight, and even the age of the vines that make English sparkling wine different.
Generally speaking, the more you pay, the better the wine – but there are also some real bargains on the shelves that easily challenge champagne. Here are some of the best…
£15 for a half-bottle until 18 August (usually £23), Waitrose
This can really hold its own against top-notch champagne. Aged for at least three years on lees in the cellars, it has a creamy, mousse with clear lemon-fresh aromas. Rounded on the palate with biscuit and toasty flavours, it fills out with a bright lemon finish. Watch out for forthcoming deals on full-sized bottles, which are currently around £42.
Asquith Gardens Traditional English Sparkling Wine
£18.50, Asda
Asquith Gardens is an exclusive label for Asda, probably made by one of the best producers in the country, but they are obliged to keep very quiet about it. I would happily drink this instead of a cheap or even mid-priced champagne. It spends five years maturing in cellars and so has well-balanced fruit and rounded toasty flavours.
The Best English Sparkling Grand Reserve Brut
If this is the future of English sparkling wine, we have a lot to look forward to. Age is the key point here, and the six years it has spent ageing and building its flavours have been well spent. Who makes it? Probably the same company that makes other supermarket English fizz, but the quality in this wine is exceptional. It has flavours of baked apple, with toasty brioche and creamy citrus. Above all, there is complexity and a finish that lasts on the palate. Great flavours and excellent value.
Finest English Sparkling Brut NV
Sourced from the Hush Heath Estate in Kent, this is a light, elegant style of English sparkling wine. Its 50:50 mix of white (chardonnay) and red (pinot noir and meunier) grapes gives it fresh citrus aromas, with crisp apple and ripe pear flavours layered with toasted hazelnuts and a lively lemon freshness on the finish. A supermarket own-label wine that stands up well against many champagnes.
Located in the heart of Sussex, Roebuck is a rising star in the English wine market, winning several medals and awards in recent years. The Estate Reserve is a wine of one vintage, aged for three years on its lees, and it has creamy, baked apple and ripe apricot notes and a rich, silky texture.
Planted on a perfect chalky site in Kent, Domaine Evremond is a joint venture with Taittinger Champagne and a major wine importer. Winemaker Alexandre Ponnavoy makes the wine both in Champagne and in Kent and aims to express the terroir of each location. Domaine Evremond is a dry style of sparkling wine, with a fresh garden blossom aroma, with citrus and an almost saline note followed by white peach notes and a hint of white pepper. It certainly beats many non-vintage champagnes, and a lot of upmarket cuvées too. Enjoy its depth, elegance and a fine expression of flavour.