Looking for a fabulous fizz to enjoy on New Year’s Eve? Here is our pick of the best English sparkling wines to see out the year in style
2009 Digby Fine English Reserve Brut
An intriguing character, elegant with a certain raciness, this award-winning vintage is a blend of hand-harvested English Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes ripened in 2009’s gloriously sunny September. An inspired partner with smoked salmon. 75cl / £42 / 12% ABV Harvey Nichols
Notes: Refined bubbles deliver a crisp, refreshing apple and peach character, with a creamy biscuit finish.
2008 Chapel Down Blanc de Blancs, Sussex
With a refined 100% chardonnay cépage, grown and matured in Sussex and Kent, this exceptional wine now has gained quite the following. Perfect with white fish, oysters or caviar. 75cl / £23.50 / 12% ABV harveynichols.com
Notes: Extremely light and full of apples. It soon moves into a nutty flavour and what can only be described as a hint of brioche. Delightful.
2009 Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, Sussex
From the historic Nyetimber estate of West Sussex, this impeccable Classic Cuvée is a complex blend of 55% chardonnay, 26% pinot noir and 19% pinot, with a taste as dry as a white can get – not to mention as refreshing. A fantastic sparkler. 75cl / 12% ABV / £31.99 waitrose.com
Notes: A crisp and flawless taste, full of mellow fruits and vanilla. Just the ticket.
2009 Coates & Seely Brut Reserve, Hampshire
Sheltered and hidden away in the Hampshire chalk downlands, the Coates & Seely vineyards yield some of the most impressive grapes available in the UK. Formed by lifelong friends Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely, Coates & Seely is a characteristically English producer of wine and the product of unprecedented knowledge and dedication to winemaking. 75cl / £28.85 / 12% ABV coatesandseely.com
Notes: An initial complexity soon devolving into toasty tones of baked apple and peach. The finish is as modest as it is fulfilling. Incredibly light and a very natural taste on the palate.
2010 Langham Classic Cuvée, Dorset
This brilliantly elegant wine has all the trademarks of an English classic: a winning blend of grapes, a satiating depth and unpretentious intricacy. Fermented, aged and bottled at the humble Langham winery, this stunning example of a Classic Cuvée was judged as the best wine at the Judgment of Parsons Green 2014. 75cl / £22 / 12% ABV langhamwine.co.uk
Notes: A very succinct taste, laden with summer fruits and peach. A small hint of hazelnut in there too, as the wine develops on the palate.
2008 Furleigh Estate Rosé, Dorset
With grapes handpicked from its Dorset vineyard and fermented at a cooler-than-usual temperature, this sweet and satisfying rosé sparkler is a wine crafted to age well and maintain its original aromas. 75cl / £25.50 / 12% ABV furleighestate.co.uk
Notes: Gentle, delicious and fruity. The finish is quite foamy, but supremely elegant and balanced.
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