An intimate gathering of members of the press at 67 Pall Mall, London, marked a significant milestone for Gusbourne Estate – the launch of their first magnums of Fifty One Degrees North 2016, their prestigious vintage expression. More than just a product launch, it was a masterclass in ageing potential, format influence, and the meticulous terroir-driven winemaking that defines modern English sparkling wine.
The tasting, led by Laura Rhys MS, Gusbourne’s Global Ambassador, showcased the estate’s commitment to both innovation and tradition through carefully curated flights that told the complete story of their winemaking philosophy.
Two new releases demonstrated Gusbourne’s technical range. The Agrafe 2020 marked a return to traditional methods, using agrafe closures rather than crown caps – a first for Gusbourne and English wine as a whole. “Progress isn’t always made by moving forwards. Sometimes we need to circle back to older ways of doing things,” explained AJ Benham, Head of Wine Operations.
The agrafe process, meaning “staple” in French, involves ageing wine on cork from the outset rather than crown cap. It’s incredibly labour-intensive – every step from bottling to disgorgement must be done by hand. “When you swap crown cap for cork and agrafe staple, you see the benefit of cork ageing in much younger wines,” said AJ. “There is more oxygen interaction, plus you get the flavours and aromatic compounds which come from cork ageing earlier in the process.” The result is more mouthfeel and complexity with lovely savoury notes earlier in the wine’s life, without losing freshness and acidity.
Oak Reserve 2019 presented another exploration of innovation, showcasing Gusbourne’s experiments with oak-aged expressions.
Where Gusbourne really shines is in its single vineyard programme. The flights offered fascinating insight into how terroir expresses itself across Kent and Sussex sites. Selhurst Park 2018 from Sussex epitomized chalk-driven precision with remarkable minerality from high altitude sites. Boot Hill 2018 from Kent contrasted beautifully – more generous mouthfeel and riper fruit demonstrating how lower elevation and clay-rich soils create an entirely different style. The Blanc de Noirs comparison between Downfield 2019 (Sussex) and Heartbreak 2018 (Kent) further illustrated these regional differences.
The comparative tasting of Blanc de Blancs 2016 and 2014 in both standard bottle and magnum format proved revelatory. The magnum’s slower evolution was immediately apparent, with the 2014 comparison particularly striking – the standard bottle showed prominent oak characteristics while the magnum retained remarkable freshness and complexity.
The centrepiece compared three vintages of Fifty One Degrees North. The 2016 magnum – the star of the show – brought everything into sharper focus. With 92 months on lees and adjusted dosage, the magnum format allowed more graceful evolution, creating arguably a more powerful, more finely tuned expression.
Priced at £395, the Fifty One Degrees North 2016 magnum represents a different trajectory of ageing – one that rewards patience and demonstrates Gusbourne’s commitment to creating wines that can stand alongside the world’s finest.
