All angels, ‘classic cuvee’, berkshire, england, brut, 2015

English Sparkling Wine has been going through a revival over recent years with many new vineyards cropping up all the time.

All Angels Vineyard is a small family run vineyard, with their 1st vines planted back in 2011, with a focus on single vintage wines based in Berkshire. Their 3 vineyards (the latest planted in 2020 contain a mixture of different soils including light clays/loams and gravel.

The vines are planted to a mixture of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Meunier, Pinot Blanc and even a small amount of Rondo which is very exciting to see.

This is a blend of 58% Chardonnay, 19% Pinot Noir, 13% Meunier & 10% Pinot Gris. The wine has spent around 6 years ageing on its lees, followed by a further 6 months ageing on cork.

The wine itself shows a beautiful golden lemon colour, with a fine consitancy of bubbles. On the nose theirs lots of character coming through with lots of ripe orchard fruits, as well as hawthorne, acacia and blossoms too. I love that subtle hint of white mushrooms & minerality.

I like that the yeast isn’t overtly dominant in the wine too, yet it gives it charm and finese. There’s also hints of malo showing through also, with hints of oak, cloves & a slighty nutter aroma too.

On the palate the wine is dry (even with 7.6g/l of sugar) clean and fresh, with an acidity that isn’t actually going to make you wince, but actually serves a purpose of giving the wine a lively character, and an almost playful nature. The wine also has a bit of texture on the palate which could make it an interesting food pairing option, or just to be drank on its own.

It’s a delicious wine, and for those who are keen to get into the english wine scene, this could be a great introduction for you, from a county that isn’t well known for its vineyards - this could be a turning point for Berkshire and the UK for sure.

ABV - 12%

Soon to be released directly from from the vineyard www.allangels.com with an expected retail price of £40.