It was a tough day's work for Andrew Webb taking part in a blind taste test that saw the best of Pommery Champagnes up against their English equivalents.
The Judgement of Paris is famous in oenophilic circles for seeing American wines beat their traditional French counterparts. The taste test in the wonderfully refurbished Charing Cross Hotel last month didn't quite produce such a shock result, but was interesting nevertheless.
Whilst not a competition as such, matters were still taken seriously, and there was much joshing from Jenkyn Place owner Simon Bladon who pointed out the news from a few years back that it was Englishman Christopher Merrett who first developed sparkling wine (there's a fascinating article on the early history of the drink).
Boozy Brits
Today us Brits are still the largest consumers of champagne after the French. Which bodes well for English sparkling wine producers. As is often pointed out, the composition of soil the French grapes are grown on continues under the Channel and comes up in the South East of England. So much so that a few years ago French Champagne houses were looking to buy up English vineyards. England has been a rising star in the sparkling wine business in recent years, with plenty of reviews praising the industry's sense of innovation. But how do they match up? Here's what we tried.
The French champagnes
1. Pommery Brut
Fresh, with hints of citrus and white flowers, all made possible by its first fermentation which, because it is conducted at a low temperature (16°), prevents the subtle flavours from escaping.
2. Pommery Rose
Pale pink with finesse and youthfulness overlaid with a hint of red berries.
3. Pommery Summertime (Blanc de Blancs)
Lively and fresh showing great finesse perfect for long summer hours in the sun.
4. Pommery Vintage 2004
Full bodied and silk-like with shortcrust pastry giving way to a finish of medium length.
The English sparkling wines
1. Jenkyn Place Brut
Lovely, bright, pale lemon colour. Plenty of complexity on the nose, with fresh citrus fruits complemented by perfect balance of toast and spice.
2. Jenkyn Place Rose
Produced in the north downs of Hampshire from the three classic Champagne varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Aromas of apples, honey and hints of floral, while the palate offers refreshing acidity with a touch of sour cherry, and a sweet rhubarb and caramel finish.
3. Chapel Down Blanc de Blancs
The nose is lemon, apple pie and brioche. The palate is fine with lots of toasty and baked apple flavours, and has a clean, long, characteristically minerally finish.
4. Chapel Down Three Graces
This elegant wine shows balance and finesse. A subtle array of flavours from lemon sherbet and strawberry to brioche and fresh bread characters.
While there was no real winner, I think these English products are the start of something. We've a very long way to go to match the French in terms of production. They're making 350 million bottles a year. We're doing a fraction of that. The weather is also playing havoc. Last year French production was down 30%, while Simon made barely 6% of what he'd normally make.
But which was best?
Simon offers this thought. "The answer is, of course, that Champagne and ESW are both different rather like a Rolls Royce is different to a Bentley – which is better ? One thing, though is certain, and that’s that they are both preferable to a Seat or a Fiat"
The expert's view
For a final thought on English wine in general, I turn to wine expert Olly Smith (follow Olly on Twitter @jollyolly) who said "I love English fizz and have collected a few bottles dating back to the 2000 vintage. They develop brilliantly in bottle, healthy competition is improving results all the time, and as long as quality is maintained and there isn't a huge rush to overplant and chase the volume market, the future should be golden."
Olly's recommendations
"A few names to recommend for fizz: Furleigh (try their Special Cuvée), Gusbourne (belting Blanc de Blancs), Camel Valley (gorgeous Pinot Noir rosé), and also keep your beady eyes out for bottles from Hush Heath, Ridgeview, Nyetimber, Henners and Coates & Seely - and make sure you sample whichever English vineyard is nearest to you and making fizz. I'm looking forward to tasting the first wines from Rathfinny, which is down the road from me in Sussex and is rather epic, shaping up to be one of the largest single site vineyards in Europe".
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