Uncorking liquid gold
Gusbourne Estate is a highly esteemed English winery with a simple vision to create the finest wines in the world. The journey from vine to glass, however, is anything but.
The estate itself dates back to 1410 when it was owned by a gentleman called John de Goosebourne. The Goosebourne family crest still hangs in Appledore church in Kent where the ‘Goosemark’– a symbol of trust– can be found depicted on every bottle of Gusbourne wine. Over time, the name became Gusbourne, and the vineyard’s story began in 2004 when Founder Andrew Weeber planted the first vines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on the estate.
Spanning two vineyards in Kent and Sussex, we were interested to understand what makes Gusbourne so unique. Gusbourne follows an ethos which mirrors that of Àclèaf; it’s about how each and every one percent adds up to delivering the best experience and the best wine. It’s this sentiment and this commitment to always strive to be the best and provide the best that resonates with Àclèaf as our leading pairing supplier. Gusbourne’s vision is to produce worldclass sparkling wines. Not just the best English sparkling wines, but wines that stand on a world stage. Wines that are spectacular, but also happen to come from England. “There’s a really important and interesting distinction there,” explains Master Sommelier Laura Rhys. “It’s about quality over quantity and how we can continue to make the very best wines we possibly can: from the clones of the grapes that we select and the parts of the estate that we choose to plant on, to the different vineyard and winemaking techniques that we employ.”
What qualifies as fine wine is, in some ways, subjective. Technically speaking, balance, length, ageability – or how well it has aged - and complexity are crucial. If the wine is balanced, it’s not just correct, it’s more than correct. It’s special. But then there’s also the question of does it perhaps feel luxurious, or compelling? Is it so complex, so multi-layered that it might transport you somewhere different and elevate the experience of drinking it? It might be the fact that it matches beautifully with the dish you’ve decided to drink it with, but essentially, it’s a wine that has been crafted to be better than the sum of its parts.
Gusbourne uses predominantly Burgundian clones– which have a lower, but higher quality yield– and only produce single vintage wines, which allows them to express and really celebrate everything that each vintage provides. “2020 was a very warm year that produced fruit that was quite similar to 2018 and 2016– both excellent vintages with opulence and ripeness. 2021 was closer to 2013 and 2015, which were more challenging vintages in terms of the weather, but produced really quite compelling, distinct wines that age beautifully.”
Location of course has a large impact on vintage. With both vineyards less than 10 miles from the English Channel and temperate coastal breeze, the vines are protected by the moderating climate, keeping frost and disease at bay by keeping the grapes dry. At the Kent vineyard, you can stand at the top of Boot Hill - which is only 40 meters above sea level – and see the wind turbines on Romney Marsh. You can almost make out the horizon on the English Channel. As the very first escarpment, there really is nothing between us and the coast.
Although both coastal, the Kent and Sussex vineyards are around 80 miles apart, as the crow flies, with different soils and elevation imprinting a unique character into each plot and each vintage, allowing for a staggered harvesting period.
“In Kent, the soil is a mixture of clay and sand, meaning it’s quite heat retentive and allows more warmth to be absorbed, which helps to ripen the fruit. That, combined with the lower elevation and our use of Burgundian clones, means we tend to get a bit more ripeness from the fruit in Kent. In Sussex, we have a slightly higher elevation, up to 120 meters and the soil is comprised more of flint, chalk and loam, creating a slightly different PH level and growing condition. This adds an extra layer to our blending complexity and the layers that we can build.”
231 acres of vineyards and elevations spanning two sites– 120 meters results in anywhere between 250 and 300 different base wines, each of which are tasted blind to see what the vintage has provided and which Cuvée it best suits before the blending process can begin. It’s this large variety of base wines that sets Gusbourne apart in the UK. That and the exclusivity of the fruits used, which are neither sold nor bought, making each vintage authentically unique.
Harvesting usually begins mid-September to early October over the course of two or three weeks and everything is still picked by hand. Gusbourne still honours some of the age-old winemaking traditions whilst dovetailing these with more unconventional innovations, such as the use of high-tech pneumatic presses. “The method itself is still traditional, but we’re also evolving. The presses are computercontrolled, which means we can be incredibly precise about how much pressure we’re adding. It’s the gentlest way of pressing and that’s how we get the highest quality juice.” Take Champagne, for example, Laura and the team are able to retain the traditional elements recommended by the CIVC (Comité Interporfessionnel du Vin de Champagne – a regulatory board for the protection of Champagne production and trade) whilst increasing the quality through innovation that allows them to work quickly so that it remains fresher, whilst still pressing the juices gently. Because of this added efficiency, Gusbourne can go from vine to juice in a couple of hours.
Once pressed, the juices are vinified with most undergoing malolactic conversion in which the harsh malic acid– found in lemons or Granny Smith apples– is converted to a softer lactic acid - found in milk, cream and cheese. This process takes the team through to December, with the tasting of the base wines beginning in January: “We’ll then spend the next six weeks or so creating blends. And at that point, it’s a bit like Tetris in many respects, as we need to find a balance in using all of the base wines while making sure that all of the blends taste the way they should". Blancs de Blancs is about poise, precision and ageability. The Brut Reserve is much more a celebration of all three varietals and creating something that is perhaps more open, more fruit dominated and easier to enjoy. The Rosé is more about red fruit and floral notes, but with a bit more weight and seriousness as well.
Blending is usually finalised between April and May before being bottled between June and July with sugar and yeast to begin its second fermentation. It’s at this point that carbon dioxide and alcohol begin to form. “At this point, we age our sparkling wine on their lees before disgorgement. It’s really at this stage in the journey that we start to see some differences between the wines. The Blancs de Blancs ages the longest, typically a minimum of 42 months, depending on the vintage. The Brut Reserve tends to have an ageing duration of 36 months and then the Rosé normally ages for a minimum of 30 months.”
After ageing on the lees, it’s time for disgorgement and the adding of the dosage – which of course requires another tasting to ensure the right balance, flavour profile and texture is met. The final piece of the puzzle is to cork the bottles before ageing for another 3-6 months. “There’s a lot of patience required in the creation of these wines.” Patience, and an appreciation for each vintage’s unique character. Much like a signature dish at Àclèaf will develop over time. Ever refined. Always improved. Perfectly paired.