The acclaimed English wine estate celebrates two decades of winemaking with a limited-edition Blanc de Blancs 2016, featuring original artwork by French artist Lily Mixe.
Great wines have always been expressions of place, shaped as much by the character of the land as by the vision of those who cultivate it. At Gusbourne, the celebrated English wine estate in the Kent countryside, that relationship has inspired a particularly meaningful collaboration. To commemorate its 20th vintage, the producer has partnered with French artist Lily Mixe on an exclusive release that brings together the worlds of fine wine, contemporary art, and the natural environment.
The result is a limited edition of Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016, presented with original artwork inspired by the estate’s vineyards, soil, and surrounding wildlife. Available from October 22, just 500 individually numbered bottles will be released at £95 each, offering collectors an opportunity to experience a mature English sparkling wine through an entirely new artistic lens.
Yet the significance of the collaboration extends beyond its exclusivity. It represents a meeting of two creative disciplines united by their appreciation for nature, craftsmanship, and the subtle beauty of things that cannot be hurried.
For Lily Mixe, whose artistic practice explores the relationship between natural materials and creative expression, the commission began not in a studio but among the vines of Gusbourne’s Appledore estate. Originally from Paris and now based in Kent, Mixe is known for producing her own natural pigments, bringing an unusually intimate understanding of organic materials to her work. Her previous exhibitions at Turner Contemporary and Saatchi Gallery reflect an artistic sensibility rooted in observation and an instinct for discovering beauty in the overlooked.
During her visit to Gusbourne, Mixe found inspiration beyond the meticulously cultivated vineyard rows. Rabbits, geese, wild plants, and the rhythms of the surrounding countryside revealed a more expansive portrait of the estate, prompting her to consider the intricate relationship between the vineyard and the natural world that sustains it.
“When I came to Gusbourne, we walked through the vineyards. What struck me was not only the vines, but everything around them,” Mixe recalls. Her observations became the foundation of Roots-Nest, an original artwork exploring the interconnected natural systems that contribute to the character of the landscape.
The artist’s exploration extended beneath the surface, quite literally. Collecting soil directly from the Gusbourne estate, she studied its composition and layers, incorporating the earth’s natural colors into her palette. In doing so, she allowed the vineyard itself to become part of the creative process, translating the physical character of the land into a visual expression of its identity.
The finished artwork now adorns both the bottle label and its individually numbered presentation box, giving the anniversary release a distinctive connection to its origins. A permanent mural of Roots-Nest also resides in the Winemaker’s Library at The Nest, Gusbourne’s tasting rooms, establishing a lasting artistic tribute to the estate and its surrounding landscape.
If Mixe’s artwork captures the vineyard through color and texture, the Blanc de Blancs 2016 tells its story through time. Produced from a harvest now a decade in the past, the wine reflects Gusbourne’s commitment to patient, vintage-led winemaking and the remarkable complexity that can emerge through extended maturation.
Following fermentation, the wine spent five years resting on its lees, the spent yeast cells that contribute texture, depth, and distinctive secondary aromas during aging. A further four and a half years of bottle maturation after disgorgement allowed its developed characteristics to become increasingly integrated, revealing the elegance and complexity associated with carefully aged sparkling wine.
For Gusbourne’s Master Sommelier, Laura Rhys, the transformation has been particularly rewarding to observe. “When we first released Blanc de Blancs 2016, we knew that this was a wine with enormous potential,” she explains. “It had a really exciting combination of ripeness and enticing acidity.”
That early promise has evolved into a sparkling wine distinguished by its composure and depth. Rhys describes its present expression as “incredibly poised, layered, subtle and complex,” with extended aging bringing notes of toasted nuts and a delicate suggestion of white mushroom.
These savory, developed characteristics offer a compelling contrast to the bright freshness of younger sparkling wines. For those who appreciate the nuanced pleasures of mature vintages, the anniversary release presents an opportunity to discover how time can transform an already accomplished wine into something more contemplative and richly expressive.
The collaboration also invites reflection on the journey that has brought Gusbourne to this milestone. The estate planted its first vines in 2004, when English sparkling wine was still establishing its identity within the international fine wine landscape, and has since built its philosophy around the individuality of each harvest.
Every Gusbourne wine is produced from grapes grown and hand-harvested on its own estates, with each release representing a specific vintage. Rather than pursuing uniformity from year to year, the producer embraces the natural distinctions between growing seasons, allowing their particular conditions to shape the personality of the finished wine.
It is a philosophy that finds an elegant parallel in Mixe’s artistic process. Just as the winemaker responds to the qualities of a particular harvest, the artist draws inspiration from the materials and environment she encounters, allowing nature to guide the creative outcome rather than imposing a predetermined vision.
Both disciplines demand patience, sensitivity, and a willingness to recognize the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary. In wine, that might be the gradual evolution of acidity, texture, and aroma; in art, the colors of vineyard soil or the quiet presence of wildlife among the vines.
While commemorative wine releases frequently rely on elaborate presentation to signify exclusivity, Gusbourne’s collaboration with Mixe offers something more personal. By incorporating the physical colors of the estate into her artwork, the artist has established a tangible connection between the bottle and the landscape from which its contents originated.
With only 500 bottles available, Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 is poised to appeal to collectors who value provenance, individuality, and craftsmanship as much as rarity. Its numbered presentation and original artwork lend the release a distinctive collectible quality, although its greatest pleasure remains the wine itself and the years of careful maturation contained within each bottle.
Ultimately, the collaboration is a fitting expression of Gusbourne’s first two decades. From the planting of its earliest vines to the patient evolution of its wines, the estate has built its identity around an enduring relationship with the land. Through Lily Mixe’s artistic interpretation, that relationship becomes visible, celebrating not only the wine but the natural world that gives it character.
