A boutique English winery in Kent, Gusbourne produces the most awarded English sparkling wine and has a plethora of national and international accolades. After all, since planning its first vines in 2004, the company had a clear vision and single goal: to create English Sparkling Wines that would stand up alongside the very finest offerings from across the globe. Fast forward ten years, and we saw the ultra-popular 2014 vintage (it sold out in just nine months), and now, Gusbourne has released the 2016 vintage of its most exclusive and premium sparkling wine Fifty One Degrees North.

Distinct and unique in form, Fifty One Degrees North is the ultimate expression of place, and the clue is in the name: the latitudinal coordinates of Gusbourne’s vineyard. A brilliant year for winemaking, there were near-perfect growing conditions in 2016, and Gusbourne has created a worthy successor to its critically acclaimed 2014 release. The mild spring combined with the warm and dry summer resulted in abundant, perfectly ripened fruit. The result? A globally-renowned, intense, and complex wine.

Champagne. Photo by Ben Wilkins via unsplash

Jon Pollard, Chief Vineyard Manager, says, “Fifty One Degrees North is made possible by the combination of an in-depth knowledge of our terroir and the skill, craftsmanship, and innovation of the Gusbourne winemaking team. England is recognized now as having a climate ideal for sparkling wine grapes, and I believe that Fifty One Degrees North is the ultimate expression of what we are now able to achieve in this country.” He continues, “2016 offered optimum growing conditions, allowing us to create this exceptional vintage prestige cuvée, and I’m confident that this wine will continue to provide a benchmark for the top-tier quality of English sparkling wine.”

Featuring distinct mineral and maritime notes, this singular vintage wine blends two-thirds Chardonnay and one-third Pinot Noir using fruit grown from both Gusbourne’s Kent and West Sussex vineyards, offering a balanced, multi-layered composition due to the silky, rich, and intense fruit grown in the clay and sandstone Kent vineyards. Plus, fruit sourced from the chalk and flint West Sussex vineyards gives the sumptuous tipple a bright, fresh, and elegant touch.

It is also worth noting that Fifty One Degrees North is only ever released in the most extraordinary vintages and represents the culmination of almost 20 years of expertise, to present the best possible expression of what the winemaker, and England, have to offer.

Laura Rhys MS, Gusbourne Global Ambassador, shares, “The reaction to our inaugural vintage of Fifty One Degrees North was outstanding and I’m very proud of that. I have been thrilled to see customers from all corners of the globe get so excited about it and to see it being served across the UK and abroad, from Norway, the USA, and Germany to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. There has been such an obvious change in perception towards English sparkling wine in recent years and I’m delighted that Gusbourne has played such a central role in that.”

Champagne celebration. Photo by Billy Huynh via unsplash

Fifty One Degrees North is available to purchase at www.gusbourne.com. It is also listed by leading restaurants and hotels including Moor Hal, Sat Bains, The Pig, Four Seasons Hampshire, Mandarin Oriental, and Ynyshir. Additionally, it will be available to purchase internationally including in the USA, Norway, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong.