The Classic of a Nyetimber Cuvée Review

A month or so back I took delivery of a very special bottle of sparkling wine, ordered from Harvey Nicks, a limited edition of just 200 bottles produced by what is perhaps England’s finest sparkling wine producer Nyetimber, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The symbolism on the bottle label is clear: like Nelson did to Napoleon at Waterloo, Nyetimber is doing to some of Champagnes finest houses; yet again. The bottle contents is actually the 2010 Classic Cuvée, but is perhaps just a little too special to drink so soon, so I was delighted when Duncan said we’d now be stocking Nyetimber. I got my order in for the 2010 Classic Cuvée and needed no other excuse than it being a Friday night to crack it open.

This vintage is made from a blend of 51% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 13% Pinot Meunier grapes.

Now, Nyetimber, we are learning, is capable of decent longevity, I recently had an amazing 2004 Classic Cuvée and bottles from the mid-1990s are drinking very well. Since the vineyards were only planted in the late 1980s we’ve decades, possibly a century or so yet to discover just how long these wines will live and, one may speculate, improve in the bottle. Perhaps my great-grandchildren will be cracking open my Waterloo anniversary bottle at the 300th anniversary!

So, Friday night, the Nyetimber was nicely chilled and opened with a satisfying light pop. It poured beautifully and the resulting foam was both crisply effervescent and ephemeral, leaving thin columns of tiny bubbles climbing beautifully through a bright pale gold liquid to gently break on the surface. On the nose there’s a hint of fresh baked white bread, underlying the complex citrus, lemony scent. There’s even a hint of pineapple to scintillate the senses too. The palate is zesty yet complex, structured around crisp, fresh acidity and mineral characters. It’s zingyly refreshing and the mousse adds richness and a just a hint of creaminess.

I didn’t drink this elegant fizz with food but rather as an aperitif, but I imagine a good pairing would be oysters and grilled prawns, for example. It’d be equally, if not more enjoyable, as a celebration wine. If I had to choose a single word to summarise this fab English fizz: flawless.

This fantastic & finest Fizz is available is right here: Nyetimber Classic Cuvée currently on offer!

Barry Lewis

www.englishwineshop.co.uk