For some time, English sparkling wines have been matching, and increasingly, exceeding the quality of many Champagnes, evidenced with the number of awards that many English brands are winning.
So, when we were invited to sample a bottle of Roebuck Estates’ recently released Classic Cuvée 2019 – the latest addition to its acclaimed Classic Collection – we were happy to accept.
The sparkling wine arrived in a stylish matt cream presentation box, carrying the Roebuck Estates’ gold branding contrasted with dark grey lettering.
If judging purely by shelf appeal alone this would stand proudly alongside any of the premium brands from across La Manche.
After chilling the wine, the cork was gently removed and the effervescent wine was poured.
The delicate bubbles provided an extremely engaging mouthfeel with the flavours of the grapes (a hand-crafted blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meaner) perfectly balanced to provide a stunning flavour profile, evoking a subtle apple sweetness combined with sharper citrus notes and hints of freshly-baked bread.
This is a delicious English sparkling wine that we can safely say is one of the best, if not the best, we have sampled in recent years.
Established in 2013, and releasing its first sparkling wine in 2019, Roebuck has always had a clear vision: to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year from its collection of vineyards throughout Sussex and Kent.
Commenting in the 2019. vintage, Jake Wicks, head of viticulture at Roebuck Estates, said: “We strive to produce the finest sparkling wines from every growing season, which begins with our meticulous approach to vineyard management and by carefully selecting only the highest-quality fruit at harvest time from our six vineyard sites, comprising 82 individual blocks.”
Their Classic Cuvée is typically a Chardonnay-dominant blend, but the 2019 vintage was blended with a higher proportion of Pinot Noir, giving the wine superb structure and complexity, and delivering a greater depth of flavour.
For Roebuck Estates’ CEO, Michael Kennedy: “Being ‘vintage only’ can pose its challenges, however the model we have built by establishing a collection of exceptional vineyard sites throughout Sussex and Kent, each with its own unique terroir, gives us a wealth of components to work with when blending our vintage sparkling wines and allows us to produce fantastic sparkling wines every single year.
“The recognition we’ve received – including being chosen by Marks & Spencer to produce their own-label English sparkling wine and partnering with the RHS at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival as the exclusive sparkling wine – has helped put Roebuck on the English wine map.”
Roebuck Estates was the RHS’s official sparkling wine partner for the second consecutive year, building on the company’s success at the 2024 event, where more Roebuck sparkling wine was sold than Champagne and Prosecco combined, reflecting the growing demand for premium, homegrown alternatives.
We would heartily recommend this sparkling wine for any occasion, especially for celebrating significant birthdays, anniversaries or for any other event when Champagne might have been the default choice.
For more information visit Roebuck’s website: www.roebuckestates.co.uk