In the ever-expanding world of English sparkling wines we think it fair to say that there is one producer that has established itself at the pinnacle: Sugrue South Downs. Husband and wife team Dermot and Ana Sugrue are making small production wines of outstanding quality and, moreover, inimitable character. They are the most exciting English wines we have tasted.
We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Ana Sugrue to the Farr Vintners office to show us the latest release of their flagship wine: 2020 The Trouble With Dreams. The cuvée takes its name from the devastating result of the would-be first vintage in 2008 when, the night before an expected healthy harvest, birds swept the vineyard and picked the vines clean.
The fruit for the 2020 comes from three Sussex vineyards: Mount Harry (planted in 2006), Coldharbour (2005) and Storrington (2006). A classic blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, it is fermented 50% in stainless steel and 50% in 500 litre Burgundy barrels. There is no malolactic fermentation and the wine was bottled in July 2021 and first disgorged in November 2024.
Many will remember the summer of 2020 which, from a winemaker’s point of view, was exceptional: long spells of warm and sunny weather made for grapes picked in near-perfect conditions, with unusually high levels of phenolic ripeness. Cool temperatures at flowering made for a relatively small crop, albeit one of excellent fruit. The wine is a worthy successor to the 2019 and reminiscent of the brilliant 2017: a wine of vibrant acidity, exceptional intensity and a layered complexity of character that so many English wines can miss.
In terms of outright quality, 2020 Trouble With Dreams will stand up and more to Champagne’s finest but that’s not the point: this is a wine that knows what it is rather than an imitation of something else. A wine of rare quality and character and, we think, likely the best English sparkling you can buy.
The wine will be available for delivery in approximately two weeks.
A classic blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, the latest Trouble With Dreams builds on the style of the '19, framed by its vibrant acidity, piercing fruit intensity and layered, fine mousse. The colour is a pale straw, with the nose hitting notes of sweet apples, biscuit dough and lemon drizzle cake. The palate has lip-smacking acidity and a creamy mousse, giving a silky but fleet-footed mouthfeel that allows the fruit to shine. The same lemon and apple fruit lingers from the nose, with that hint of powdered sugar but a strong mineral tone throughout. A wine with great texture and fruit, it has a long, intense finish that promises a great future - though you can comfortably drink it now.
