Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and What

Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

English sparkling wine. We all know it's good.
But how well does it age?
And could this be the secret to unlocking even greater quality from what are already exciting wines?
We do our best to answer these questions and more with the help of several large glasses of very fine mature English fizz - and top winemakers Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix (Nyetimber) and Corinne Seely (Exton Park).
We also hear the views of Clément Pierlot, cellar master at Champagne Pommery and its English offshoot, Louis Pommery England.
We explore what makes an ageworthy sparkling wine (busting a few common myths along the way). And talk about how best to get ahead of the game...
We recommend some of the finest examples of mature English fizz we can get our hands on - from the likes of Nyetimber, Sugrue South Downs, Hattingley Valley, Breaky Bottom, Wiston, Exton Park, Chapel Down and The Grange.
Along the way we discuss magnums, lees ageing, dosage, vintage, variety, yields, storage, balance - and the value of patience.
What's more, Peter gets called 'Mr Humper Dumper' by Susie and shares one of his more insightful tasting notes, which simply reads: 'GIVE ME THE MAGS!'
We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).
All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E5: Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and What
Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Hoofdstukken

1. Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and What (00:00:00)

2. Hello and welcome (00:00:05)

3. What this show's all about (00:00:36)

4. Listener message on 'one-night stand' wine (00:02:05)

5. How this episode came about (00:03:17)

6. Mature wine isn't for everyone (00:08:56)

7. Busting myths about ageing fizz - yields (00:10:18)

8. Busting myths about ageing fizz - acidity (00:14:17)

9. Malolactic fermentation (00:15:35)

10. Lees vs Cork Ageing (00:18:29)

11. Dosage (00:23:42)

12. MID-EPISODE RECAP (00:25:28)

13. Buy magnums not bottles (00:25:58)

14. Chardonnay is Best (00:28:40)

15. Choose you vintage with care (00:31:25)

16. Storage is key! (00:32:41)

17. We taste and recommend aged English fizz (00:35:13)

18. Where does Champagne fit in? (00:38:19)

19. What's a realistic maximum ageing period for top English fizz? (00:43:41)

20. FINAL SUMMARY (00:44:45)

21. Outro (00:45:14)