Gusbourne

Looking for where to enjoy Gusbourne this September? On September 26th, three of Kent’s finest kitchens, Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve & Howletts Wild Animal Park, The Dog at Wingham and Michelin-starred Hide and Fox, together with Gusbourne, are coming together to collaborate on an exclusive gourmet dinner event. This unforgettable dining experience will feature a four-course menu curated by the head chefs, with each dish lovingly enhanced with a selection of handpicked Gusbourne wines. Perhaps you'd be interested in joining us in the Scottish highlands on the 29th of September for a MONACHYLE MHOR HOTEL LTD wine safari on a fabulous wine-tasting day as we walk along Balquhidder Glen, stopping along the way to drink and eat. Meet at Mhor 84 restaurant for breakfast with a glass of something special, and then partake in a two-mile stroll up to Creag an Tuirc for the best views in Balquhidder, Perthshire and enjoy an outdoor food demonstration and wine pairing as we share in the delights of food, wine and the great outdoors, followed by a hearty Perthshire produce lunch back at the Dutch Barn at Monachyle Mhor. Learn more here > https://bit.ly/3MF1jSI

It's been twenty years since Gusbourne was founded and to honour this anniversary, we're diving into the archives of our cellar to uncover some of our oldest wines with the help of Master Sommelier and our Global Ambassador, Laura Rhys. A library release is an older vintage which has been released when ready to drink, something which can range between a few months to several years. For every wine we release, we hold back a few bottles to keep in our winemakers’ library. This means we have the chance to revisit a wine and see how it’s developing over time. Once a wine is in bottle, it continues to change and develop through micro-oxygenation. Regardless of how the bottle is closed – crown cap, classic cork or agrafe – minute quantities of air pass into the wine, helping to evolve and change its structure. The fruit profile of a wine, the acidity, the tannin and the structure will change with age. Learn more about how our wines age > https://bit.ly/479vRpi

This year’s Chef Series features three superb chefs who share Gusbourne love of great ingredients matched with great wine. Whether you favour British cuisine with an Indian influence; elegant fresh fish, or foraged, seasonal fare, each of these special events at the vineyard promises to be a treat. Gusbourne x Hrishikesh Desai of Farlam Hall Hotel and Restaurant, Saturday 21st September 2024 - We're delighted to kick off the 2024 Chef Series in Michelin-star style with Hrishikesh Desai, Chef Patron of the Cedar Tree at Farlam Hall. Desai's four-course menu will reflect his love of British cuisine: expect fine local ingredients (think scallops, beef and raspberries) showcased alongside superb wine pairings. Gusbourne x Richard Craven, Friday 25th October 2024 - We'll be welcoming chef Richard Craven of Michelin-starred restaurant The Royal Oak Whatcote. The evening event will showcase autumn's bounty, with British game and foraged ingredients on the four-course menu. Gusbourne x Tom Shepherd of Upstairs, Saturday 7th December 2024 - We conclude our 2024 Chef Series with Tom Shepherd of Michelin-star restaurant Upstairs. Chef Shepherd has worked in some of the country's most storied kitchens, including two-Michelin star Sat Bains. His food majors on locally sourced, gloriously fresh fish; this four-course meal promises to be a seasonal, British treat. Read more here > https://bit.ly/3W9wHNw

The summer season is lively, with our vineyard team taking immense care as the vines, with their full, lush canopies of leaves held aloft by a few gnarled twists of trunk, begin to reveal what the vintage will hold. After a busy start to the season, August allows for a moment of stillness. “Just before veraison, when the grapes begin to colour, they seem to pause – the canopy is still moving and growing and we’re all still motoring along, watching and waiting for everything to shift gear," says Chief Vineyard Manager, Jon Pollard. Walking, watching, waiting, looking, touching, smelling: it’s a physical job that pulls on all the senses. “Being involved with the plants is what makes a difference,” says Vineyard Manager, Adam. “It’s about being connected. Until you’re actually looking at the vine – really looking, thinking about which canes to prune or tend – you’re not doing your job. “The key to happy vines,” says Adam, “is being there amongst them.” Learn more about summer in the vineyard here > https://bit.ly/4d6ivMB

On the back of our newest releases, our Boot Hill and Commanders Chardonnays - what is it that makes these two vineyards, and wines, so different from one another? Despite the fact there's only a narrow country lane separating Commanders and Boot Hill, the soils are remarkably different - Commanders vineyard has much more friable soil, with a higher proportion of sand and a looser structure. This helps with drainage in the site – especially important given the more shallow slope in the vineyard. Base wines from Commanders show both ripeness and elegance, with a fleshy quality in tandem with defined mineral notes. The gentle slopes of Boot Hill allow the vines to take advantage of better drainage, less frost risk and increased exposure to the sun. This, alongside the soil, makes Boot Hill one of our ripest sites. Base wines from Boot Hill often show a richness, weight and muscularity we don't see in other wines – and often a very discernible mineral character too. #Gusbourne #Vineyards #Chardonnay #Kent

As we make the most out of the sun and picnic season, be sure to incorporate Master Sommelier Laura Rhys's key tips into your next outing. Firstly, look at investing into a proper hamper to raise the bar nicely. If this isn't an option, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to seek out some thin stemless glassware to add a touch of elegance and reduce the spillages at your next picnic. Next, you'll want something to keep the wine cool but avoid making too cold. Bottle carriers or a freezer sleeve helps keep your wine at the perfect temperature for longer. Finally, bring along both still and sparkling alternatives for your day in the sun. A white wine, such as our Chardonnay Guinevere and rosé or lighter red, such as our Pinot Noir 2022 make wonderful selections. Read all about our picnicking tips here > https://bit.ly/4cIQfzh

Although there is beauty in our vineyard all year round, it would be impossible to resist the allure of summer at the Gusbourne Estate. With long, bright days under Kent’s big wide skies, it’s a wonderful time to visit the estate – to walk amongst the vines and enjoy the wines that come from this patch of soil, these plants and this place. For the vineyard team, the view can never quite feel bucolic. “In high summer, I love seeing the dragonflies in the vineyard,” says Adam Foden, Vineyard Manager. “They are such hungry little monsters that they need a lot of flies. So we’re obviously doing something right.” Once the vines have flowered, and the fruit is set, the die is cast. “We’ll be scouting the vineyards all summer,” says Jon Pollard, Chief Vineyard Manager. “Gathering information from the plants – this influences everything else we need to do to keep the vines healthy and look after the environment.” Read more here > https://bit.ly/4d6ivMB

The approach to tasting English wine is universal. First swirl the wine and take a few sniffs. “Often, you'll pick up fruit characteristics before anything else. See what you can identify – it might not be totally specific, but is it a citrus smell, or ripe and tropical? Think about families of flavours. Sometimes you can smell something really familiar, but you can't quite put your finger on it. That’s OK. At home, work on building your smell memory – try and focus on different smells in everyday life,'' Master Sommelier, Laura Rhys says. "After you've identified the fruit flavours, then concentrate again and see if there are any more complex flavours. “Think about toastie flavours, spices and – in older wines – anything more ‘tertiary’,” says Laura. “Biscuit, pastry, roasted nuts and mushrooms are classic tertiary smells.” Learn Laura's best tips here > https://bit.ly/3xYvelb

You can taste the way our wines are aged if you know what to look for. All our sparkling wines are aged on their lees – the spent yeast - not particularly appealing yet a crucial component for flavour development. “Because of the length of time we age our wines, they have what we call ‘autolytic notes,’” explains Master Sommelier, Laura Rhys. “So, you might expect flavours of fresh brioche or toasted nuts. The lees-ageing also helps to increase the complexity of the wine. At Gusbourne, we have a balance of ripeness and freshness.” Read more of Laura's best tips here > https://bit.ly/3xYvelb #Gusbourne #EnglishSparklingWine #EnglishWine

Why is a wine such as 51 Degrees North more suitable for cellar aging than a bottle of Brut Reserve? Master Sommelier, Laura Rhys tells us why these wines respond differently. "Well, the short answer is because of the way the blend has been constructed. When we’re looking at blending a wine like Brut Reserve, we’re choosing those components which are going to be delicious and really easy to enjoy on release. With the prestige bottlings, we’re putting together a wine that has the structure and finesse to develop over time, and which will gain complexity." However, this may not be the same case for out earlier vintages of Brut Reserve and their previous blend. "It’s worth saying that our older vintages of Brut Reserve were a different blend to today: they have a notably higher percentage of Chardonnay, which is well suited to cellar age. I’m really excited to revisit these wines because I’m expecting great things!" #Gusbourne #EnglishWine #EnglishSparklingWine #Kent