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Digby Fine English

2013

‘Reserve’

Brut   |   Sussex - England
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

This is the wine that put Digby on the map as one of the great wines not just of England but of the world as well. The prior vintage was named ‘Best English Sparkling Wine’ at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in 2019. This wine has an incredible amount of depth and complexity, not surprising given its five years on the lees in bottle!!! 2010 marked the first year that production of sparkling wine eclipsed its still counterparts in England. The 2013 vintage was long and cool, indicative of the October 2013 manual harvest date and the deep, layered flavors of the Pinots on the finish.

Being Chardonnay based, this wine yearns for air and additional time in bottle. Fermented entirely in stainless steel and with two-thirds of the wine completing malolactic fermentation, this wine has a generous amount of breadth and depth. After assemblage the wine is laid to rest for 60+ months in bottle. It was touched with an eight gram dosage just calming the ripping acid (10.4 g/L) a bit.

Stats

  • Grapes: 65% Chardonnay - 25% Pinot Noir - 10% Pinot Meunier
  • Vineyard: Hilden Vineyard (Kent) and other vineyards across Sussex, Kent & Hampshire
  • Vine Age: Average 15-years-old
  • Soil Type: Chalk - greensand - clay
  • Viticulture: Sustainable
  • Fermentation: Inoculated – stainless-steel
  • Skin Contact: None
  • Aging: Primary: 9 months in stainless-steel (89%) and oak (11%) - Secondary: minimum 60 months on lees
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • Residual Sugar: 8 g/L
  • pH: 3.3
  • Total Acidity: 10.4 g/L
  • Total SO2: <200 mg/L
  • Total Production: 1667 cases
  • UPC: 5060463800055

Tasting Note

A well integrated seam of acidity meanders through the layered palate, reminiscent of lemon Magnolia flowers descending into lightly poached apples. The long, rumbling finish comes from the the Pinots in the blend which yield brioche and gunpowder characteristics.

Press & Reviews

Wine Enthusiast

93

"At nearly a decade old, Digby’s medium gold-hued vintage wine is fruit and cream-driven; it’s a crowd-pleaser if ever there was one. Peach candy, lemon essential oil, orange blossom and yeast open this highly aromatic bottling. The palate is still remarkably crisp and fresh, juxtaposed by the rich texture and yeasty, autolytic characters. There’s lovely length, finishing citrusy and juicy and making another sip an exceptionally easy task."

- Christina Pickard

Decanter

92

"Exuberant aromas of hazelnut, honeycomb and cream. Red fruit richness on the palate with savoury and toasty notes."

- Decanter World Wine Awards
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Producer


Digby Fine English

Region


Sussex

Country


England

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