I wanted to give a shout out to our local sparkling wine: Ashling Park which has just won Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2018 for their Ashling Park Cuvee NV. With only 9 UK golds this year, they are up with the best. The judges described Ashling Park as “Focus and precision on the nose, full of personality and vigour. The mousse is persistent and the texture light and poised. A decent dose of autolytic complexity on the finish.”
Ashling Park Estate has to be one of the luckiest places in the whole of the South Downs. Their loamy soil and sheltered position provide the perfect environment for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – the holy trinity of sparkling wine grapes. The Classic blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier makes up the Cuvee NV. And to supervise the magical transformation from vine to wine they have secured the services of Dermot Sugrue, one of the most talented (and award-winning) wine makers in the industry if not the whole world.
We have had Ashling Park in regularly for tastings since they launched, and it’s a fantastic local business that has hit the high notes from the start. If you are thinking of enjoying some sparkles this Christmas, then grab a bottle and celebrate the fantastic food and drink now available on your door step. £34.95 per bottle, or 10% off by the case.