Denbies vs Albury Estate? Wine critic, Margaret Clancy compares award-winning sparkling wines from Surrey's favourite vineyards.
We’ve been making wines in this country since Roman times and we’re really quite good at it. And with the rising global temperatures the wines we produce are getting better and better. So raising a glass of British bubbly is not just patriotic, it’s also rather good. What’s more, we do some pretty impressive versions right here in Surrey, so you’ll be helping the local economy too.
For simplicity’s sake, I have stuck to the two best known vineyards in Surrey (there are several more, but we’ll come to those some other time), Denbies (www.denbies.co.uk) in Dorking and Albury (www.alburyvineyard.com) just outside Guildford. Both have award winning sparkling wines, but they have very different characters.
Denbies at Dorking
I have happy memories of Denbies as a youngster – my grandmother used to take me to lunch there in days gone by. She thought it was a most sophisticated place, and it was certainly the only spot around that would serve us its own wine, in such a light filled, modern space. Of course, it sells all its own wines, but they’re also stocked by Waitrose (amongst others).
Denbies Whitedowns (On special offer from WaitroseCellar, £13.49) tastes of the British countryside. It’s light and easy, with just enough acidity to give it a long enough flavour to make it interesting, and plenty of fine soft bubbles to make it fun. It’s not a replacement for champagne any more than Prosecco is, but judging it for what it is, a happy, sunny sparkler from Surrey, it’s a bit of an eye-opener.
Denbies Greenfields (on special offer from WaitroseCellar, £17.99) is in a different league altogether. Made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, this is a truly classy wine. Very straight laced and with a stiff upper lip that’s so typical of us Brits, once you’ve get under its skin, there’s a lovely apply softness to it. It’s a gorgeous pale gold colour as well.
Albury Estate at Guildford
My research for this piece was the first time I tasted Albury Estate wines, but I don’t think it will be the last. As an organic and biodynamic winery, the winemakers are limited to relying solely on what the grapes produce from naturally encouraged soil. Stocked by various independent wine shops, being organic, they’re also stocked by the veg box people Abel & Cole who can deliver to your door. But how would they stand up to the stiff competition from Denbies?
Albury Estate Classic Cuvee (£29) is a classic champagne style wine with plenty of fizz and bags of character. Very dry and upright, it’s somewhat drier than its Dorking rivals but so very proper. A deserving winner of a silver medal at the Decanter’s wine awards this year.
Albury Estate Blanc de Blancs (£26) – made from a blend of white grapes - Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc, this is lighter and fizzier than the others. A refreshing (if alcoholic) fizz pop with a touch of lemon, it’s less demanding than its sister sparkler, but it’ll match a Victoria Sponge better than a cup of tea.
You can visit the Denbies and Albury websites for more information about the full range of wines
For more great wine articles click here, like Margaret's recent piece about great wine to accompany a summer picnic
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