Sugrue The Trouble with Dreams 2020 20th Anniversary Edition Magnum 1500ml

If you ask us, English sparkling wine doesn't come better than that of Sugrue South Downs. Founded by Dermot Sugrue, then head winemaker of Wiston Estate, in 2009, originally producing just this one cuvee 'The Trouble with Dreams' each vintage. Over the last few years he has been joined by his wife Ana, a winemaker with experience around the world and a former lecturer at Plumpton College, and they have found a number of wonderful vineyards across Sussex to work with.

When Dermot planted his first vineyard at Storrington Priory in 2006, he had a single ambition: to create a truly world-class sparkling wine grown on South Downs chalk, inspired by the great grower Champagnes of the Côte des Blancs, but unmistakably English in character. Seven years later, The Trouble With Dreams from the 2009 vintage was released and rapidly gained critical acclaim. An exceptional year with long spells of warm temperatures and higher-than-average light levels, the 2020 was picked in perfect conditions, with zero disease pressure and an unusually high level of phenolic ripeness across all varieties. Such was the inherent quality of the vintage that they decided to bottle 1,000 magnums to be released in 2026 on the 20th anniversary of planting their first vineyard for Sugrue South Downs.

Displaying an early sense of maturity and distinct generosity, this is an unusually fruit forward expression of The Trouble With Dreams. While broad and creamy on the
palate, it is also tense and chalky, and will gain further layers of complexity over the next
decade or more under cork.