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The Trouble With Dreams: the English wine that made the headlines

Two weeks ago an English wine made the headlines. Sugrue’s The Trouble With Dreams 2009 won Best in Show at the International Wine & Spirit Competition for sparkling wine in magnum, beating numerous Champagnes. Following an article in The Times, we were inundated with enquiries for this wine and in a few hours it was sold out: at the winery, here at Cuchet&co, and elsewhere.

The story behind the hype is that today English sparkling wine is easily as good as many Champagnes. Sugrue is one of the leaders in this space. Insiders have known this for some time. English wine specialist Oz Clarke calls Sugrue’s wines “the most thrilling, incisive sparklers in England”. Hugh Johnson rates the wines so highly he has recently taken a stake in the business.

The Trouble With Dreams is Sugrue’s flagship cuvee. It is Chardonnay-dominant, with 25% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier blended in. Unlike many English sparkling wines, it is made entirely from grapes grown on the estate. Winemaker Dermot Sugrue aims for freshness and precision, blocking malolactic fermentation. He adds texture by vinifying partially in oak and by using long lees ageing. The result is a tense, vibrant sparkling wine with a nuanced, layered finish.

This is one of England’s very best and most exciting sparkling wines. Terrific when young, it has plenty of potential to develop further with age. Buy some now and drink and some to put in the cellar.