Sugrue

Dermot Sugrue is the man behind some of the very best – and most exciting – English sparkling wines. Formerly head winemaker at Nyetimber, he now makes wine at highly acclaimed Wiston Estate. At the same time, he works  on his own label Sugrue South Downs which released its first wine in 2013.

Sugrue’s aim is to make top quality sparkling wines that combine freshness and acidity with palate texture. He began his career with a stint at Ch L’Eglise Clinet, and appropriately for an accolyte of Durantou, his winemaking starts in the vineyard. Sugrue avoids man-made chemicals in the vineyards in Sussex and Hampshire: an approach not without risks in the damp UK climate.

In the winery, the same uncompromising search for quality continues. The grapes are very gently pressed, then undergo a slow fermentation in a mix of stainless steel and old oak. Sugrue avoids malolactic fermentation wherever possible, which is not easy with high acid English fruit. The final technical challenge is to avoid filtration. This is a feat rarely possible in sparkling winemaking, but gives extra vibrancy to the wines.

The result is a range of wines with similarities in style and quality to grower Champagne. Four different cuvees are made. The first two are single vintage wines. The Trouble With Dreams is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. Cuvee Boz is a blanc de blancs named after Sugrue‘s late brother. ZODO is a multivintage blend with zero dosage. The final wine, the prestige cuvee Dr Brendan O’Regan, is named after another family member. This last wine is multivintage blend made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The future is bright for Sugrue. In 2023, Dermot Sugrue stepped away from other projects to make his own label his sole focus. New investment from backers including Robin Hutson (co-founder of Hotel du Vin and The Pig) has allowed him to buy further vineyard land. Numerous new wines, all to be made in small volumes, are in the pipeline.

This is a top-notch operation which shows just how good English sparkling wine can be.