Squerryes Brut 2022

Squerryes sits on a chalk escarpment high on the Kent North Downs, and the estate makes rather a lot of that fact — with reason. At 150 metres the vineyard runs roughly a degree cooler than its neighbours across the south-east, which buys a longer, slower summer and fruit that ripens without losing its nerve.

This is the house blend, Chardonnay-led with Pinot Noir and Meunier filling in the middle, all hand-picked and made by the traditional method. The 2022 was a warm, dry season in Kent, and the wine reflects it: a little more flesh on the bone than cooler years give, with the natural sweetness of ripe fruit balanced against the acidity the site delivers as a matter of course.

In the glass it is precise and energetic rather than rich. Green apple and citrus lead, there is a pastry note from time on lees, and the finish is properly dry and clean. What I like about it is the lack of showing off — no heavy dosage, no attempt to imitate Champagne, just a well-made English sparkling wine that tastes of the chalk it grew on. At £35 it holds its own against Champagne at the same money, and beats most of it.

How to Serve

8-10°C, in a white wine glass rather than a flute. Open it and pour it; this is not a wine that needs a ceremony. Drink over the next three to four years.

Where to Drink It

Dandy on Maltby Street, where it suits the room. Bentley's for oysters. The Wolseley if the occasion calls for a bit of grandeur without a lot of fuss.

Food Pairings

Fish and chips, honestly — the bubbles and the acidity do exactly what you want against batter and vinegar. More formally, smoked salmon or a plate of prawns. It is also a very good aperitif on its own.