The Trouble with Dreams Sparkling, Sugrue South Downs, UK, 2019
In 2006, winemaker Dermot Sugrue planted a small site at the foot of the South Downs in West Sussex, and named it Storrington Priory Vineyard. Seven years later, ‘The Trouble with Dreams’ from the 2009 vintage was released, rapidly gaining critical acclaim. The staggering quality of the next two vintages earned Sugrue South Downs a cult-like following, which grows to this day.
More than eleven years after what should have been the inaugural vintage of The Trouble with Dreams – from the vineyard that Dermot initially planted to make wine for the monastic order of Catholic priests at Storrington Priory – the 2019 vintage marks a new and significant development he could not have been happier about.
The hopes of the 2008 vintage were dashed when virtually all the grapes were devoured overnight by birds ("That's the trouble with dreams", Father Paul McMahon demurred). However, exactly 10 miles west of Storrington a larger site of older vines on extremely chalky ground proffered their second crop... Coldharbour Vineyard.
Dermot is delighted with the 2019 – more precise and thrilling than ever, with mineral geology at its core and yeast-complexed fruit providing a dazzling tapering finish.
Producer
Sugrue South Downs
Tasting Notes
Country
England
Region
West Sussex
Style
Colour
White
ABV
12.0
Unit Size
75.0
Dry/Sweet
Grape
60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir
Press Review
Press Review 2