This month, we release Fifty One Degrees North 2016 in magnum. In time for our members' preview, we speak with Master Sommelier Laura Rhys about how to serve and savour this luxurious wine.
First, an obvious question: why bottle Fifty One Degrees North 2016 in magnum?
Magnums are a particularly indulgent format, especially when we think about ageing traditional method sparkling wines. A complex, cellar-worthy wine such as Fifty One Degrees North truly deserves extended ageing – and so magnum is the perfect size.
How does the wine develop differently in magnum?
Wines in magnum tend to develop slightly slower than wines in bottle. If you taste the 75cl Fifty One Degrees North 2016 now, it's delicious – and it's still super elegant. There's a lovely vibrancy to the fruit, but there's more complexity starting to build as well.
And I think we'll find that with the magnum, too. But at this point, the difference is more subtle; you'll see it more in another five years’ time. If you wanted to age Fifty One Degrees North 2016 in magnum, you could pop it in your cellar for at least 10 years – if not 15, 20 years – to see how it develops.
And from a sommelier’s point of view, what makes magnums exciting?
When we're serving wine, there's always a nice theatre to a magnum. Naturally, there's a lovely generosity associated with the larger size. But perhaps the less-appreciated aspect of magnums is their rarity. Wine producers tend to only bottle magnums in small quantities, which makes them just that little bit more special.
Would you ever choose two bottles over a magnum?
Given the choice, I'd always opt for a magnum. It's just more fun, special and more celebratory.
What advice would you give collectors buying this wine?
If possible, purchase two: drink one this Christmas and then put one in the cellar and be incredibly patient. The bottle you open now will be really special; then, in ten years' time, it will be wonderful to taste it again and experience its development.
What kind of flavours can people expect now versus in the future?
It's impossible not to love Fifty One Degrees North 2016 in magnum as it is now, with its super-beautiful line of lemon, lemon curd, mineral and toasted brioche. But, those who love aged vintage wine will really appreciate it in five or ten years’ time. A decade on, it will have had the chance to develop more tertiary notes – those toasty, mushroomy, caramelly, toffee apple flavours. The lemon will turn towards orchard fruits; the profile more complex.
How should people approach serving the magnum?
I would open it slightly before you want to drink it to give it a chance to open up. And you could decant it if you felt so inclined. I know it's a bold choice to decant sparkling wines, but if you do it gently, then you don't lose the bubbles.
For Fifty One Degrees North, I would use a larger glass than for other wines in our stable. And I also wouldn't drink it too cold.
And what about food matching?
The food matching options are almost endless with Fifty One. In its youth, because it's more about fresher citrus notes, you could look at fish, lobster, anything with a richer sauce, white meat – it would be such a lovely match with a lemon, herb and garlic roast chicken. Or try it with cheese.
As it starts to open up, you can play on some of the bolder flavours. Pork with mustard and apple sauce, for example. However you enjoy it, make it a celebration – I'm picturing a table of friends, a roaring fire and the most generous, indulgent hospitality.
Fifty One Degrees North 2016 in magnum is available on general release from 1 October.
