Head Winemaker Mary Bridges, Master Sommelier Laura Rhys, and Head of Wine Operations Alastair Benham share which bottle they would most like to have on their own Christmas table.
Mary’s Christmas Recommendation: Gusbourne Fifty One Degrees North 2016
“For fellow wine lovers, Christmas provides plenty of wonderful opportunities to delve into the cellar. As much as I relish Christmas’s more relaxed moments - pigs in blankets and Rosé on Boxing Day, or a rich Blanc de Noirs with slivers of Comté - I’ll be embracing the chance to open something especially special,” says Mary, who adds: “This year, with more reasons than usual to celebrate, we’ll be opening a magnum of Fifty One Degrees North. More than a year on from its first release, with those additional months on cork, this is a truly exceptional wine that’s showing its true potential. Even with a thirsty crowd, a magnum means we’ll have the chance to return to the bottle for a second glass and experience how this wine opens up and evolves as the meal goes on. It’s a perfect indulgence.”
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Laura's Christmas Recommendation: Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018 in Magnum
“This Blanc de Blancs comes from a generous vintage, beautiful in its youth and, with extended time on lees and cork, it is now developing inviting tertiary notes alongside ripe citrus and steely minerality.
Laura explains: “I love serving wine from magnum. Not only does it age beautifully in this format, but there is also something wonderfully celebratory about pouring from larger bottles at Christmas or New Year. It makes a perfect aperitif when the whole family is gathered, served with classic festive nibbles, a platter of oysters or wild salmon with hollandaise.”
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Alastair’s Christmas Recommendation: Gusbourne Oak Reserve 2019
“For something a little bit different, and incredibly distinctive, I love to serve Oak Reserve. Powerful and textural, Oak Reserve is a wine with real presence that sits apart from anything else in our range. Flavour-wise, it’s got a lot to offer: tropical fruit, savoury spice, citrus oil and gingerbread, with a creamy palate and exceptionally long finish. If you would usually reach for a rich, oak-aged white Burgundy with a dish like seared scallops, try this instead with dishes such as seared scallops. Bold, complex and a little decadent, it’s the kind of wine that stays in the memory – exactly what you want among the bottles opened at Christmas.”
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