Made only in the best vintages and crafted with long cellar-ageing in mind, Cuvée Boz Blanc de Blancs is our ultimate expression of pure Chardonnay on chalk.
My passion for single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs started more than 20 years ago when I used to visit the Côte des Blancs in Champagne with obsessive frequency, making friends with inspirational growers such as Agrapart and Larmandier-Bernier, and just learning, learning, learning...
So when Jancis Robinson declared my wine as "perfect for lovers of grower Champagne" it was a poignant moment for me. Now, the South Downs are not Champagne, nor Champagne the South Downs, however, aiming for the most noble and delicious expressions of sparkling wine is the constant we share.
From an exceptional year, which enjoyed long spells of warmth and higher-than-average light levels, 100% of the fruit for the 2020 Cuvée Boz Blanc de Blancs comes from Mount Harry – our 'Grand Cru' single vineyard on the East Sussex Downs, planted in 2006.
Beautifully open and expressive from the get-go, it's showing spiced citrus and floral notes, alongside stony minerals and tangy acidity. Last week, we asked a brilliant young sommelier what dish she'd pair it with: wok-fried lobster noodles. Yes, please.
It's no secret that Cuvée Boz is a critic favourite – both of our previous 2015s won the trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs at the WineGB Awards, a Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge, and have graced enough 95+ point scores to make us blush, so we have especially high hopes for the 2020.
Named after my dearly departed brother, Barry Ben Sugrue – affectionately known as "Boz" – this cuvée has a place close to our hearts. A spectacularly gifted individual, Boz was an ardent and accomplished man, bright as the crisp-white paper his razor-sharp pencil raised perfection upon. He lives on in our minds and in each bottle.
Purchase Cuvée Boz Blanc de Blancs 2020 here.