THE TROUBLE WITH DREAMS 2010 – MAGNUM

It was a bit of divine inspiration that led to this exceptional wine. The monastic order of Catholic priests at Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington West Sussex looked out one day and realised that the land they had could have potential for planting vines. Father Paul McMahon reached out to Dermot with a proposition to plant and nurture a small vineyard at the foot of the South Downs and make wine for the priests. Dermot, always having an eye on the future, spoke with Father McMahon and told him that he’d love to plant a vineyard and make wine for the priests, and perhaps in return, he could take a percentage of the grapes to create his own wine. The delighted Father McMahon agreed immediately.

The grapes were a great success, such a success that the birds flying over the vineyard devoured them all, thus ending the hopes of a 2008 vintage. All their dreams, it seemed, at that point at least, were, quite literally, away with the birds. ‘That’s the trouble with dreams’, demurred Father McMahon, but undeterred, and seeing the great potential to make a single vineyard wine, Dermot pressed on.

The first release from the Sugrue South Downs was a 2009 vintage. The now greedy-bird-protected grapes were another great success. The priest’s statement had always stuck with Dermot though, and when the first bottles of wine were produced, they were named after the quiet musing of Father McMahon. The Trouble with Dreams 2009 vintage went on sale in 2013 and rapidly gained critical acclaim.

CEPAGE: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir

VINEYARDS: Mount Harry Vineyard, East Sussex, planted 2006 on clay loam over chalk, approx. 70m above sea level. Storrington Priory Vineyard, West Sussex, planted 2006 on sandy loam over chalk and greensand, 50m above sea level.

YIELD: 7,500kg/ha

VINIFICATION: Vinified in large 500L old Burgundian barrels

MATURATION: Bottled in 2019 with 3.5 years on the lees; first batch disgorged in January 2023

ANALYSIS: Residual sugar: 6g/L. 12% abv

The 2010 vintage at Storrington Priory Vineyard was exceptional in many ways, and it demonstrated to Dermot that this site was a world-class terroir for making sparkling wine.

The 2010 in bottled format – now long since sold – was awarded the highest score ever by Decanter Magazine for an English wine. In the same year, Decanter also listed it as one of the "Top 50 Wines in the World".

Magnum bottles always amplify the qualities of their smaller siblings. Tasted in July 2023 at a 67 Pall Mall Masterclass of Sugrue wines, this wine exhibited all the freshness and finesse you would expect from a magnum 13 years after vintage, allied to an individuality of character that marks it as very special indeed. The purity and drive of the acidity, enveloped by mature yet still-fresh tertiary characters, mark this as one of the greatest English sparkling wines ever produced. Extremely limited stocks remain.

"The Trouble with Dreams 2010 (from magnum) is a wine that I have enjoyed many times since its original release, and this magnum was as perfect an English sparkling that I have tasted. Seamless with that perfect balance of refined elegance of brioche, pure clean fruit and that feeling that you are drinking something incredibly special." Roger Jones, The Buyer

"Beautifully delineated fruit constitutes the nose, with ripe, yellow plum playing alongside crisp, green apple. The palate layers a sonorous tone of sourdough bread with rich hints of yeast, green-apple briskness and gentle yellow plum. The notions unite with the fizzing, fine mousse. On the midpalate and the finish, the depth of this wine becomes clear: Profound and rich but in a totally slender, unassuming and convincing fashion. The finish is pure and lasting. Drink 2017–2027". 95 Points, Anne Krebiehl MW, Wine Enthusiast