Chapel Down Century Extra Dry

A stunning English Sparkling Wine which in contrast to its name is surprisingly slightly sweet.   It would seem to me that often EU regulations are made to confuse and befuddle the average drinker.

You would be forgiven in thinking that an extra-dry sparkling wine was dryer than your average tipple but no! It’s actually sweeter than a normal Brut similar in style to a demi-sec.

For those who don’t know the soils and climate in the south of England are akin to that of the Champagne region in France.

Thankfully producers like Chapel Down are taking advantage of these conditions by creating sparkling wines that can go head to head with anything that their French counterparts have to offer.

Chapel Down, based in Tenterten, Kent, is one of the leading figures and brightest lights in the UK wine industry. They produce a wide range of still wines and an impressive array of award winning traditional method sparkling wines.

The Century Extra Dry is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in Kent, Sussex and Essex.  Made the same way as champagne; traditional method secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle and a solid 15 months aging.

If you’ve tried any of the other Chapel Down Sparkling Wines you’ll know that they’re usually high in acidity and quite lean in style.  The Century Extra Dry is a real surprise as it is a lot softer and rounder than the rest of their range.  A nice fine mousse with fresh flavours of green apple and elderflower, all topped off with a great balance between the acidity and the sweetness. 

I would have to say that the little extra sweetness in this wine makes me put this at the top of the Chapel Down range. It’s the easiest drinking, most pleasurable of all their sparkling wines. It’s a rare find and so a real shame that it’s not widely available in the UK.