English sparkling wine at number two on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100, not as best bubbly but as the second-best wine of any kind. That is where this conversation starts. For this Sparks I sit down with Laura Rhys, Master Sommelier and Global Brand Ambassador at Gusbourne in Kent. We taste through four bottles and unpack why the chalk soils of southern England keep winning the comparison with Champagne.
Who is Laura Rhys
Laura is one of around 300 Master Sommeliers worldwide, a title built on service and blind tasting. She worked as head sommelier at La Trompette and Hotel TerraVina, won UK Sommelier of the Year in 2009 and earned her Master Sommelier qualification in 2010. Since 2015 she has worked with the Gusbourne team on base wine grading and blending. That dual lens, technically correct and genuinely enjoyable to drink, runs through the conversation.
“Winemakers and sommeliers taste very differently,” Laura says. Those two views together shape the Gusbourne house style: wines that are correct on paper and that you genuinely want to pour.
What you learn in this episode
- Why English sparkling wine stands apart from Champagne, and where the overlap sits
- How the chalk soils of Kent sit on the same geological seam as the Côte des Blancs
- What the traditional method and long lees aging do to the flavour
- Why Gusbourne chooses lower yields and hand-harvesting
- How Fifty One Degrees North became the first English wine in the Wine Enthusiast Top 100, at number two
- What the Master Sommelier qualification involves and how a sommelier tastes differently from a winemaker
- Which bottles you can lay down for years, and why
The four bottles
We taste Brut Reserve 2019, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs 2018. The Blanc de Blancs stands out for mineral precision and citrus clarity, almost crystalline in focus. The Blanc de Noirs carries more body and weight on the palate. Through all four runs that vivid acidity and the creamy brioche layer that comes from long autolysis. Wines with tension, built to age for years.
Frequently asked questions
Why is English sparkling wine compared to Champagne?
The chalk soils of Kent and Sussex sit on the same geological seam as the Côte des Blancs in Champagne. Gusbourne uses the same traditional method with secondary fermentation in bottle and plants predominantly Burgundian clones. The cool climate gives freshness and tight structure, with a distinctly English character.
What is Fifty One Degrees North?
Gusbourne’s prestige cuvée, named for England’s latitude and made only in standout vintages. It became the first English wine to enter the Wine Enthusiast Top 100, landing at number two.
How long can you age Gusbourne?
The top range is built to age and can keep developing for years with patience. The prestige cuvée is released fairly young, so laying it down often adds complexity.
What does a Master Sommelier do at a winery?
At Gusbourne, Laura Rhys sits at the table for base wine grading and blending. She brings the drinker’s perspective alongside the winemaker’s.
Listen on your own podcast platform
Prefer Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast or another app? Search for Sparks by VinoVonk and you will find this episode with Laura Rhys.
Thanks to Vinites Netherlands for providing the Gusbourne wines featured in this episode.
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