Lyme Bay expands sparkling wine portfolio

Lyme Bay Winery in Devon has introduced two new sparkling wines to its portfolio – a blanc de noirs and rosé – which join its existing Classic Cuvée and Brut Reserve sparklers.

Set in the maritime region of East Devon, Lyme Bay’s vineyards were planted in 2010, with the 2014 vintage its first harvest.

Described as a “serious wine which will appeal to the discerning wine audience”, Lyme Bay Blanc de Noirs is made using 100% Pinot Noir grapes, handpicked from the Southcote Estate in East Devon on 2 October 2014, which is relatively early for English Pinot Noir, however 2014 was an incredibly warm and dry growing season, explained head winemaker Liam Idzikowski.

On the nose it is described as “rich and earthy with forward strawberry and cherry notes and a delicious richness on the palate is offset by a crisp acidity and a light toast finish”.

Lyme Bay Sparkling Rosé is made by blending a small portion of Pinot Noir, produced from a small parcel of “exceptionally ripe” Burgundy clone Pinot Noir, with Lyme Bay’s Blanc de Noir cuvée base wine.

The resulting sparkling rosé is described as a “vibrant soft pink wine with notes of wild strawberries, pepper and redcurrant on the nose and a bright, fruit-driven palate with a richness of honey and hits of brioche and almond”.

“We’ve had an incredible response to our Classic Cuvée and Brut Reserve and the introduction of these two new sparkling wines is an exciting step forward for Lyme Bay,” said James Lambert, managing director of Lyme Bay Winery. “The wines will be available to try on our stand C20 at this year’s London Wine Fair in May.”

Both wines carry an RRP of £24.50.