CUVÉE DR BRENDAN O’REGAN 2018
CUVÉE DR BRENDAN O’REGAN 2018
AS POURED ON BRITISH AIRWAYS FIRST CLASS
My great-uncle Dr Brendan O'Regan was one of the most distinguished Irishmen of the 20th century. An innovator and a visionary, he is synonymous with the creation of the world-famous hotel school at Shannon Airport, the founding of Duty Free, and his work as an ambassador for peace in Northern Ireland. Brendan also invented the Irish coffee, but that is another story.
Prestige cuvées – rare, extended-aged bottlings made from exceptional vintages – represent the very finest wines a house produces. They are the bottles that stand on the world stage: Bollinger has La Grande Année, Laurent-Perrier has Grand Siècle, Pol Roger has Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. At Sugrue South Downs, we have Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan.
The 2018 vintage is widely regarded as the finest England has produced in the modern era. After the “Beast from the East” swept through, the vines enjoyed a long, warm summer that rivalled the famous heat of 1976. Seeing how promising the season was becoming, we made the decision to "green harvest" – painstakingly removing excess grape clusters so that the vines could focus their energies on producing the very best fruit.
It proved a risk worth taking. A tiny portion of the vintage’s exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was set aside, fermented in old Burgundy barrels and then aged on lees for more than 72 months.
Now, eight years after harvest, the wine is densely layered with ripe yellow fruit etched with chalky minerality. While already hugely complex, it has the structure and concentration to age beautifully for another decade and beyond.
ALLOCATION REQUESTS CLOSED
We have now allocated all our Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan 2018 for the yar. If you would like to be added to the waiting list in case any additional stock comes available, please enter your details below.
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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GRAPES
60% Chardonnay
40% Pinot Noir
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VINEYARDS
Mount Harry Vineyard, East Sussex
Storrington Priory Vineyard, West Sussex
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WINEMAKING
50% fermented in 500L ex-Burgundy barrels of various ages; 50% in stainless steel, without malolactic fermentation.
Bottled in July 2019, followed by 72 months on lees. First disgorged in September 2025.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
"How on earth have Dermot and Ana Sugrue managed to make an English sparkling with so much ripeness that it’s almost louche? Tiny bubbles, tiny froth, and then come the voluptuous swathes of mango, baked apples, clementine, orange peel. Scribbles of fennel. Buttery Marcona almonds. Rich but not fat. Insane intensity. For an English sparkling wine, this is fleshy and lush. It has the daring boldness and saturation of an Andy Warhol artwork. Razzmatazz, and I love it." 18 Points, Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com
BRITISH AIRWAYS FIRST
When Tim Jackson, Master of Wine at British Airways, asked whether we might have something particularly special in the cellar, I knew there was only one possible wine to propose for the tender. I am delighted to share that Cuvée Dr Brendan O'Regan has been selected to be poured on British Airways First over the next three years alongside prestige cuvées from Rare, Charles Heidsieck, Laurent-Perrier, Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Gusbourne, and Nyetimber.