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CUVÉE DR BRENDAN O'REGAN 2016 – MAGNUM

CUVÉE DR BRENDAN O'REGAN 2016 – MAGNUM

  • Extremely limited production – just 240 magnums available

It is only in outstanding vintages that we make our rarest and most prestigious sparkling wine, Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan, once described by wine writer Hugh Johnson as "Spectacular. Honestly, England's best."

In the past we have used the finest fruit from Storrington Priory and Mount Harry Vineyards for Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan, however for the 2016 I decided to showcase Hampshire’s Jenkyn Place – the source of The Trouble With Dreams 2009, which was recently crowned as one of the top 50 wines in the world.
 
Not only do Jenkyn Place’s greensand-rich soils grow some of the finest grapes in the North Downs, but the warm and dry conditions between August and October that year resulted in an outstanding, if small crop from which I knew we could produce a very special and age-worthy wine.
 
Due to the inherent quality of the vintage, I chose to bottle it entirely in magnum – just 240 to be precise. The winemaker’s preferred ageing vessel, a magnum allows for slower development, resulting in more layers of complexity and finesse than a standard 75cl bottle.
 
Having spent over 5 years on its lees and almost 4 years on cork after disgorgement, the 2016 Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan delivers a combination of power and structure, as well as opulence and precision through to its core. While drinking beautifully now, it will grow in complexity for decades to come.
£225.00
£225.00
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THE STORY BEHIND ‘CUVÉE DR BRENDAN O'REGAN'

An innovator, a visionary, and a peacemaker, Dr Brendan O’Regan is one of the great figures of 20th century Ireland.

A public servant who spearheaded modern Ireland’s first programme of foreign investment, Dr Brendan O’Regan was also synonymous with the regeneration in the Shannon Region of west Ireland; with a world-famous hotel school; and, by pioneering the notion of airports as economic free zones, as the founding father of the global duty-free industry.

Out of concern for world poverty, he worked closely with bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as with various Irish charitable causes in their mission to establish export zones in developing countries. His efforts would help lift millions of people out of hardship

In his later years, Dr Brendan O’Regan worked tirelessly for the two causes closest to his heart: peace and co-operation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and lasting peace for the world.

A proud internationalist, he would have been delighted to see a sparkling wine made in England by an Irishman - none other than his great-nephew, Dermot Sugrue - garner such critical acclaim on the world stage.

This is our tribute to an inspirational man.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

CEPAGE: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir

VINEYARDS: Jenkyn Place Vineyard, Hampshire, North Downs planted in 2004 on greensand and chalky marl soils.

YIELD: 240 magnums produced

VINIFICATION: Vinified in large, old Burgundian barrels and stainless steel tanks

MATURATION: Bottled in July 2017 with 5 years and 3 months on the lees. Disgorged October 2022.

ANALYSIS: Residual sugar: 8g/L. 12% ABV

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

"Flint and smoke lead the aromas, with fragrant hedgerow fruit suggesting tart berry and wet stone, framed by lemon. The palate combines soil, fruit and reductive smokiness, a delight for fizz-lovers. Intense ripe lemon, tart berry and juicy red apple make the mouth water, while fine creamy mousse softens the essential English briskness. This wine has just begun its journey and will be a joy for years." 95 Points.
Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous

"Mostly Chardonnay, all in stainless steel. Complex, taut and mineral with lovely spicy framing and some toasty depth. Lovely white peach and pear fruit as some fine spices. Great precision and detail with some chalky depth and lovely acid line. Such precision and purity here with some fine spices on the finish. Amazing intensity here. Profound." 95 Points.
Jamie Goode, WineAnorak

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

After late flowering and some variable
summer conditions, which resulted in
poor fruit set and a small potential crop, Hampshire was saved by a dry and warm period from August to October giving superb ripeness levels, but with no disease pressure whatsoever.