Coates & Seely Britannique Brut Reserve NV

Profile & Story

Coates & Seely was founded in 2008 by Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely, who brought successful careers in finance and winemaking together with, in their words, 'a burning desire to make, one day, a sparkling wine to rival the best.' Their vineyard lies in a secluded valley in the chalk downlands of Hampshire, in southern England, where chalk soils and south-facing slopes offered ideal conditions for English sparkling wine. Within a decade the estate's wines had earned recognition including Best Overall Wine, Best Sparkling Wine, Best Blanc de Blancs and Best Sparkling Rosé at the 2017 UK Wine Awards, an IWSC Trophy in 2019 for the 2009 Blanc de Blancs 'La Perfide,' and a listing at the George V in Paris, the only English wine to hold that distinction. The Britannique Brut Reserve NV is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, typically aged two and a half to three years on lees and blended with two to three prior years' reserve wines, before a further six to twelve months of aging on cork following disgorgement; dosage typically runs 4-6 grams per liter.