ON THE LIST | Kirsty McCulloch
Kirsty McCulloch’s professional journey in wine began while working at the Oxford restaurant No.1 Ship Street, where the wine-focused owners encouraged her to pursue Wine and Spirit Education Trust and Court of Master Sommelier studies. She joined the London Club in 2022, qualified as a Certified Sommelier shortly afterwards and was recently promoted to Senior Sommelier at the Club. She tells us of her love affair with English Sparkling Wine
‘One of my earliest wine memories is spending Saturday mornings with my dad, picking out bottles at our local wine merchant. I can thank my parents for my passion for food and wine – they taught me how hospitality brings people together, and that choosing the right bottle for the right occasion is important. Thankfully, these days my wine knowledge is a little better than when I was 10, so I’m a more useful wine-shopping assistant.
‘Growing up in Hampshire, I often visited the South Downs National Park, so to see the quality of wine being produced in and around that area today is very special for me. Viticulture in the UK dates back to the Roman times, but quality production has historically been difficult since we sit north of the 50th degree of latitude. But the chalky soils of the south coast are perfectly suited to sparkling wine, and climate change means the south coast now has similar temperatures to that of Champagne 60 years ago. Innovative and passionate winemakers have done the rest, largely by focusing on Champagne’s traditional method, often with a more pronounced acidity and distinct notes of fresh apple, on account of the cooler climate. Here are three wines to seek out on our London list…
‘Sugrue South Downs’ Zodo bottling is an NV blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir grown on the chalk soils of the Mount Harry Vineyard in East Sussex. Made by the trailblazing Dermot Sugrue and vinified partly in old oak and partly in stainless steel, it has no dosage and no malolactic fermentation, hence the name. Expect pronounced minerality and notes of Granny Smith apples, lemon peel and toast.
‘Gusbourne is one of English wine’s foremost names, and the release of its Fifty One Degrees North prestige cuvée was a real statement. Its name refers to south-east England’s latitude parallel, and the 2014, from a warm year which helped to ensure ripeness, was the inaugural release. Fermented in both stainless steel and old oak for added complexity, it is then aged on the lees for a whopping 80 months. The result is a lovely roundness married to minerality and, as the wine opens up, tertiary notes of butterscotch and toasted almonds.
‘Nyetimber sits alongside Gusbourne at the top of the quality pyramid, and its NV Cuvée Cherie is somewhat unique – an off-dry fizz from 100% Chardonnay, with 38 g/l residual sugar. Named after Cherie Spriggs, one half of Nyetimber’s husband-and-wife winemaking team, it shows aromas of lemon, honey and tangerine, with the palate marked by racy acidity and precise structure.’
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