Drinks of the Month

Morrisons The Best English Sparkling Brut

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on July 19 2019 at 17:07

This week’s wine of the week is a bit of a mystery. It’s an exceptionally good English sparkling wine which Morrisons has bottled under its own label for the very reasonable sum of £20. (There’s also a brilliant 2010 vintage for £25)

Who is it made by, though? The back label says Rolling Green Hills Ltd which unusually has no presence online or on social media apart from this company profile on a website called Endole which lists one Dutch director and an unspecified shareholder. Rumour has it that it’s under the same ownership as Nyetimber which would account for the quality. They’re certainly being very coy about it if it is.

Although it’s only been aged for 2 years it’s appetisingly rich and toasty and, along with the vintage bottling has picked up a silver medal in his year's Decanter World Wine Awards.

They recommend you drink it with Dover sole meunière with which it would undoubtedly be delicious but which I suspect few households rustle up on a Friday night. Roast chicken is the other suggestion - a good one - as would be fishcakes or fish and chips.

The only downside - and this may strike you as a plus or a drawback depending on your political standpoint is the somewhat jingoistic label. A Union Jack imposed on another Union Jack. It’s a thing, seemingly. The new Mini’s rear lights are also designed to look like the British flag. But if you like good bubbly and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on it it’s an excellent buy.

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Tags: Morrisons drink:champagne & sparkling English sparkling wine

Comments: 4 (Add)

Lester May on August 20 2023 at 16:04

The Union Jack - aka Union Flag - is nought to do with politics. It is the flag of the United Kingdom and that's it. It's not jingoistic to fly the flag. The remarks in the wine notes are plain silly and, frankly, somewhat insulting. Like many in HM Armed Forces, I served and was prepared to die for Crown and Country (happily the one war in which I was involved was a resounding victory and met with much public approbation - and I did not die!). It is hugely irritating to read nonsense about jingoism relative to the flag of my country.

On the matter of this wine. Sainsbury's produced a bottle of English Sparkling Wine, with a blue and gold label, and it was on sale in the run up to the Coronation. Oops, I am probably being jingoistic mentioning the Coronation! This, too, is produced by Rolling Green Hills of Sackville Street and it's irritating that no winemaker proper is named on the label - the only geographical information provided is that it's from grapes in prime vineyard sites across Southern England. Bo longer available, I bought a few bottles at £14 three weeks ago - reduced from about £22 I think (the wine is no longer on sale). I have not yet opened a bottle but it may well be exactly the same as that sold by Morrison's but with a different label.

Ian Brown on July 2 2021 at 21:18

There is no evidence at Companies House that shows Eric Heerema controls Rolling Hills Green Ltd. This wine may be made by Nyetimber but atm it is mere speculation.

Fiona Beckett on July 19 2019 at 18:02

Good detective work, Toby ðŸ˜‰

Toby on July 19 2019 at 17:51

Hi Fiona, Rolling Green Hills Ltd is controlled by Eric Niels Heerema https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/11759863/filing-history
So yes, looks like it's made by Nyetimber (unless he has interests in other English wineries) https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/i21qSTIToXU5gbDbPaS1yyHkCvM/appointments
Rgs, Toby

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