Nyetimber is the standard-bearer of English sparkling wine — a South Downs estate whose history reaches back to the Domesday Book (1086) and whose modern reputation began in 1988, when the first plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were set with one ambition: to make world-class, traditional-method sparkling wine in England.
The turning point came in the 2000s under owner Eric Heerema (from 2006) and the winemaking partnership of Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix. Their decision to work exclusively with estate-grown fruit set Nyetimber apart; the estate now farms a patchwork of south-facing vineyards across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, rooted in chalk and greensand that mirror the geology of Champagne. Long, cool growing seasons bring slow ripening, fine acidity and detailed flavour — the building blocks of serious sparkling wine.
Winemaking is painstaking and classical: hand harvest, gentle whole-bunch pressing, base wines kept separate by parcel, and secondary fermentation in bottle with extended lees ageing (typically 3–5 years, often longer for prestige cuvées). Reserve wines are used for multi-vintage blends to maintain house style, but each bottling seeks precision over power.
The range is anchored by Classic Cuvée (multi-vintage) and Rosé, alongside a Blanc de Blancs in standout years and the single-vineyard Tillington (Pinot-forward, from a site in West Sussex). At the summit sits 1086, Nyetimber’s prestige cuvée, released only in exceptional vintages. A demi-sec style, Cuvée Chérie, showcases the estate’s finesse at slightly higher dosage.
Recognition has followed: Nyetimber helped prove that England can produce sparkling wines of international calibre, and in 2018 Cherie Spriggs was named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year — the first time the award went to a winemaker outside Champagne and the first time to a woman. Today, with mature vines, exacting viticulture and a patient cellar, Nyetimber continues to define the modern English style: ripe but restrained fruit, chalk-tinged freshness, fine mousse and real longevity.
