Stockist/Retailer: sugruesouthdowns.com

(2026) Well, this is undeniably delicious and fine. The 12th release from Dermot Sugrue's own operation, farming 20-year-old vines in Sussex, it is 60% Pinot and 40% Chardonnay, and 40% of the base wine was fermented in French oak barriques and older, 600-litre demi-muids. It then had 32 months on the lees. Pale lemon/straw with copious minuscule bubbles, aromas are captivating, spanning a hint of toast and Brazil nut, fresh ceps, and an airy, light but nutty russet apple. There is an ozone and mineral salts freshness too. In the mouth, the wine burst with ripe, exuberant and sweet fruit. It's not sugar, this bottled with just 6g/l dosage, but it is fruity to its core, without sacrificing elegance or vivacious punch. So much dazzling, saline acidity and that bready, nutty hint of richer depth beneath the rippling surface. Fabulous.

(2026)

Irreverent is the word I guess, for this new wine from Dermot and Ana Sugrue, its punk-inspired label bearing its full title: 'Never Mind The Gamay; Here's The Pinot Meunier'. So the nod to the wines of Beaujolais and the Loire is obvious, signalling a wine that will major on juicy fruit expression, though ageing in a combination of various sizes of American and French oak barrels adds a level of seriousness and complexity.

In fact the wine does contain a touch of Gamay, but 97% is Pinot Meunier from a vineyard planted by Sugrue and hop- and grape-grower Chris Nichols, that would normally be destined for sparkling wine. But 2025's conditions led to ripeness described by Dermot Sugrue as a 'once-in-a-generation unicorn' vintage. There is a little earthiness and roasted chestnut on the nose, a touch of leafiness, and plenty of spicy red berry fruit. In the mouth the exuberance of the fruit bursts through: juicy cherry flesh and drier, earthy redcurrant, but modest tannins, a coffeeish oak background and lip-smacking acidity give it immense, easy drinkability. Only 3,000 bottles were produced and half of those have already gone, so if you are a Cru Beaujolais fan who fancies something quirky, different and delicious, get on board.

(2025) Only 500 bottles of this utterly convincing Pinot Noir are available, on sale to waiting list customers from 24th October 2025. From the Mason's Point Vineyard in the Crouch Valley, planted on blue clay, it also comes from the exceptional 2022 vintage of record-breaking temperatures. It spent 14 months in new oak, then rested another 22 months before release. It is superbly ripe. Immediately, it is all about glossy, deep black cherry running into bittersweet damson plum. The oak sits lightly, but adds a little balsamic note, hints of truffle and peppercorn add interest. In the mouth it is smooth, juicy and has plush ripeness, then something cool and mineral kicks in, again cherry springs to mind with svelte tannins and pert, pretty acidity extending the finish.

(2025) Ace English wine maker Dermot Sugrue and his wife have released this barrel-fermented and aged saignée of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from the excellet 2023 vintage. Much darker than is fashionable, bronze-to-cherry in colour, with small red berries like redcurrant and cranberry. In the mouth it is textured, dry, the intense red berry character continuing yet given real zip with a saline tang to the acidity and the merest squeak of oak tannin adding some earthy depth. Very good. Noodles, by the way, is their dearly departed lurcher.

(2024) The first still wine from sparkling wine maestro Dermot Sugrue and his wife Ana is as quirky as its name. It is in fact the first issue of a solera of Chardonnay, the 2022 component aged in small barrels, the 2023 in large barrels, with a proportion made in an oxidative style. It displays a flinty, herbal character but elegantly smoothed by almond and creamy ripe, honeyed apple. The palate shimmers with vibrant sherbet lemon and ripe grapefruity vivaciousness. It has a flinty drive and freshess, a bittersweet ripple of citrus, the finish long and intense like a blood orange straight from the freezer.