AMBRIEL SPARKLING
Charles and Wendy Outhwaite left high-powered professional careers in London (he was an investment banker, she a barrister) to settle in West Sussex in the heart of England’s Wine Country. They established Ambriel in 2007, joining the exploding English sparkling wine revolution. Critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic followed their first release and Ambriel has quickly become recognized as a quality leader. The wines are all made from hand-harvested estate grapes, grown in sloping, quick-draining and heat-retaining greensand soils overlooking the bucolic South Downs. These vineyards are planted to classic Champagne varietals, but on Burgundian clones. Winemaking features whole-cluster pressing of individual clones before fermentation in a mix of vessel types and blind blending to ensure that only the top barrels go in to the final, Ebulliently English product.
