Balfour Winery, Hush Heath Estate, Brut Rosé, Kent, England 2017

English sparkling wine is never going to compete on price with other Champagne alternatives, priced at essentially the same level as its French counterpart. But quality is so high these days that the premium price tags are very often justified – as here. Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn planted their first vines nearly 20 years ago on the Hush Heath Estate in the Kent countryside, and opened their winery on site in 2010. This rosé from the frost-affected and late-ripening 2017 vintage is a blend of 52% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Meunier, made in a fruit-forward style with no malolactic fermentation and 35 months on lees. The colour is very pale, almost onion-skin in colour, belying the weight of ripe red summer fruit there. Crisp acidity keeps it fresh, and there's a long, spicy finish.