Gusbourne

The Gusbourne estate’s legacy reaches back centuries – records trace the estate name to 1410 when the land was held by John de Goosebourne. The modern winery adopted the goose motif in its branding, echoing the original Goosebourne crest (featuring three geese) and the “bourne” (stream) character of the land. 

In 2004, South African-born Andrew Weeber acquired the estate and initiated its transformation as a sparkling wine producer. The vision was ambitious: to craft English sparkling wines capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the very best from global regions. They released their debut vintage – Brut Reserve 2006 and Blanc de Blancs 2006 – in 2010. These early wines earned immediate acclaim and set the tone for the estate’s pursuit of excellence. 

Gusbourne is resolutely estate-based: they source 100% of their fruit from vineyards they own and manage. Currently they own 16 vineyards spanning about 90 hectares (Kent and West Sussex). Kent (Appledore region) soils of Wealden clay and Tunbridge Wells sand, nutrient rich, and excellent at retaining water and heat, contributing to body and ripeness of fruit. West Sussex (adjacent to Goodwood Estate) sites on chalk, clay loam, and flint, providing a complementary mineral-driven profile to contrast the Kent expression. 

Gusbourne favours Burgundian clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, the three classic Champagne varieties. Though these clones yield lower volumes, they produce intensely flavourful fruit, ideal for premium sparkling wine production. 

Their vineyard approach is purposefully low-intervention and sustainable: hand pruning, careful canopy management, biodiversity, and soil health are central. Only the very best fruit is harvested, always by hand, and only ideal parcels proceed to the winemaking stage. 

From grape to bottle, Gusbourne pursues precision, patience and personality: all the wines are vintage-dated, they employ the méthode traditionelle including extended lees ageing to deepen complexity. Blending is approached with care. They are the only three-time winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the Year title, their wines regularly receive medals and high scores in leading competitions.