County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month May 2025

Tickerage Classic Cuvee 2018 Extra Brut

May’s wine choice is a small batch producer called Tickerage, located just outside the village of Blackboys in East Sussex. The estate is owned and managed by Anthony and Zena Budd, who make a range of excellent still and sparkling wines as well as sparkling ciders.

They are a small, family-owned vineyard in East Sussex. It’s a stunning spot to visit and grow wine.

Nestled on five acres of north-facing slopes at the edge of the Sussex Weald, they embrace a unique approach to winemaking. In May 2007 they planted their first vines, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. While they knew this would lead to many years of hard work, they were ready to embark on this journey with passion and dedication. They live on-site and have a hands-on and sustainable approach to wine making.

About the wine – the winemaker’s comments

This 2018 Classic Cuvée, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It showcases pale gold colour with aromas of citrus zest and orchard fruits. The flavours include crisp apple, baked pear, almond notes, with hints of brioche and mineral freshness. Aged over five years, it boasts vibrant acidity and a creamy finish.

In 2018, we enjoyed a perfect growing season with warmth and sunshine, ideal for ripening the grapes in our Classic Cuvée blend. Made using the traditional method and disgorged after more than 5 years on its lees, this wine perfectly showcases the conditions of an outstanding vintage.

5,695 bottles of this wine were produced.

65% Chardonnay

33% Pinot Noir

2% Pinot Meunier

Extra Brut – Dosage: 4.5g/L

It is 12% volume of alcohol and is Vegan friendly

Michael’s comments

For me, having the best harvest in a generation from the 2018 vintage, has produced a wonderful English wine with lots of natural sweetness from the grapes which means they were able to launch this as a Extra Brut which means slightly less sugar than a standard Brut English sparkling wine or Champagne. For this wine, we have the apple synonymous with English sparkling wine but then the richness of the fully ripened grapes followed by the complexity of five years of lees ageing in the cellar. A wonderful wine, perfect for this spring sunny weather. I would also recommend a tour of the vineyard as well as a full tasting experience which can be booked online.

Where to buy

This wine retails at £38 a bottle at local wine merchants and can also be purchased directly from the vineyard at https://www.tickeragewine.co.uk/shop-core/bottles/classic-cuvee

Written for County Business Club by Michael Yeoman, English Wine Specialist and producer of Spirit of the Downs, award winning local artisan Sussex brandies, grape vodka and Boosy Barista coffee liqueur in Bolney.