Part of my job is putting a glass of Cuvée Edition 3 into someone’s hand and then saying nothing at all. You learn quickly that the wine argues its own case far better than I can.
Every so often, someone else makes the case for you. Sussex Business Times has named Everflyht Brut Cuvée Edition 3 NV its Wine of the Month for July 2026, with the tasting note written by Michael Yeoman, the English wine specialist behind Spirit of the Downs at Bolney. Someone who tastes a great deal of English sparkling wine, and who was under no obligation to be kind about ours.
What Michael found in the glass
The note describes a refined yellow gold in the glass, bright and polished, with the look of a wine that has spent real time on its lees. On the nose, crisp apple and zesty citrus first, then brioche and a gentle toastiness underneath. A note of golden syrup for warmth. Then red orchard fruit, which is the part I always wait for people to notice.
On the palate, vibrant citrus, a mouth watering acidity that lifts the whole thing, and fine persistent bubbles that give it that silky feel. There is a subtle tannic structure in there too, drawn from the small proportion of oak aged wine in the blend. It adds depth without ever announcing itself.
The conclusion is the line I have been quoting to visitors ever since:
“What truly distinguishes this cuvée is its intensity of red fruit, a characteristic not often seen in vintage English sparkling wines, never mind Non Vintage. The finish is long, rich and deeply satisfying.”
The note signs off by doffing a cap to Sam and Ben. I will let that one speak for itself.
The blend behind the note
None of this is accidental. Cuvée Edition 3 is built on the 2021 base vintage, with eleven percent reserve wine from 2018, 2019 and 2020 folded in to give it continuity and depth. It then spends three years ageing on its lees, which is where the brioche and the toast come from.
That reserve component is the quiet workhorse of the blend. It is how a non vintage wine keeps a recognisable character from one edition to the next while still tasting like the year it came from. The red fruit Michael picked up is our Pinot Noir and Meunier showing what our corner of the South Downs can do on a good year.
What to eat with it
The note suggests pairing it with dishes that balance richness and freshness, and I would agree with every one of those picks. Smoked salmon with lemon crème fraîche. Roast chicken with herbs. A lightly spiced crab dish. Its acidity and texture also make it an excellent companion to soft cheeses, so Brie or a good goats cheese will do nicely.
My own addition, for what it is worth. Try it with something fried and salty at the start of an evening. Bubbles and salt is an old trick and it still works.
A good few months for this bottle
The Wine of the Month feature lands not long after Cuvée Edition 3 was crowned English Sparkling NV Trophy winner at the 2026 International Wine Challenge, where it was judged blind and awarded 95 points. The IWC judges called it “taut and focused with lively lemony fruit and subtle toasty depth.”
Two very different sets of palates, tasting months apart, arriving in more or less the same place. That is the part that means something to the team here. Not the medals as such, but the fact that the wine reads the same way to everyone who picks up a glass.
Try it yourself
Cuvée Edition 3 is available now from the estate and from selected local and online retailers, from £30 for a 70cl bottle. Supply is limited, as it always is with a small single vineyard release.
If you would rather taste it where it was made, come and find us in the vines. I am usually the one pouring.
Shop Cuvée Edition 3 or book a visit
Read the full review in the Sussex Business Times Wine of the Month feature, July 2026.
