The Lyme Bay Brut Reserve has a clean nose, fresh apples and fresh cobnuts come to mind, with a light bready hint. The palate is light and fresh and clean. There is a lively mousse, a citrus streak and notes of green apples. This is not a heavy wine, its joy comes in its lightness, it brightens up the palate, revives and refreshes. Whilst the wine has a number of years in bottle it remains vibrant and lively. This is a perfect aperitif, dry with a merest hint of sweetness, a true palate arouser. No need for food partners with this wine, simply pour and enjoy. The Lyme Bay Winery lies in the heart of Devon and has been producing wines since the 1990s but began growing grapes in 2009 when two plots of land were planted up at 2009 in Watchcombe and Southcote. The operation produces grape wine, fruit wine, cider and mead but the future may well be led by the wine side. The vineyards owned by Lyme Bay are relatively small so they buy in fruit from quality focussed growers in the south of England. However, the wine we have selected for the latest curation is made from fruit grown at Southcote and is made using the variety Seyval Blanc. This variety was planted in England by some of the early pioneers of viticulture. It performs well in the cool and relatively humid condition of the UK. It can make both still and sparkling wine and ages very well. The wine is made in the traditional method so the second fermentation takes place in the bottle which allows an extended contact with the spent yeast cells or lees. The longer the wine sits on the lees the greater the additional texture and flavour will be. Â