How well does English fizz age?

Ridgeview could be described as the granddaddy of English sparkling-wine producers. The other long-standing Sussex producer Nyetimber may have produced the first eye-catching English ripostes to champagne but, thanks to a series of owners, it has had a somewhat chequered history. (It is great to see the steady commitment of owner Eric Heerema and winemaker Cherie Spriggs in the current era.) 

But Ridgeview of Ditchling has been owned and run by the Roberts family throughout its impressive 20-year history and Mike Roberts, who died late last year, was in many ways the figurehead of the English sparkling-wine business. Many...