2018 Rathfinny, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Sussex, England
About this WINE
Rathfinny
Rathfinny Wine Estate is a vineyard and winery in Sussex, England. The first vines were planted in 2012 by owners Mark and Sarah Driver, who bought the property (then a farm growing cereals) in 2010. The estate sits on a south-facing slope of chalk soils in the South Downs, just three miles from the English Channel. Rathfinny produces a range of vintage-only English sparkling wines using the traditional method.
Sussex
Located in southern England, Sussex has emerged as a promising region for wine production in recent years.
The country's cool climate and chalky soil, reminiscent of the renowned Champagne region in France, have created favourable conditions for vineyards to flourish.
Winemaking in Sussex focuses on sparkling wines made from traditional methods using classic grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
The summer of 2018 was excellent in the UK, yielding brilliant fruit and giving a sunny disposition to this wonderful English sparkling wine. The South Downs National Park, where these grapes are grown, has soils of clay loam over free-draining chalk. This lends mineral definition to this celebration of British Chardonnay. The nose is super attractive, with notes of pear and hedgerow. The palate is defined by a chalky mineral core with crunchy, all-butter shortbread and fruity notes of kiwi and Granny Smith apple.
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2023)
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