Description

PRODUCER NOTE:
Blackbook Winery is an urban winery located in a railway arch in Battersea, South London. Their philosophy is simple: blending tradition with innovation. The grapes are sourced from carefully selected growers, who have vineyards within hours of the city and high-quality grapes. Blackbook endeavours to bring the hard work of the vineyard owners to the forefront, by creating a range of single vineyard wines that showcase the quality and potential of producing world-class still wine in England. Focussing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Blackbook uses a minimalist approach, with low to zero sulphur and natural yeasts, as they seek to reflect the vibrancy, culture and energy of London in their wines.

Vintage
2021 was an unusually cold vintage with multiple frost episodes during May and early June, resulting a delayed season. This was coupled with a cold and wet growing season. The harvest was one of the latest in recent memory with the first grapes arriving to the winery in late October and the last arriving close to the third week of October. The colder-than-average season resulted in lower alcohol wines with beautiful tension.

Vineyard
The Mix Up Volume IV is a blend made up of Müller-Thurgau and Reichenstiener varieties. The vines for this wine are grown in the single vineyard of ‘Mersea Island’ in Essex. This easterly part of England is producing some excellent fruit due to the warm, sunny and dry microclimate that yields high quality grapes with naturally high sugar. The grapes are harvested by hand at optimal maturity.

Winemaking
The Müller-Thurgau and Reichenstiener varieties were vinified separately. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed into varying sizes of Burgundy barrels and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wines spent seven months in previously used French oak, for subtle complexity. Maturation took place on the gross lees, adding texture and volume to the palate; the two wines were then blended and bottled.

TASTING NOTE:
The Mix-Up Volume IV is an aromatic wine with subtle vanilla, floral, ginger root and English garden herbs. The refreshing and textured palate offers ripe stone fruits, hints of citrus zest through to a crisp finish.

GRAPE:
Müller-Thurgau 60%, Reichensteiner 40%.

COUNTRY:
England

REGION:
English Regional Wine

SUB-REGION:
English Regional Wine