Goring Wiston Estate – Blanc de Blancs ‘Family Release’, South Downs – NV

PRODUCER NOTE:
Nestled in the heart of England’s rolling South Downs in West Sussex, the Goring Family has owned the Wiston Estate since 1743. The Goring Brut, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs take their name from the Goring family. This exquisite trio of English sparkling wines showcase the best of English terroir and offer exceptional value for money.

VINEYARD:
The fruit comes from two vineyards situated on the South Downs in West Sussex, which are above the 50th parallel and are influenced by a cool, coastal climate. The cool winters, moderate rainfall and temperate summers, combined with cooling sea breezes encourage the grapes to ripen slowly, retaining the natural acidity crucial for producing freshness in high quality sparkling wine. The vines are grown on a chalk escarpment, which is not dissimilar to the soils found in the vineyards of the Côtes de Blancs in Champagne. These chalky soils provide excellent drainage for the vines, as well as imparting great elegance and finesse to the wines. The vines are planted at a density of 4,000 vines per hectare and are trained according to the Vertical Shoot Positioning method, with Guyot pruning. The vines are tended by hand, with careful canopy management ensuring maximum sunlight exposure in this capricious climate. The Wiston vineyard is run according to a strict philosophy of sustainability. Manually harvested at optimum maturity.

WINEMAKING:
The grapes were pressed in whole bunches using a traditional, gentle Coquard basket press in order to preserve the delicate fruit flavours and aromas in the juice. Vinified using the traditional method, the juice was fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts. Each component of the final assemblage wine went through malolactic fermentation and was allowed to rest on its lees for nine months imparting structure and complexity. After blending, cold stabilisation and bottling, the wine underwent a slow secondary fermentation. It was then kept on its side, under crown cap at cool temperatures of 9 to 11°C for almost three years on its fine lees, while it matured and took on flavour and structure through the process of autolysis. To preserve the natural poise and balance a dosage of 9g/l was added.

TASTING NOTE:
An elegant and complex expression of the exceptional chalky terroir from which it hails, it has delicious notes of grapefruit, lemon zest, orange blossom and crushed oyster shells complemented by a racy acidity.

GRAPE:
Chardonnay 100%.

COUNTRY:
England

REGION:
Sussex

SUB-REGION:
South Downs