Simpsons Wine Estate – ‘White Cliffs’ Blanc de Blancs – 2019

PRODUCER NOTE:
Charles and Ruth Simpson have been making award-winning wines in the South of France since 2002. In 2012, attracted by the quality of the terroir and the opportunity to become part of one of the most dynamic wine producing regions in the world, they brought their expertise back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate. Aspiring to produce the finest quality English wine, they gradually planted 30 hectares of vineyards on the iconic chalk terroir of the North Downs and built a state-of-the-art winery. They are members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain. In 2016, the Simpsons saw their first harvest. With a strong focus on provenance, they produce a highly acclaimed range of exclusively estate-grown still and sparkling wines, including the Chalklands Classic Cuvée 2016, which won a gold medal in the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

VINEYARD:
Simpsons Wine Estate is situated in the Elham Valley; an unspoilt seam in the North Downs of Kent where the contours of the land, the climate and the soil are excellent for viticulture. The intensely lime-rich chalk soil forms part of the same chalk ridge that stretches from southern England through the Champagne region. The Guyot trained vines are planted at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare with a range of both sparkling and Burgundian clones on either Fercal or 41B rootstocks. Yielding 60 hectolitres per hectare, they are grown on south facing slopes, ensuring heat accumulation in the day and cold air drainage at night. The vineyard is less than eight miles from the coast, providing a crucial maritime influence insulating the fruit against intense temperature variations. Pruning and harvesting takes place by hand and they are signed up to the WineGB’s Sustainability Scheme.

WINEMAKING:
The estate-grown grapes were hand-picked over a two week period and the grapes from two different sparkling clones were vinified separately. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild and selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks, at controlled temperatures of 14 to 16°C. Malolactic conversion took place and the wines spent three months in stainless steel tanks ageing on light lees. After a series of tastings, the wines were blended, filtered and bottled to undergo the ‘prise de mousse’. Following the bottle fermentation, the wine spent 36 months ageing on the lees.

TASTING NOTE:
Classic, vibrant aromas of citrus and green apple are balanced with subtle brioche notes and distinctive English minerality and finesse.

GRAPE:
Chardonnay 100%.

COUNTRY:
England

REGION:
Kent

SUB-REGION:
Kent