Simpsons Canterbury Rose Sparkling

AA3297

Wine information

Vintage - 2018

Country - Great Britain

Region - Kent

Grape Varieties - Pinot Noir 100%

Alcohol by volume - 12.5%

Bottle - 75cl

Producer - Simpsons Wine Estate

Tasting notes - An elegant sparkling rosé delicate honeysuckle and fresh raspberry sorbet nose, illustrating finesse and balance. On the palate, notes of exotic fruits; wild strawberry and smooth lychee are balanced with tangy lime through to a clean, complex finish.

ProducerNote

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 planted 30 hectares of vineyards on the

iconic chalk terroir of the North Downs and built a state-of-the-art gravity fed winery. 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.

Vintage

Following the frost-reduced crop of 2017, the vines carried over pent up energy into

2018 which combined with the long, warm and sunny growing season, resulted in

generous ripe fruit flavours with great intensity and good crop levels. Perfect vintage.

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 Champagne and on to Burgundy. The

grapes come from the Roman Road vineyard, where the Guyot trained vines are

trained on vertical foliage wires to help with canopy management. The vines are

planted at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare with a range of sparkling or Burgundian

clones on either Fercal or 41B rootstocks. 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. Grass cover crops between the rows

encourage biodiversity within the vineyard. Pruning and harvesting takes place by

hand and they are signed up to the WineGB’s Sustainability Scheme.