Simpsons gravel Castle Chardonnay
AA3298
Description
Wine information
Country - Great Britain
Region - Kent
Grape Varieties - Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol by volume - 12.5%
Bottle - 75cl
Producer - Simpsons Wine Estate
Tasting notes - A zesty, fruit-driven and unoaked Chardonnay displaying fresh, citrus aromas, refreshing tropical fruit flavours and a smooth, textured palate.
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
2020 saw a bright and sunny start to the growing season in late March and early April
that augured well, but unfortunately it was followed by a series of frosts that ultimately
reduced the crop. On the positive side, the remainder of the summer was relatively
sunny and warm with occasional rain. By harvest, the smaller crop levels and
favourable conditions resulted in high quality fruit bursting with intense flavours.
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 and on to Burgundy.
The Roman Road and Railway Hill vineyards are planted with Burgundian clones 96 and
548, at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare on either Fercal or 41B rootstocks. The
Guyot trained vines flourish on sloping, south facing vineyards, which ensure heat
accumulation during 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.
Delivery
£8.95Per UK Delivery Address - from 1 bottle upwards for orders under £250.
Orders are usually despatched within 24 hours, to arrive with UK customers within 3 working days. If an item is temporarily out of stock, we will notify you of the delay and you may consider the following options:
- We can despatch your order as soon as we receive new stock.
- Choose an alternative that we have in stock.
Saturday and a.m. delivery can be requested for an extra fee.
We can deliver to Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland. for an extra fee,
Free Click and Collect – Orders can be placed online or give us a call and we can get your order together ready for you to collect.
Any queries should be directed to the shop by telephone on 01522 544737 or email to enquiries@steephillwines.com.
Returns
Online and Mail Order Purchases
We hope that you will enjoy your Steep Hill Wines purchase, but if you find it unsuitable or you are not entirely satisfied, please ensure that you notify us 01522 544737 or by email at enquiries@steephillwines.com to enable us to process your return. All such notification should take place within 28 days, to enable us to accept them for a refund. Replacement or refund will not be made until the original item has been returned to us unused and undamaged in their original packaging.
We cannot give refunds in the following cases:
- Items returned after 28 days.
- Damaged items not notified by telephone to us within 3 days.
Goods returned are at your own expense. We recommend that you use Recorded Delivery or a Courier so that you have proof of despatch.