Winemaker Notes
A light golden color with a fine, persistent mousse. Citrus fruit aromas with hints of melon and honey. Chardonnay dominance brings finesse, along with crisp freshness. The Pinots add depth and character leading to a beautifully balanced finish. Will age gracefully over time as the Chardonnay matures.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Green apple and greengage on the nose turn into white peach and lemon on the palate. The mousse is frothy and lively and there is a wonderful depth to these tart fruit flavors that takes you to juicy, green pastures and white blossom. Glints of green apple flash at every corner and adorn the admirably dry finish. This echoes long and leaves the palate wonderfully clean.
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Wine & Spirits
Chardonnay dominates this blend with pinot noir and meunier, providing a richer wine than Ridgeview’s Cavendish, big and leesy, with fleshiness to its fruit. The autolysis lends a toasty pastry-crust note while the savory chardonnay spice brings to mind fennel seeds and meaty stock. It’s substantial enough for braised rabbit or hare.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
The limestone soils of England’s southern end have proven ideal for the production of British sparkling wine. While it might seem too damp and cold for grape growing in England, recent warm summers and the onset of global warming signify great future growth for the British wine industry.