Winemaker Notes
Three Graces is Chapel Down’s Vintage expression, named after the three grape varieties composing it: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Complex aromas of ripe apple, red berries and brioche are followed by a rich palate with fantastic length and persistent bubbles.
This wine pairs perfectly with shellfish and light brunch options. A great alternative to vintage champagne.
Blend: 60% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir, 9% Pinot Meunier
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apple notes combine with lemon to present a nose of vivid freshness. The palate comes in with generous creaminess that showcases notes of lemon-drizzled brioche. Vivid freshness and mellow autolysis make for a vivid, creamy, smooth, dry finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Brut Three Graces is showing well, unfurling in the glass with notes of citrus zest, honeycomb, dried white flowers and crisp green orchard fruit. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a charming core of fruit, lively acids and a chalky finish, it's complemented by a youthfully frothy mousse.
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.