BLACK CHALK
2021 Wild Rose
Grapes | Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay |
Colour | Rosé |
Origin | United Kingdom, English Sparkling Wine |
ABV | 12.5% |
Full bottle 1,616 g. 55% Pinot Noir, 31% Pinot Meunier, 14% Chardonnay. TA 8.3 g/l, dosage 5.2 g/l. 22 months sur lattes. This really does smell like the English heirloom apple Worcester Pearmain, which is deep-blush red and smells (and tastes) like raspberry-soaked apples – apple raspberries. Leadley and Driver have got the dosage just right. Just enough sweetness to uplight the fruit. Just enough to bring a strawberries-and-cream, Eton-mess indulgence to the wine. The bubbles are super-fine and there are faint acciaccatura crush notes of angelica, tarragon and nigella. Silken. Drinking range: 2024 - 2030 Rating: 17 Tamlyn Currin - www.JancisRobinson.com (Sept 2024)
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*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
Always Meunier led, and blended in the dark so the team aren't dictated by creating the perfect rosé colour. That said, it's a gorgeous and delicate colour. The nose is remarkable, so pretty - tea roses (the titular Wild Rose indeed!), mulchy strawberries and plum skins. The palate is so pure, the fruit is incredible with the weight of the 2020 vintage, but with this incredible long salty lick running through the core. Simply fabulous, either for aperitifs or as a partner for slightly spiced food. L&S (Sep 2024)
Alcohol 12.5% Total Acidity 8.1g/l Dosage 10g/l
Pair With Sashimi, maki, soy + ginger Charcuterie meats + cheeses Spicy lamb koftas + flatbreads Burrata + tomato salad
42% Pinot Meunier 41% Pinot Noir 17% Chardonnay
Vintage Report 2021 was a difficult year all round for growing grapes in England; there were several frost events around bud burst in April, and flowering and fruit set was challenging with the weather being wet and cool. August was consistently overcast and humid, bringing enormous disease pressure, but fortunately September and October were warmer and dryer, saving the season. Harvest was much later than usual and yields were down, but the very long and cool growing season meant that the fruit, particularly the Pinots, were some of the best we have seen to date – delicate, pure, and elegant.
Tasting Notes Our Wild Rose is a delicate pale pink sparkling, with a delightful perfume of soft red fruits which really showcase the purity of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier used in the blend. The palate is fruit forward and carries the weight of the ripeness of the 2020 vintage, with sweet red apple skins and super ripe orchard fruits on the finish. It’s a classy and complex sparkler. A sophisticated wine calls for a sophisticated pairing, try Wild Rose with Sashimi and Maki with salty soy dip and plenty of ginger. Great with charcuterie meats and cheese platters or for an everyday pairing, try spicy lamb koftas flatbreads with a cooling burrata and tomato salad.Winemaker's notes (Sep 2024)
Black Chalk
Black Chalk is the passion project of Jacob Leadley. Started in 2015, who started making wines in this beautiful corner of the Test Valley in Hampshire when he was still making wine at Hattingley. The first wines were released in 2018, and in 2020 his assistant at Hattingley, Zoe Driver, joined him and they've never looked back
Here, they are making some of the most exciting wines in England, in a meticulous and charmingly nerdy fashion. Across the 4 vineyards they own, they are working with 34 clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Précoce, and Pinot Gris, each with their own profile. However, most important of all is the solid chalk found beneath the shallow soils here. Many fishermen will recognise the Test Valley, famed for its chalk streams, but this great hunk of chalk beneath the vineyards is key to the purity and precision found in these wines.
We are incredibly excited to be working with these elegant, unique wines, made by a small but incredibly passionate team.
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