EverflyhtRosedeSaignee2019

Sam and Ben Ellis founded Everflyht Vineyard in 2015, coming from a background in modern property development.The estate is ten hectares with three hectares planted in 2016 of the classic varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. In 2021 an additional 3.8 hectares were planted. The young vines produced a small crop in 2018 and this wine was kept as reserve wine to be blended with the wines from the 2019 harvest to create their first non vintage blend based on 2019 blended with the wines from the first vintage. rrEverflyht Rose de Saignée 2019 is a blend of Pinot Noir and Meunier; hand-picked from our single estate vineyard. The wine reflects our idea of field to bottle where the grapes are picked together and handcrafted in the winery. This produces a wine that tells the story of not just the vintage but of the varieties as well. This is the first single estate sparkling wine to be produced at Everflyht and the future is very bright when their first releases are so good.rrThe Saignée method of rosé production is more complicated than adding red wine into the blend, it extracts colour from a short period of skin contact, in this 1st release just 12 hours was enough to get the colour and richness of fruit. rrWeather in 2019: A mixed season but in the end the quality shone though, bud burst was normal in time, mid-April and was largely unaffected by frost. Flowering was positive with warm bright days during July and August. Veraison was in full flow by September which was cooler than normal this allowed for a longer and gentle ripening period which meant the skins were given time to gain a fantastic deep colour and phenolic profile that come harvest would translate into this elegant wine which reflects the grape blend and vintage.rrTechnical Information:rGrape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir & 40% MeunierrRegion: Ditchling, East SussexrVineyard: EverflyhtrBottling Date: 2nd September 2020rDisgorged: 2nd March 2022rLees Ageing: 18 MonthsrDosage: 6 g/lrTA: 6.5g/lrABV: 12%rpH: 3.36rDrink: Now to 5 yearsrrTasting Note:The nose is full of ripe cherry with soft undertones of strawberry and raspberry in the mid profile. Complexity and structure round off the profile with cream, butter, and fresh brioche note. The palate is fruit driven with notes of ripe red cherry and sweet wild strawberry with a soft backbone of patisserie like richness.Richness yet a delicacy! One of the best English Sparking Rose I have tasted! rrWatch Richard Bampfield MW & Nick’s video tasting review of this English Sparkling here.