While its flagship vintage rosé has secured Hush Heath a firm place among England’s top wine producers, the estate introduced a second tier of traditional method sparkling wine. This pair of non-vintage wines, a rosé and a white, appear under the ‘1503’ label, reference the date when the estate’s historic manor house was built. Made from the property’s younger vineyards and with a fresher, aperitif style in mind, this offers a very approachable yet still refined English fizz experience.
The fruit was harvested throughout October and the grapes were destemmed then whole-berry pressed to stainless steel tanks. Fermentation was inoculated with a house-specific strain and fermented at a cool temperature, preserving the vibrant fruit notes. Malolactic fermentation occurred simultaneously with primary fermentation. Prior to the wine being bottled a small amount of still Pinot Noir is added for color. The wine was bottled and hit with the liqueur de tirage to the optimum potential pressure as dictated by Victoria, the winemaker. Following a minimum of 12 months on lees the wine is disgorged and hit with another small addition of Pinot Noir and a 15 gram dosage. The wine is bottled to order for freshness.