Balfour

‘1503’ Rosé

Extra-Dry | England

Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

Balfour has a reputation for producing some of the country’s finest sparkling Rosés and 1503 Rosé is no exception. As with its sibling, 1503 Classic Cuvée (named for the year when the estate’s historic manor house was built), the emphasis on this wine is the purity and expression of Kentish fruit. 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 9 months on lees the wine was disgorged in November 2022. It was hit with another small addition of Pinot Noir and a 12 gram dosage. The wine is bottled to order for freshness.

Stats

Grapes: 62% Pinot Noir - 20% Chardonnay - 18% Pinot Meunier
Vineyard: The Hush Heath Estate – Oast House Meadow, Old Eight Acre, and Foxridge blocks
Vine Age: 5-15-years-old
Soil Type: Wealden clay over Tunbridge Wells sand
Viticulture: Sustainable – dry-farmed
Fermentation: Inoculated – stainless-steel
Skin Contact: None
Aging: Minimum 9 months in bottle on lees
Alcohol: 12%
Residual Sugar: 12 g/L
pH: 3.16
Total Acidity: 7.2 g/L
Total Production: 1,667 cases
UPC: 6060056540757

Tasting Note

Delicate rose petal pink. This traditional method sparkling rosé is bursting with strawberry and raspberry and is supported by herbal undertones. As with all the best English wines, the fresh acidity provides balance to the fruit while lees ageing adds a hint of brioche on the finish.

Press & Reviews

Wine Enthusiast

91

"Only the merest touch of citrus zest appears on the wine's nose, which does not want to give much away. The palate then adds a kind of powdery, buffered red apple fruit to the vivid, pervasive freshness. All about this is slender, taut, brisk and oh so fresh. The finish is dry and moreish with more of that citrus pithiness."
- Anne Krebiehl, MW

Select a wine

Producer

Balfour

Country

England

Select another wine