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Balfour

‘1503’ Rosé

Extra-Dry   |   England
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

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.

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: 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
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • Residual Sugar: 12 g/L
  • pH: 3.16
  • Total Acidity: 7.2 g/L
  • Total Production: 2,083 cases
  • UPC: 6060056540757

Tasting Note

Delicate rose petal pink color with a nose of bright citrus, wild strawberry and dried herbs. The palate is full of refined red berry fruit, pink grapefruit and lively acidity balanced with a touch of sweetness on the finish. This wine can be enjoyed as an aperitif but also stands up well to robust food pairings as well.

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

Producer


Balfour

Country


England

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