Rosé

Brut | England

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About

The flagship expression Balfour Brut Rosé has helped put this producer firmly on the English wine map, winning a Decanter Gold Medal in 2013 and being regularly served on the Orient Express and British Airways First Class flights, as well as being chosen as the only English wine to be served at the London 2012 Olympics. This single-block wine is the ‘tête de cuvée’ for the Estate and a wine the Balfours are incredibly proud of, and with good reason. Jancis Robinson called 2018 “England’s miracle vintage.” Balfour calls it “one of the best years in English viticultural history.” Indeed, a record number of healthy, ripe grapes were produced, thanks to a warmer than average growing season.

Grapes for this wine were hand-picked from the Oast House Meadow block. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed to specially designed conical stainless-steel tanks for primary fermentation at a cool 60ºF. Wanting to maintain the maximum tension with the plan of extended lees maturation, malolactic fermentation was blocked as the wine was quickly racked off of the lees. After a month post-ferment in tank the blend was assembled and the wine was bottled. Frequent riddling was employed and following four years on lees the wine was disgorged and hit with a small 5-ish gram dosage and addition of a light amount of still Pinot Noir.

Stats

Grapes: 42% Pinot Noir - 30% Pinot Meunier - 28% Chardonnay
Vineyard: The Hush Heath Estate – Oast House Meadow block
Vine Age: 21-years-old
Soil Type: Wealden clay over Tunbridge Wells sand
Viticulture: Sustainable – dry-farmed
Fermentation: Inoculated – stainless-steel
Skin Contact: None
Aging: Primary: 4 months in stainless-steel Secondary: 48 months in bottle
Alcohol: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 5.6 g/L
pH: 2.92
Total Acidity: 9 g/L
Total Production: 1,250 cases
UPC: 5060056540306

Tasting Note

More cranberry than strawberry, this is classic Balfour; dry, precise and powerful. Richer than some of its predecessors, the 2018 reflects one of the best years in English viticultural history. A complex wine that is more than just primary fruit, there are notes of burnt orange combined with a wonderful herbaceous note on the finish.

Press & Reviews

Decanter

93

"A great vintage that has seen exceptionally ripe fruits and an early harvest, with acidity level sits at 7g/l, lower than this wine's average. The percentage of Pinot Meunier (30%), on the other hand, is higher than usual. The nose is honeyed and aromatic, with blossom, yellow apple, freshly-picked raspberry and candied orange slices. A ripe palate of acacia honey-glazed lemon, yellow apple and red berries, seasoned with a pinch of cinnamon. Lemon curd and lime zest on the finish. Will certainly gain more complexity and charm with longer ageing under the cork."

- Sylvia Wu

Jancis Robinson

16.5+

"42% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, 28% Chardonnay – more Meunier than usual partly because more has come on stream but also because they are impressed by its quality. Dosage 6g/l . This is the first year this long-lasting rosé is in brown glass.

A vertical tasting of this wine to celebrate Balfour's (previously Hush Heath's) 20th anniversary showed just how superbly this wine can age. (My favourite was the first vintage, 2004.) This 2018, much bluer and less orange than previous vintages, is really too young to enjoy at its peak. It's prettily perfumed, refreshingly well balanced and clearly very well made but is decidedly embryonic."

- Jancis Robinson

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