Established in 2010 the Rathfinny Wine Estate, near Alfriston in the South Downs of Sussex is in one of England’s exceptional natural landscapes. Rathfinny occupies a perfect south-facing slope, just three miles from the sea, and its climate, chalk soils and aspect make it probably the most perfect place to produce wine in a region that is already producing some of the best, award winning English sparkling wines.

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs 2016 is the second vintage of their premium Pinot Noir/Meunier blend, produced from grapes grown and hand-harvested on Rathfinny Wine Estate.

Weather:2016 started off with fairly good weather and bud-burst occurred at the normal time. Some vineyards, especially those in West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, suffered from a few late spring frosts which set their vines back (especially Chardonnay) and led to low yields in those vineyards affected. Weather during the planting season was fair with little rain, but from around mid-May to the end of June, conditions were wet and temperatures below average which led to Downy Mildew starting in some vineyards.

Technical Information:
Grape Varieties: 93% Pinot Noir, 7% Meunier
Ageing: 3 years on the lees
Disgorged: January 2020
Dosage: 3 g/l
Drink: Now to 2025

Tasting Note: With a rose-gold glow, this Pinot Noir dominated sparkling delivers an expressive nose of baked Braeburn apples, a textured mousse of morello cherries, and a refined, plum-compote finish.

Established in 2010 the Rathfinny Wine Estate, near Alfriston in the South Downs of Sussex is in one of England’s exceptional natural landscapes. Rathfinny occupies a perfect south-facing slope, just three miles from the sea, and its climate, chalk soils and aspect make it probably the most perfect place to produce wine in a region that is already producing some of the best, award winning English sparkling wines.

Sussex Sparkling wine is crafted in the Traditional Method, where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, after which it is left to age on the yeast lees for a minimum of 15 months to develop wonderful autolytic notes. The Sussex wine is produced in Rathfinny’s state-of-the-art Winery, which sits at the heart of the Estate, with panoramic views across the Vineyard and the South Downs.

Cellar Master: Jonathan Médard
Winery Location: South Downs | West Sussex, England
Annual Production (bottles): Undisclosed