Charles and Ruth Simpson have been producing award-winning wines at Domaine de Sainte Rose, their stunning, southern French property, since 2002. In 2012, attracted by the quality of the terroir and the opportunity to become part of what is one of the most dynamic wine producing regions of the world, they brought their expertise back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate with an aspiration to produce world class English wines. With 30 hectares of vineyards now in production and a state-of-the-art winery situated just minutes from the vines, their exclusively estate-grown still and sparkling wines are increasingly heralded, both nationally and internationally, as some of the finest of their kind. The White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs 2018 and Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2018 are two of the best examples of their kind being made in England, made in the reductive style, they are elegant, rich, fresh and varietally correct.

Harvesting & Vinification: Grapes from Pinot Noir Clone 115 were hand-picked over a five day period. Simpsons use this particular clone to create a more full-bodied style owing to a slight accentuation of tannins, developing into a more luxurious mouth-feel.

Secondary Fermentation & Ageing: The base wine underwent malolactic fermentation and spent three months in tank and barrel (20%) ageing on light lees. After a series of tastings, the wine was blended, filtered and bottled to obtain the ‘prise de mousse’. Following the bottle fermentation, the wine spent twenty-seven months ageing on yeast lees prior to disgorgement, followed by four months ageing under cork, prior to release in November 2021.

Weather in 2018: Probably the best vintage of the modern era thanks to the warm summer that produced large volumes of top-quality fruit. While the sparkling wines will be excellent, it is the still wines that are especially promising, especially the Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: North Downs of Kent, Elham Valley
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 2.5 Years
Dosage: 6 g/l
Disgorged: June 2021
pH: 3.16
TA: 4g/l
Drink: Now to 5 years

Tasting Note: Hints of smoky charm, with an abundance of red fruit and dark cherry, ripe peach, vanilla and buttery pastry notes. The palate it is elegant and poised, poached pear, dark bramble and red fruit flavours perfectly combine with spicy cherry notes. Very elegant and rich mid palate, super great, one of England's best sparklings.

Simpsons Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2019