English sparkling wine producer Simpson Wine Estate has released its first Blanc de Blanc, a limited edition of only 1,500 bottles.
The new ‘White Cliffs 2017’ is made from estate-grown Chardonnay grapes from its vineyards in Barham, Kent, produced from the Simpson’s second harvest, in 2017.
Co-owner Charles Simpson said he was delighted to be launching a premier Blanc de Blancs, to complement its English sparkling wine range.
“For the 2017 vintage of White Cliffs, we hand-picked Chardonnay grapes from two specially-selected sparkling clones from our Roman Road Vineyard. As this was only our second harvest from ten-hectare plantation, we produced a very a limited number of bottles of this premium wine. In time, the volume will increase, although we are keen to maintain its exclusivity and exquisite quality, attributes that have become synonymous with our wines.”
The wines are all named after local landmarks or features of the terroir of the North Downs of Kent.
“’White Cliffs’ seemed to be a fitting name for our Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine, given our proximity to the iconic White Cliffs of Dover, and our intensely lime-rich chalk soil,” Ruth Simpson added. “[This] forms part of the same chalk ridge that stretches from southern England to the French Champagne region and on to Burgundy.”
She added that ‘White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs 2017’ embodied the purity of the English style. Its tasting notes describe it as “pale gold with a fine mousse, this wine has classic aromas of citrus and green apple, balanced with subtle, toasted brioche notes and distinctive minerality, ending in a rich, persistent finish.”
Simpsons Wine Estates was established by Ruth and Charles Simpson in 2012, with its first harvest in 2016. However, the couple had already spend more than a decade started producing, having bought Domaine Sainte Rose in the Languedoc in the early 2000’s.
In 2019, the estate launched what it claimed was the UK’s first still wine to be made with 100% Pinot Meunier