Candover Brook, Rosé

“This is one of the most stunning, English rosés I have tasted, and the super-smooth, incredibly pure fruit is mesmerising.”

These were Matthew Jukes’ comments when first tasting Candover Brook’s sparkling rosé. The estate's story originates in the 1970s when Lord Sainsbury toured the vineyards of Champagne and developed ambitions to make his own wine. However, it was not until 2011 that vines were eventually planted on the Sainsbury family estate in the idyllic countryside of the Candover Valley, near Winchester in Hampshire. The name, Candover Brook, is a nod to the chalk stream, a tributary of the Itchen River, which runs through the estate and is home to the rare English White Clawed Crayfish. The Sainsbury family have farmed this land for over forty years and today the estate is run by Mark and Julian, sons of the late Lord Sainsbury.

Their five hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are planted on a south-facing slope with chalk subsoil, providing the ideal grapes ripening conditions. The vines are double-guyot pruned to attain the right balance between vigour and maturity. The estate has long championed sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices and is a founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain. Meadow grasses and clovers are interplanted between the vines and sheep graze the site in winter to keep the grass low and maintain soil fertility.

Winemaker Felix Gabillet vinified their maiden release at neighbouring Hambledon Vineyard. The Brut is a blend of 58% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir and 14% Pinot Meunier based on the exceptional 2018 vintage. Aged for 42 months on lees, it shows superb complexity and length. The rosé blends 54% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 13% Pinot Meunier. 15% of their reserve wine, from a solera dating back to 2011, was blended in 2018 to lend the vibrant fruit an impressive depth and intensity of flavour. The final expression is aged for at least 36 months on its lees to add additional complexity.