Balfour Brut Rose' 2013, Hush Heath

The Balfour Rose’ was the first English Rose served on British Airways first class. It is also served on the Orient Express trains with their afternoon tea which is something very special. It also served at Coutts Bank here in London which is the most prestigious bank in the city (and also the Queen’s bank!) The exciting thing about vintage wines such as Balfour is the way the wines reveal the characteristics of each English summer. 2013 was an unusually late harvest as we waited patiently for the best balance of sugars and acid in our grapes. Picking began with the Pinot Noir on 22nd October and the final batch of Chardonnay came in on the 7th November. Balfour Brut Rosé, "England's most exclusive pink fizz", is produced from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grown exclusively on Hush Heath Estate. It is a multi-award winning vintage English Quality Sparkling Wine crafted using the traditional method made famous in Champagne. Fruit is hand harvested and gently pressed in our state-of-the-art winery and then it is fermented in cool, stainless steel tanks. After a secondary fermentation in the bottle (Champagne method), the wine then spends 3 years ageing on its lees and is disgorged to order to maintain freshness.

Appearance: Delicate pale copper pink with a fine, sustained bead.
Nose: Very clean with hints of fresh rosehip, greengage, apple and ginger.
Palate: Extremely refreshing with classic English mouth-watering acidity. Displays notes of white currant, quince, lime and a slight herbiness, typical of the Hush Heath style. The finish is long, echoing the palate beautifully.
Food Pairings: Scallops with Kent Chorizo is our Winemaker’s favourite!