Roebuck Estates, Blanc De Noirs, Sussex, England, 2015

Producer Profile

Roebuck Estates adopt a single-minded approach, using only the finest quality estate-grown grapes, from exceptional vineyard sites to create award-winning wines from classic Champagne varieties.

Located close to the historic market town of Petworth in West Sussex, Roebuck Estates was established in 2013 by two Brits, Mike Smith and John Ball, whose love of wine, long-standing friendship, and belief in the potential of the English wine industry sparked several years spent searching for the perfect vineyard plots.

Viticulture

Sourced from the Roman Villa vineyard comprising of maily loam and clay rich soils. Beautifully ripe bunches were carefully handpicked into small buckets and then gently transferred into picking crates before being transported to the winery.

Winemaking

Carefully selected bunches were harvested by hand and gently whole-bunch pressed. Partial fermentation in old Burgundian barrels followed by a generous lees-ageing in bottle for a minimum of three years imparts a wonderful richness and complexity on this wine.

Oak Ageing

Time: 3 Months
Type: Old Burgundy 225l barrels
% wine oaked: 4
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

Attractive golden copper hue. Delightful bouquet of ripe stone and citrus fruits lifted by floral notes. Baked apples on the palate are layered with complex notes of toasted almonds, characteristic of a generous bottle-ageing. A rich, yet beautifully balanced wine with delicate bubbles, a silky texture and a long-lingering finish.

Food Matching

Lobster, oysters, aged Comté.

Awards

Neal Martin
A delightful nose of strawberry, orange blossom, white peach and a touch of rosehip, all very elegant and delineated. The palate is showing a touch of bitter lemon that combines well with the subtle red fruit elements of raspberry and strawberry. NM, July 2020.
Decanter 93 Points
It has yeasty bruised apple and lime on the nose, with honeyed marmalade, yellow apple and honeysuckle on the palate, plus brioche and biscuit complexity from three years of bottle aging. 93 Points, SW, June 2020.