Roebuck Estates, Classic Cuvée, Sussex, England, 2014

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

Grapes sourced from a variety of premium Sussex vineyard sites comprising of chalk, clay and sandy soils. Perfectly ripe bunches were carefully handpicked into small buckets and then gently transferred into picking crates before being transported to the winery.

Winemaking

Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit was whole-bunch pressed and fermented in a mixture of stainless steel and Burgundian oak barrels. Approximately 10% of the juice went through malolactic fermentation. Following a secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine was aged on its lees for a minimum of 36 months.

Oak Ageing

Time: 3 Months
Type: Old Burgundy 225l barrels
% wine oaked: 10
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

An exceptional English sparkling wine with elegance and finesse. Rich, yet pale lemon in colour. Notes of citrus fruit and baked apples are layered with a toasty richness and hint of truffle. Delicate bubbles linger on the palate leading to a beautifully balanced finish.

Food Matching

Oysters, mussels, scallops in lemon butter.

Awards

Matthew Jukes
This vintage is the finest wine to date from the brilliant Roebuck, made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Smooth, ready to drink ... this is a sultry, suave, seamless beauty.
Neal Martin
The 2014 Brut Classic Cuvée spent 36 months on the lees and has a low dosage of 7g/L. It presents an attractive and quite intense bouquet of baked Braeburn apples, a touch of pear and a background note of melted candle wax. The palate is fresh with a creamy texture, harmonious and delineated. Those baked apples define the finish, and there is a welcome pinch of spice on the aftertaste. A fine cuvée from Roebuck Estates. 91 Points, NM, July 2020.