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Simpsons Wine Estate 'Rabbit Hole' Pinot Noir, Kent

£27.18
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Producer
Simpson's Estate
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Optimum Drinking
Within 3 years
Wine Style
Light red with cherry fruit
Alcohol by Volume
12.5%
Closure
Cork
Country
England
Style / Colour
Red

A smooth, elegant and complex wine with dark cherry, smoky oak aromas and hints of mocha lifted by tangy, red fruit flavours and coffee undertones. 

Producer Note 

Charles and Ruth Simpson have been making award-winning wines in the South of France since 2002. In 2012, attracted by the quality of the terroir and the opportunity to become part of one of the most dynamic wine producing regions in the world, they brought their expertise back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate. Aspiring to produce the finest quality English wine, they planted 30 hectares of vineyards on the iconic chalk terroir of the North Downs and built a state-of-the-art gravity fed winery. In 2016, the Simpsons saw their first harvest. With a strong focus on provenance, they produce a highly-acclaimed range of exclusively estate-grown still and sparkling wines, including the Chalklands Classic Cuvée 2016, which won a gold medal in the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

Vintage

2020 saw a bright and sunny start to the growing season in late March and early April, but unfortunately it was followed by a series of frosts that ultimately reduced the crop. On the positive side, the remainder of the summer was relatively sunny and warm with occasional rain. By harvest, the smaller crop levels and favourable conditions resulted in high quality fruit, bursting with intense flavours. 

Vineyard

The estate is situated in the Elham Valley; an unspoilt seam in the North Downs of Kent where the contours of the land, climate and soil are excellent for viticulture. The intensely lime-rich chalk soil forms part of the same chalk ridge that stretches from southern England to Burgundy. The Guyot trained vines are low-yielding Burgundian Pinot Noir clone 115 and 777, which are grown on either Fercal or 41B rootstocks. Planted at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare they are grown on south facing slopes, ensuring heat accumulation in the day and cold air drainage at night. The vineyard is less than eight miles from the coast, providing a crucial maritime influence insulating the fruit against intense temperature variations. Grass cover crops between the rows encourage biodiversity within the vineyard. Pruning and harvesting takes place by hand and they are signed up to the WineGB’s Sustainability Scheme.

Production

The grapes were carefully hand-sorted and destemmed directly into fermenters via gravity. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts, with pumping over once a day for two weeks. A proportion of the blend was vinified using the traditional technique of ‘pigeage’ or punching down of the cap. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was drained off its skins into two-year old French oak barrels, where it underwent malolactic conversion. After four months’ ageing in barrels, the wine was bottled in spring 2021.

Tasting Note

A purple-hued wine displaying dark cherry and smoky oak aromas, with hints of mocha. The elegant tannins are complimented by tangy, black fruit flavours and undertones of freshly ground coffee.

Grape

Pinot Noir 100%

The technical information on this wine is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. This information may be subject to change according to vintage

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