Halfpenny Green Sparkling Rose Brut
Light, fresh, zingy fizz; an English Sparkling Rose made in the traditional ‘Champagne’ way and aged for over 18 months.
Just off dry – 7.7 g/l – but classified as Brut, it is a blend of 60% Seyval Blanc, 19% Reichensteiner, 13% Pinot Noir, 8% Phoenix
All the grapes were whole-bunched pressed and separated into different pressing fractions, with a very small portion of Pinot Noir being crushed and fermented on skins to produce a red wine for colour. The wine was fermented at cool temperatures to preserve the delicate character, before undergoing malolactic fermentation to allow the wine to soften. They were then left to age in tank for nine months, before blending and bottling for secondary fermentation. Bottled wines were left for 18 months to allow for autolytic flavours to develop, before being disgorged, and allowed to age for at least a further six months before release.
Pale golden pink colour with aromas of rose petal and redcurrant. Light, crisp and delicate with complex flavours of raspberry, strawberry and brioche developed from its ageing. Refreshing soft finish of English summer fruits.
A perfect aperitif, also an exceptional pairing with smoked salmon, antipasti or strawberries and cream.
About the Producer
Halfpenny Green Wine Estate
It was the vision of farmer Martin Vickers, a third-generation agricultural farmer, to plant a vineyard that would one day match continental sites. Today, 40 years later, 30 acres of vines are managed by Martin and produce award-winning wines crafted by his son Clive.
Halfpenny Green Wine Estate is situated in the south Staffordshire part of the Severn Valley, 250ft above sea level in well-sheltered south facing slopes, with light, sandy, free-draining soil.
The first ½ acre was planted in 1983 and by 1991 a further 22 acres were added. Today the vineyard totals almost 30 acres, making it one of the largest in the UK.
The vines comprise of sixteen different varieties with familiar grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir featuring prominently and are used in producing the Estate’s award-winning sparkling wines, amongst others.
Due to the cooler climate, a variety of weather-hardy grapes are also grown throughout the site, including varietals such as Bacchus, Huxelrebe, Madeleine Angevine, Regent, Rondo and Schönburger. This means that, even with the Great British weather, the vines still have good yield and produce high quality grapes.
The Estate’s winery was built in 2005 and produces between 50-60,000 bottles of own-label wine each year, all made using grapes grown on site and winning many regional, national and international awards in the process.
The winery also carries out contract winemaking and bottling for over 50 other vineyards around England and Wales.
