The Bolney Estate

Hidden in the heart of rural Sussex, one of Britain’s most beautiful southern counties, lies The Bolney Wine Estate, a vineyard which carries on the tradition brought to Britain by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. This esteemed property is situated on a hill which was part of the Butting Hill One Hundred, listed in the Domesday Book in 1086, as the first official land survey of what is now the United Kingdom. The estate was purchased in 1972 by Janet and Rodney Pratt. Winemaker Samantha Linter has been at the helm since 1990. The estate now has 39 acres planted on Sandy Loam, Siltstone and Clay over Sandstone Bedrock, with an average vine age of 10 years. The vineyards are managed using sustainable viticulture and both Vertical shoot and and Sylvos trellis systems. In 2012, Bolney Wine Estate won UK Wine Producer of the Year in the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Bolney Bubbly Classic Cuvee

This is the wine that replaced the originaly ‘Bolney Bubbly.’ Past iterations of this NV ‘classic cuvée’ were based on the ‘classic’ Champagne trio of grapes with Chardonnay at the helm. This version, however, focuses on the Pinot Noir, which makes up 82% of the blend, and provides a delicate, royal fruitiness. Yet the Chardonnay, as always at Bolney, is still the matriarch of the vineyard. Her short temper and high-pitched voice are easily recognizable with laser-like acidity. Pinot Meunier adds a splash of fun, like a court jester. While previous bottlings had a racing acidity above 10 g/L, this bottling is a little more subdued, hovering just under 7 g/L, which called for a lower dosage to reach a pristine balance on the palate. This is a delicious and yet quite sophisticated entry into the Bolney court.

Despite the ‘NV’ label, this blend consists entirely of the 2018 vintage. The grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed to tank, each vinified separately. Sam made the selection with a vision in mind for drinkability and yet site specificity. The blend was produced with that in mind and put to bottle for secondary fermentation where it gained complexity and breadth on the lees for a minimum of two years. The wines were disgorged on June 24, 2021 and topped with a 4.5 gram per liter dosage. The wine is fun and still very serious.

Reviews:
Price:
 
Cuvee Rose

This is an elegant and delicate, single vintage, traditional method rosé sparkling wine. 2018 was a great year, receiving lots of sunshine, so they decided to let the fruit characteristics come through by keeping the yeast selection neutral. The final blend reached a poised but demure total acidity.

The grapes (68% Pinot Noir, 28% Pinot Meunier, 4% Chardonnay) are hand-picked and pressed to tank, each vinified separately with neutral yeasts (IOC 18-2007  was the dominant strain used). As 2018 was a ripe year, they put some but not all of the batches were put through malolactic fermentation, and then was bottled for secondary fermentation where it remained for 18 months on the lees. It was then disgorged and topped with an 8.6 gram per liter dosage before receiving a dose of sulfur and a final cork.

Reviews:
Price: