The CLASSIC NV

This iteration of the CLASSIC NV is made predominantly with grapes from 2020, the seventh harvest from the Burge's Field vineyard, and is the 14th wine from the much-garlanded team at Hattingley Valley, led by Emma Rice and Jacob Leadley.

2020 was the first lockdown year and we were hammered by terrible spring frosts in mid-May, losing at least 50% of the crop with temperatures going as low as -5C on the night of the 15th. For flowering we had perfect weather followed by a reasonable summer and a lovely warm September. We hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed in mid-October with 95% of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and the remainder in a variety of neutral oak barrels, adding texture rather than anything else.  53 % of the final base wines through malolactic fermentation. We blended with 8 base wines and 1400l of reserves. The final blend was 42% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier and 28% Pinot Noir with the reserve making up 19% of the blend.

Secondary fermentation in bottle was followed by 34 months ageing on lees before the wine was disgorged in January 2025 and dosed to around 9g/l with 12% alcohol by volume.

This wine is an exemplary iteration of the CLASSIC with that spiced, baked-apple nose, rounded, buttery palate and long, savoury finish that we have come to love.