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 91% of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and the remainder in a variety of very neutral fifth-fill oak barrels, adding texture rather than anything else. Low yields and the good Autumn meant we needed to put just 40% of the final base wines through malolactic fermentation. We blended with 12 base wines and 2400l of the continuing solera reserve as a 13th. We made the WFB and the PINK and then tasted the remainder - it didn't quite feel right so we added a good dollop of the reserve and suddenly there was the CLASSIC - apple on the nose, some aged weight on the palate and a hint of savouriness on a long finish. The final blend was nearly 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Meunier and 15% 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 February 2024 and dosed to around 8g/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.
