THE CHARDONNAY 2023

Description

PRE-ORDER - claire@thegrangehampshire.co.uk

Adapting to place and time. There are three attributes that align to grow a ripe grape - sugar, acidity and flavour. Acidity is generally not in short supply in English wine, especially in those bottles originating from the chalky slopes of Hampshire and here at Burges Field our Chardonnay is more often the last variety to be picked as we wait for the acidity to fall.

With each vintage that passes, the team’s understanding and excitement for the potential of our Chardonnay grows. Its ability to elegantly convey the pristine chalk in which it is rooted, with its characteristic crystal bright acidity and mineral character are the hallmarks that really get the juices flowing when blending our sparkling wines.

It has an acidity that lends itself to long-lived sparkling wines and provides the structural framework for both our CLASSIC and WHITE FROM WHITE blends. However, 2023 was a whacky year for acidity across England, with growers reporting levels much lower than normal. Could this be a unique opportunity to produce a still wine from our idolised Chardonnay?

On receipt of the final ripeness analysis in mid-October, the call was made to select only the most golden of bunches in a first pass of the vines and a select crew of commando-like pickers were sent through in advance to seek out 3 tonnes of the ripest fruit. Once back at the winery, the chemistry was checked, the juice was tasted and the go-ahead given to have a crack.

From the fruit, a holy trinity of wine components were sort. These included a crisp mineral tank component, a fruit laden buttery barrel component and a seriously toasty new oak component. Texture and generosity were the name of the game using a full solids ferment (keeping all the bits in the juice during fermentation) and 100 % malolactic approach to add creaminess.

In early summer of 2024, the components were corralled back together and given until the autumn to rest on their yeast sediment and knit back together before being delicately bottled in September. The wine has been given a further six months development in bottle prior to release and we are excited to witness it’s progression over the years to come, especially as it might be a while before such a unique vintage comes around again.

It has been said, “a good wine reflects a place, but a great wine reflects a place and time”. Our 2023 Chardonnay is a true example of this magical alignment of place and time on a quiet slope of the Itchen Valley, Hampshire in 2023.  

Tasting Notes

Electric pale yellow in colour, the nose is an intense blend of ripe citrus peel, gunflint and toasty oak. These flavours carry through on the palate, which is rich, round and creamy thanks to a full solids alcoholic fermentation and 100 % malolactic fermentation approach. The quality of the fruit continues to shine long after the first sip as the flavours go on and on. Serve with a range of dishes, but roast chicken or pork on a Sunday afternoon dinner table are where this wine belongs. Although this is our first attempt at a still chardonnay, we expect it to drink well for at least the next 5 years as it becomes more nutty and honeyed.