2019 Rathfinny Wine Estate - Brut Blanc de Blancs (750ml)

Rathfinny Wine Estate was established in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver, with the first vines planted in 2012 in the South Downs of East Sussex. As a single-site, grower-producer, the estate now farms more than ninety hectares just a few miles from the English Channel, on a south-facing slope protected from prevailing winds by a natural ridge. Rathfinny has built its reputation on traditional-method sparkling wines made entirely from estate-grown fruit, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and stewardship of the surrounding chalk grassland.

This Blanc de Blancs is made from one hundred percent Chardonnay, hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed from vines growing on thin, chalky, clay-loam soils similar in composition to those found in Champagne. The 2019 growing season arrived early, with a warm spring and a hot, dry stretch through midsummer that pushed budburst and flowering ahead of schedule, though rain returned around harvest. The base wine ferments in stainless steel before undergoing malolactic fermentation, and the finished blend spends thirty-six months aging on its lees, developing richness before a low dosage is added at disgorgement.

The result is a bright golden wine with fine, persistent bubbles and a nose of ripe papaya, lemon curd, and brioche. On the palate it is silky and layered, with orchard fruit, white peach, and yuzu zest, all carried by a distinct saline minerality from the estate's coastal setting. It suits fresh oysters, seafood, or a light cheese soufflé.