grape varieties:
WINE REVIEW
The second vintage of Black Chalk Classic is here, and it’s once again a lesson in bright, distinctive precision from winemakers, Jacob Leadley and Zoë Driver, in Hampshire.
The 2016 is a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Meunier and 23% Pinot Noir, a similar blend to the inaugural vintage, with a distinctive nose of toasted oats, red apple and peach skin.
To taste, the wine is initially tense and striking, with crunchy orchard fruit and hints of tangy cranberry. It’s very pure, with a textured oaty grip that contrasts well with the clean, precise fruit flavours and delicate minerality. I particularly enjoy this style of steely, mineral, precise sparkling wine, so this was a big hit with me at a recent visit to the vineyard.
Other Wines by this Winemaker
Black Chalk Paragon 2020
Sleek and slender with signature Hampshire raciness and the influence of impeccably nuanced oak.
Black Chalk Inversion 2020
An incredibly full and flavoursome Blanc de Noir, based around Burgundian Pinot Noir clone 777.
Black Chalk Wild Rose 2016
A beautiful sense of purity and an almost powdery, sherbert-like texture.
Black Chalk Classic 2015
What impresses the most is the precision of the flavour; it's a very fruit-focused sparkling.
Black Chalk Wild Rose 2015
A bright, wild rosé with intense strawberry, raspberry and cherry blossom character.
