Sussex producer Roebuck Estates has unveiled a new premium tier, enhancing its portfolio of traditional method vintage sparkling wines. Roebuck Rare Expressions is a special collection of limited-edition sparkling wines that showcases the finest expression of a particular grape variety, place or moment in time.
Established in 2013, and releasing its first sparkling wine in 2019, Roebuck has always had a clear vision: to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year from its collection of vineyards throughout Sussex and Kent.
Each wine in the Rare Expressions range will have a specific number relating to its story and origins. The debut release is Rare Expressions No.19 which captures the essence of a particular place – Block 19 at Roebuck’s Roman Villa vineyard near Petworth in West Sussex. Only 2,500 bottles of this sparkling wine have been produced, and each bottle has an individual bottling number, highlighting just how rare it is.
“Only very special parcels of the utmost quality are selected for this collection,” said Head of Viticulture, Jake Wicks. “Our Roman Villa vineyard is one of our oldest sites and Block 19, which is planted exclusively with Pinot Noir clone 667 from Morey St Denis in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, produced the most incredible fruit in the 2015 growing season. The vines here benefit from gentle south-facing slopes, optimal sunshine all year round and the loam / clay rich soils give great structure, richness and depth to our wines.”
The label for the Rare Expressions No.19 wine features the Estate’s signature Roe Deer which can be found roaming their South Downs vineyards. Marketing Manager, Dani Whitehead added: “Sitting beautifully in the landscape of this vineyard lies Bignor Roman Villa which is one of the most impressive Roman sites in West Sussex. Inspired by this picture-perfect location and the exquisite mosaics found here, our intricate label tells a story of craftmanship, terroir and working as one with nature.”
CEO, Michael Kennedy commented: “This really is a very special collection. Our Rare Expressions No.19 bears the hallmark of our signature style – structure, depth of flavour and layers of complexity, enhanced by a long period of bottle ageing.”
A small proportion was fermented in aged Burgundian oak barrels followed by a generous lees-ageing in bottle for 84 months followed by 12 months on cork.
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