Thursday 9 February 2017

Review - Castlebrook Vineyard’s Classic Cuvée

Never one to refuse a drink, i thought it would be rude to turn own the offer of reviewing this wine. As a wine lover i am more than happy to try different ones.

Castlebrook Vineyard's classic Cuvée won a gold medal for best sparkling wine and wine of the year in 2015. It is deliciously delicate, crisp palate with a hint of lemon blossom. Brioche and tasty yeasty notes add complexity to the finish. The Castle Brook Classic Cuvee is a traditionally styled Brut, which has been made with Champagne grapes to produce the highest quality English sparkling wine

Castle Brook Vineyard is run by the Chinn family, who are best known for producing Wye Valley Asparagus at Cobrey Farms in Herefordshire.
Tucked away in the meandering Wye Valley of South Herefordshire, they planted the Castlebrook vines in 2004, on the site of an ancient Roman vineyard. Lying on a steep south-facing slope, in the rain shadow of the Black Mountains, but with plenty of warm westerly air, the area is renowned for its fruit and vegetable production, and has the second largest area of grape vines in the UK.
They grow 21 different clones of the three Champagne grape varieties – Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay – on three different rootstocks, which allows them to create really exciting blends.
In the weeks leading up to harvest the grapes are monitored for ripeness, taste, acid and sugar levels, and hand-picked as whole bunches before being gently pressed. They use 100% malolactic fermentation with at least six months maturation in cuvee, and a very generous four plus years in secondary fermentation. Making the award winning sparkling wine available at Waitrose, Marks and Spencers (selected stores) at RRP of £32 and online at www.castlebrookvineyard.co.uk
We decided to celebrate Valentine's early as work commitments meant it was not possible on the day, we settled on a romantic night in so had a nice romantic meal accompanied by our bottle of Castlebrook Vineyard’s Classic Cuvée, it was the perfect partner to the chicken dish we had and made it feel that bit more romantic than the usual rose i would have, it was a really nice change. I can see why it was awarded wine of the year. Definitely a wine i would have again especially for a special occasion.