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92POINTS
17/20
Bride Valley Brut Rosé Bella 2014
EnglandShiny attractive coral pink colour with lively bubbles and a lacy head when poured - it's also very frisky during opening so be sure to chill very well. Nuanced scents of apple and pear; red currant and rosehip; bread dough and tea biscuit grace the nose. One sip and you’re aware of racy, mouthwatering acidity, crisp citrus, green apple and delightful red berry flavours; then comes a dry, saline, chalk-laced, tapering mineral finish. Toasty with a touch of caramel throughout, it’s elegant, poised and stylish and while it conveys a streamlined cool-climate silhouette, there is nothing overly lean or austere here. From a special plot in South Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier (about 50% grapes are the pinots) densely-planted vines root deeply in Kimmeridgean chalky/clays lending a distinct terroir stamp to this fine English Brut. Aged for about 18 months and topped up with a dosage that was minimally needed, thanks to one of the warmest years seen in these parts for a century. Steven and Arabella Spurrier started this labour of love in the Bride Valley with an initial planting of 3 hectares in 2009, helping to shine a global light on the potential for sparkling wines along the south coast of England where the chalk terroir shares DNA with that of the Champagne region 650 kilometres to the east. Pair with succulent crab cakes, a slice of your favourite pâté, or gourmet potato chips.Tasted: 15 March 2021Tasted by: DJ KearneyPrices:| BC | $52.99 | 750ml | BCLS |
