Blackbook Winery 'I'd Rather be a Rebel' Rose

An expressive and textured dry rosé, with elements of strawberries and cream, ripe red cherry and freshly crushed raspberry, nicely textured with the right amount of richness.

Producer Note

Blackbook Winery is an urban winery located in a railway arch in Battersea, South London. Their philosophy is simple: blending tradition with innovation. The grapes are sourced from carefully selected growers, who have vineyards within hours of the city and high quality grapes. Blackbook endeavours to bring the hard work of the vineyard owners to the forefront, by creating a range of single vineyard wines that showcase the quality and potential of producing world-class still wine in England. Focussing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Blackbook uses a minimalist approach, with low to zero sulphur and natural yeasts, as they seek to reflect the vibrancy, culture and energy of London in their wines.

Vineyard

The grapes for this wine are sourced from the single vineyard ‘Crouch Valley Vineyard’, which is situated on the coastal peninsula of the Crouch Valley in Essex, between the Crouch and Blackwater Rivers. Planted in 2006, the vineyard is south facing to optimise the sunlight in the capricious English climate. The soil is made up of clay, which offers good water retention properties, nourishing the vines throughout the summer growth period. The grapes are hand-picked into small crates and then travel the short distance to the winery in Battersea, London.

Winemaking

The ‘I’d Rather Be a Rebel’ rosé was vinified following the philosophy of minimal intervention. The grapes were cold soaked, then whole bunch pressed directly into 5 to 10 year old Burgundy barrels, without settling. The wine underwent fermentation with indigenous yeast, followed by malolactic conversion with natural yeast which resulted in a softer mouthfeel. 25% was aged in stainless steel tanks, retaining the purity of fruit, where it received frequent lees stirring. The remaining 75% was aged for six months on its lees in seasoned Burgundy barrels. The total maturation time was eight months.

Tasting Note

An expressive and textured dry rosé, with elements of strawberries and cream, ripe red cherry and freshly crushed raspberry coming together on the beautifully balanced palate.

Grape

Pinot Noir 100%