Blackbook Winery 'Nightjar' Pinot Noir

Reminiscent of good traditional Burgundy, this rich, silky and spicy wine has a lovely perfume of red fruits, impressive and rich.

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 a single vineyard ‘Clayhill’ 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. The mesoclimate is sunny and warm, ideal for the production of quality fruit. The soil is made up of clay, which offers good water retention properties, nourishing the vines throughout the summer growth period. The gapes are hand-picked into small crates to retain the quality of the fruit.

Winemaking

The Blackbook Winery embraces minimal intervention winemaking. The grapes were naturally fermented in small, open-top fermenters, with 40% of the fruit vinified as whole bunches adding complexity and structure. Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic conversion both took place with indigenous yeast. The wine spent eight months on its lees in French Burgundy barrels, of which 10% were new oak. Only minimal sulphur was used and the wine was vinified without additions. The wine was matured for a total of 11 months, prior to being bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting Note

Reminiscent of old-world Pinot Noir, the Nightjar shows elements of sour and black cherries, blackcurrant with delicate hints of violet. It marries ripe fruit with sweet spice and black pepper while refined tannins lend structure through to a long, savoury finish.

Grape

Pinot Noir 100%