Blackbook Winery 'The Mix Up' Volume III

From the Combe Bottom vineyard, a dynamic wine characterised by its funky bruised apple and flinty flavour, textured and spicy with a lovely fresh and vibrant finish.

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 Mix Up Volume II is a blend made up of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Gris. The vines for this wine are grown in the single vineyard of ‘Coombe Bottom Vineyard’ in the rolling hills of Horsham in East Sussex. The two hectare site is southeast facing on a gentle slope, maximising exposure to the sun in the capricious English climate. The soils are made up of green sand. The vineyard is managed conventionally with hand harvesting of the grapes when they have reached optimal maturity. 

Winemaking

The Chardonnay and Pinot Gris varieties were vinified separately. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed into 500 litre Burgundy barrels and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wines spent seven months in French oak of which 5% was new. Maturation took place on the lees, adding texture and volume to the palate; the two wines were then blended and bottled.

Tasting Note

The Mix-Up Volume II is an aromatic wine with zesty lemon notes complemented by subtle vanilla, floral, ginger root and pink grapefruit. The refreshing and textured palate offers uplifting elements of white pepper and grapefruit through to a crisp finish. 

Grape

Chardonnay 50%, Pinot Gris 50%