Wines of Provenance
Simpsons settled for nothing less than the finest parcels of land in southern England to plant the vines for their exceptional English sparkling wine.
Simpsons Wine Estate was established in 2014 and is situated in the Kent North Downs about six miles outside Canterbury and ten miles from Folkestone and surrounded on all sides by the Kent coast. The vineyards benefit from the sunny, warm, sheltered slopes where the vines are planted on chalky soils known internationally for being conducive to producing world class sparkling wines.
Charles and Ruth Simpson, owners of the vineyard, wanted to bring their expertise and knowledge from their vineyards in the Languedoc region of Southern France, where terroir and top class viticulture allows the true expression of the grapes, to their vineyards here. They believe that with each sip of their delicious wines you will truly experience the beauty and provenance of the Kentish Downs.
The Wines
Their Chalklands Classic cuvee (2018) truly reflects these exquisite characteristics of the North Downs with their first release (2017) winning a gold medal at the 2019 Champagne and Sparkling Wine Championships. They also produce a limited edition Magnum (2017) which has undergone extensive lees ageing adding richness and complexity.
Amongst their still wine selection, their Roman Road Chardonnay has an intense, complex nose of tropical and citrus fruit with subtle butterscotch – combined with an elegant minerality and refreshing acidity; this Chardonnay is not to be missed!
Their Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir (2020) is on its third vintage and sells out really quickly. Dark cherry and smoky oak aromas with undertones of mocha and freshly ground coffee it’s a lovely accompaniment to Roast Lamb or Venison. As well as the Railway hill rose also made from Pinot Noir, they produce a Derringstone Blanc de Noir Pinot Meunier (2020). Vinified off the skins as a white wine, it has a very unique character with a distinctive, creamy mouthfeel with both sweet and savoury aromas of poached winter fruit and balsamic nuances.
Tours and Tastings
At the time of writing – all the weekend tours and tastings are fully booked, but there are currently spaces on their weekday afternoon tastings which cost £10 per person available from September and lasting 90 minutes. They are considering running more weekend tours, but those will be decided after harvest in the Autumn. It may be worth checking their website for up to date information.
www.simpsonswine.com
The Barns, Church Lane, Barham, Canterbury
CT4 6PB. Tel: 01227 832200
Rowena Hawtin (DipWSET) #thewinelady
Posted in: Food and Drink
