Simpsons Chardonnay 2020

The nose is expressive with a fresh mineral aromatic and some sharp lemon and green apple coming through, attractive and appetising. The palate is bone dry, verging toward the austere but the touches of oatmeal and green apple with a mineral feel bring life and vibrancy. The finish is long and sapid with a pebble-sucking freshness, hints of meal and dairy can be found. This is sharp as tack, bright and breezy and for lovers of Chablis. Tremendous with seafood such as bivalves, soft cheeses as well as fatty fish such as salmon, sea trout and mackerel.

Burgundian Chardonnay clones 96 and 548 were carefully hand harvested from the Roman Road and Railway Hill vineyards.

We planted the first 10 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir on our estate in 2014. This is our Roman Road Vineyard, situated alongside the route the Romans first marched when invading England in AD 43, bringing with them the first vines. A further 20 hectares of the same three grape varieties were established on the southern slopes of the village during 2016 and 2017. This is our Railway Hill Vineyard, so called because the Canterbury to Folkestone light railway passed through this site in the late 19th and first half of the 20th Century.

The grapes were then gently pressed and the juice was cold settled for 24 hours. Once racked, the juice was inoculated with aromatic yeasts.

The wine was aged on fine yeast lees prior to bottling in spring 2021.