Candover Brook Rosé NV, Hampshire

Additional information

Origin	England, Hampshire
Main grapes	Chardonnay
Other grapes	Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Vintage	NV
Bottle sizes	75cl
Viticulture	Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian Wines

Description

Candover Brook Rosé is an English non-vintage sparkling pink wine from Hampshire. Made in the traditional method, it is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

A Sainsbury Family Project

Candover Brook is an English sparkling wine producer based in Hampshire’s idyllic Candover Valley, located between Winchester and Basingstoke. The vineyard was planted in 2012 by the late ex-CEO of Sainsbury’s, Lord (John) Sainsbury, and is based at the 2,000-acre Sainsbury family estate at Preston Farm. He was inspired by the many vineyard visits to Champagne that he had undertaken whilst working during the 1980s.

The consultant winemaker is one of the world’s most respected sparkling winemakers, Hervé Jestin (also a consultant at Hambledon Vineyard). Today, the vineyard is run by Lord Sainsbury’s two sons, Mark and Julian. Candover Brook produces two Hampshire sparkling wines: a non-vintage Brut and a non-vintage Rosé. The wines are made by winemaker Félix Gabillet and were first released in 2022.

Candover Brook Vineyards

The vineyard planting consists of 5 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier planted on a south-facing slope on silty clay loam soils with a free-draining chalk subsoil – the important chalky soils that are also found in Champagne. The estate is run using sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. Meadow grasses and clovers are interplanted between the vines, and sheep graze the site in spring and winter to keep the grass low and promote soil fertility.

Candover Brook Rosé Winemaking

Candover Brook Rosé is made in the traditional method (Champenoise). Hervé Jestin adopts a non-interventionist, biodynamic approach, emphasising quality, innovation, and refinement.

Only the finest grape bunches are hand-selected. They are hand-harvested into 20kg crates to ensure they arrive at the winery in the best condition.
Whole bunches are gently pressed and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.
The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation.
Bottling is delayed to maximise the influence of autolysis following primary fermentation: the wine is left on lees fora minimum of 3 years.
Base wines are blended with reserve wines from a solera system dating back to 2011 to enhance consistency and aromatic complexity.
After bottling, the Candover Brook Brut is aged on lees for at least 42 months, and the Rosé for a minimum of 36 months.

Candover Brook Rosé Assemblage

A blend of 54% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 13% Pinot Noir.
It is mainly composed of wines from the excellent 2018 vintage, with some reserve wines from a reserve “solera” dating back to 2011.
The pink colour is achieved by adding a small amount of red wine to the white wine.
The wine is aged in the bottle for over 36 months for its second fermentation.
Finally aged for a minimum of 6 months under cork before release.
Dosage is 9 g/L

Tasting Notes

This Hampshire sparkling Rosé has a vivid pink hue with lively aromas of fresh strawberry, cranberry and toasted brioche. On the palate, creamy mouthfeel and a bold mousse are tempered by the wine’s mouth-watering acidity and vibrant purity of fruit.

Food Pairing

Although Candover Brook Rosé NV is great to serve as an aperitif, it also pairs beautifully with a range of dishes.

Try with fish and seafood like smoked salmon, seared scallops, or prawn cocktails. It pairs well with duck confit, roast chicken or charcuterie like proscuitto. Good vegetarian matches include grilled asparagus, roasted beet salad. or mushroom risotto.

For the cheeseboard, try with creamy cheeses like Brie, Camembert or, for something more local, Hampshire cheeses Tunworth or Winslade.

This wine also pairs well with red berry desserts, try with a strawberry tart or sorbet.

Serve chilled at 8-10°C

WineWiki

Behind The Label

The Candover Brook Rosé wine labels feature the precious chalk stream of Candover Brook, which runs through the estate. It is one of the last refuges for the rare English White Clawed crayfish (found on the neck label), the UK’s only native crayfish, now in decline due to disease brought by the invasive non-native North American signal crayfish.

For every bottle sold via the website or within a 15-mile radius of the vineyard, Candover Brook donates 50p to support a project set up by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) to preserve Hampshire’s chalk streams and conserve the English White Clawed crayfish.

The estate is a founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain programme.