Candover Brook Brut 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 Brut is an English sparkling 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). Jestin adopts a non-interventionist, biodynamic approach, emphasising quality, innovation, and refinement. 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 which 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 Brut Winemaking

Candover Brook Brut is vinified in the traditional method (Champenoise) with a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

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 autolysis benefits following primary fermentation: the wine is left on lees for 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 Brut is aged on lees for at least 42 months, and the Candover Brook Rosé for a minimum of 36 months.

Candover Brook Brut Assemblage

A blend of 41% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Meunier and 21% Pinot Noir.
Mainly composed of wines from the superb 2019 vintage, with some reserve wines from a reserve “solera” dating back to 2011.
The wine is aged in the bottle for a minimum of 42 months for its second fermentation.
Finally aged for a minimum of 6 months under cork before release.
Dosage is 6.1 g/L

Tasting Notes

On the nose, this Hampshire Brut sparkling wine has aromas of floral notes complemented by nutty and toasty overtones. The bubbles are generous without being overwhelming. The palate starts with hints of floral citrus. Then creamy vanilla and orchard fruits on the mid palate. Long, streamlined and mineral finish.

Food Pairing

Candover Brook Brut is a perfect aperitif and pairs beautifully with a range of dishes.

It is a good pairing with seafood and white fish dishes, including smoked salmon blinis, oysters, crab cakes, grilled lobster and pan-seared cod or sole with lemon herb sauce. It also works well with richer dishes like roast turkey or chicken in creamy mushroom sauce.

For the cheeseboard, try with hard cheeses, like Comté or Parmesan, or with younger goat’s cheese like Rosary Goats Cheese or Ticklemore.

It also works well with cakes and pastries, try with a lemon tart, almond cake or afternoon tea.

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.