Rathfinny Mini Cuvée 2023 (50cl)
£20.75
The wine
Enticing aromas of pink grapefruit, red apple and brioche on the nose, with subtle red fruit nuances from the Pinot Noir. Poised and precise on the palate, with vibrant acidity and a creamy mousse carrying the complex flavours onto the long, fresh finish.
The 50cl format is worth knowing about: it holds two generous glasses, which makes it the sensible size for two people rather than a compromise. Rathfinny planted their first vines in April 2012 and the estate now runs to more than 93 hectares on a south-facing slope of the South Downs, three miles from the Channel, mostly Pinot Noir. The grapes were hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed, the base wines fermented in stainless steel at 16C with partial malolactic, then bottled for the second fermentation.
The producer
Rathfinny Wine Estate
View all Rathfinny Wine Estate winesRathfinny Wine Estate is one of the leading lights of the English sparkling wine revolution, a large, ambitious estate set in the South Downs of Sussex just a few miles from the sea. In little more than a decade it has become a benchmark for the category.
The chalk soils and cool maritime climate are a mirror of Champagne, ideal for growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier for traditional-method sparkling. Sustainable farming and precise winemaking bring freshness, finesse and a distinct sense of place.
The range spans the crisp Classic Cuvée, an elegant Rosé Brut, a mineral Blanc de Blancs and a richer Blanc de Noirs, each a poised, food-friendly expression of English terroir.
Fresh, refined and genuinely world-class, Rathfinny proves that England can produce sparkling wine to rival the very best.
