Labs 4

With only 12 bottles left, we are limiting customers to 1 bottle per person.

This was an experiment of Oli's in the 2024 harvest as he wanted to make a rosé. I said ‘Nah’ but he did it anyway without me knowing….and I’m glad he did!

The process used in this wine is called ‘Saignée’ and it involves straining a portion of fermenting juice away from the skins during a red fermentation. This both concentrates down the resulting red wine and gifts the by-product of a blush rosé juice that can be a wonderful wine in its own right.

Burgundian clone (777) Pinot Noir was hand-picked from the first plantings at Flint as late as the season would allow. The fruit was crushed and de-stemmed and started fermenting in concrete. After 2 days, saignée juice was sent straight to an old barrel where it completed primary fermentation.

Oli regularly stirred the barrel to agitate the lees: a process known as bâtonnage. The intention here was to produce a bold, brazen rosé - not a polite Provençal pretender! Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel to soften the wine and build structure. Then Oli left the wine to age, regularly stirring and topping it up and keeping sulphite levels to a bare minimum.

The wine has a delicate pinkish- copper hue which betrays its rich character. Deeply perfumed on the nose and showing notes of wild strawberries. Lifted aromas of Turkish Delight and rose petals, a soft and textured palate with complex undertones that suggest aniseed and spice. The intention here was to produce a bold, brazen rosé – not a polite Provençal pretender!

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Abv: 11%
Residual Sugar: <0.5 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 6.9 g/L
Filtration: 5 μm pre-bottling
Ingredients: Hand-harvested grapes, Saccharomyces and non-Sacch yeast strains, sulphites (<40 mg/L FSO2), no added sugar.