Fumé 2024

Grape varieties:
100 % Bacchus

Alcohol:
11 %. No chaptalisation (the addition of sugar to adjust abv) meaning the alcohol comes 100 % from natural sugars. A light-bodied, fresh style that allows the aromatics to sing.

Titratable acidity:
7.9 g / L - fresh, balanced, juicy and mouth-watering. Spot on.

Residual sugar:
<0.5 g / L means that we've not added any sugar to back sweeten the wine. Any residual sugar comes from unfermented grape sugars. The wine is bone dry.

Bacchus fruit picked from a number of parcels across East Anglia, including Flint's own, to obtain maximum complexity of flavour. By selecting and blending fruit from differing regions we can make the most of this expressive grape variety.

Each parcel of fruit was fermented separately, respecting its individual characteristics. In 2024 we crushed / de-stemmed 60 % of the grapes before pressing, which tends to result in a more lifted floral and tropical character. 40 % was whole bunch pressed to retain acidity and add focus to the wine.

Fermentation took place in neutral barrels (5 to 7 years old), concrete tanks and traditional oak foudre. These vessels are all porous, which we believe helps the wine to develop more character and texture. Fermentation was generally cool (c. 12 C) and not rushed. Some wine was left on lees in barrel, some racked when dry. 6 month's ageing in concrete or wood, no malolactic fermentation then filtration and bottling.

Grapes harvested from Flint Vineyard, Martin's Lane Vineyard (Crouch Valley, Essex), Humbleyard Vineyard (Mulbarton, Norfolk), Salary Brook Vineyard (Essex). Indigenous yeasts and active dried yeasts. Pectolytic enzymes. Minimal Sulphites (<25 mg / L FSO2) - enough to protect from oxidation but well within the principles of low intervention. Carboxymethylcellulose (a plant based extract) (E466) is used to cold stabilise the wine. Vegan friendly.