Bolney Wine Estate : Pinpointing Sussex Terroir
Having only tasted a handful of English wines prior to my recent trip to the U.K., I was extremely excited to take a deep dive into the country’s wine scene.
While English sparkling wine is what the region champions, I was happy to see there are also interesting and high-quality still wines being produced here by passionate winemakers. Of my entire British wine study, Bolney Wine Estate proved to be the most exceptional, not just for winery experience, but more importantly, a remarkable high-quality portfolio.
“The appetizing, chalky texture and flavour in Bolney’s wines is quite distinctive, arguably more appealing than most of the wines I’ve tasted in my career.”
Grasping the terroir of Sussex and surrounding areas was an exhilarating feat for a wine geek like myself, but one that could only be done by tasting several wines by different producers in the area. Defining minerality in the English wines I tasted within their sub-regions was especially captivating, particularly in the wines from Bolney. The appetizing, chalky texture and flavour in Bolney’s wines is quite distinctive, arguably more appealing than most of the wines I’ve tasted in my career.
Bolney utilizes their five vineyard sites to create a stunning portfolio. The sun exposure of their Eighteen Acre south facing vineyard planted in 2002 at Bolney caught my attention. Planted on sandstone soil, that is predominately Upper Tunbridge Wells Sand, is where they source grapes for their most highly acclaimed wines, including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, and Rondo.
My tasting at the estate concluded pinpointing Sussex terroir, and grasping intelligent winemaking. The mineral driven terroir was coddled and presented perfectly. Chalky texture is tenacious, and a driving force on the persistently long finishes of all wines. The wines also displayed beautiful oak integration, and smart sulfur additions.
Almost impossible to pick out a favourite as quality streams across the board, but I was truly impressed with their WFG NV Blanc de Blancs and still Chardonnay. It also was a treat to taste their sparkling old vine Dornfelder, planted in 1973.
The overall hospitality during my visit to Bolney Estate can’t go without mention. I was happily surprised by the delectable menu at Bolney including their delicious, classic English fish and chips that made a perfect pairing with their Blanc de Blancs.
Thank you to the fabulous hospitable Bolney team member, Edward, who enthusiastically talked me through the portfolio and passionately answered all of my questions about the winery.
Bolney Estate began their journey in 1972, with the very first vines being planted the following year. Now celebrating their 50 year anniversary, they can look back on highlights such as being awarded ‘UK Wine Producer of the Year’ and a Gold for their Blanc de Blancs 2007, and Gold for their recent Rosé Cuvée in the International Wine and Spirit Competition, as well as ‘Winery of the Year’ in 2017 from the United Kingdom Vineyard Association, (to name a few).
Even with these accolades, Bolney still seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem for premium English wine, but if you’re touring English wine country, this winery has the most established repertoire of sparkling and still wines that truly pinpoint Sussex terroir.