The Taste
The Balfour 2005 wine followed a classic sparkling wine fermentation. The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were harvested and pressed together. (The Pinot Meunier making up about 4% of the final blend). A small red ferment was made and added to the main cuvee after 4 days to provide the delicate pink colour. The wines rested on their yeast lees until December. Blending and stabilisation of the wine took place in the New Year. Tirage (bottling for the secondary fermentation) took place on 17th July 2007. The wine will rest on its yeast lees until disgorging. Balfour is disgorged on demand and spends a limited time on the cork to maintain its fresh and vibrant style.
Alc 12.5% pH 2.78 Ta 9g/l dosage 8g/l
52% Pinot Noir - 44% Chardonnay - 4% Pinot Meunier
Here’s what the experts and press are saying
“The palest of pinks (old fashioned rose) the style is youthful and refreshing, the nose is clean and complex, hints of redcurrant, strawberry, pear and hazelnut on the palate. Crisp, English acidity with a fine and prolonged mousse.”
Owen Elias
“Balfour Brut 2005 has fragrant red-fruit on the nose, perhaps more strawberry than raspberry, with an elegant light brioche toastiness complimenting the fruit. As the wine opens out, the nose increases with power, hinting at things to come with increased age. On the palate, the Balfour Brut 2005 has the ideal balance of sweetness and fruit acidity with a long, refreshing finish with echoes of the red-fruits noted on the nose. Although still youthful, the wine is a worthy successor to the 2004.”
Stephen Skelton, MW
“I chose to create Balfour Brut Rosé because it's fun. It's a party drink - you can't say it without giggling”
Richard Balfour-Lynn
“Threatening to push Nyetimber off the top spot of English sparklers, Balfour Brut Rose is a delightfully pale pink blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown near leafy Cranbrook in Kent.”
Jonathan Ray, The Daily Telegraph
“Delicate, wild strawberry and raspberry flavours infuse a beautifully balanced, long palate with an elegant mousse.”
Sarah Ahmed, Wine & Spirit
“...Lean and structured with soft hints of strawberries it makes for superior picnic drinking.”
Sparkler of the Month, Decanter Magazine
“...The most exclusive English fizz on the market...”
Anthony Rose, The Independent
“...stands comparison with top-flight Champagne”
Jamie Goode, Sunday Express
Send us your reviews to reviews@hushheath.co.uk
Results from the 2005 harvest
2005 was another ideal year for English winegrowers. An early spring led on to good flowering conditions and the summer was by and large a good one. The autumn, although starting cool, warmed up in late September and remained warm and dry until the end of October which gave ideal picking conditions. The grapes were harvested over two days, October 10th and the 24th, and a total of 21,528 kg were picked. The Pinot Noir yielded at 6.6 tonnes/acre, the Chardonnay at 4.5 tonnes/acre and the Pinot Meunier, which were in their first real year of cropping, a respectable 1.58 tonnes/acre. This produced a final blend which is 52% Pinot Noir, 44% Chardonnay and 4% Pinot Meunier.
Sugar and acid levels were again ideal for sparkling wine with the Chardonnay at 9.8% potential alcohol and 10.5 g/l acidity, the Pinot Noir at 8.6% and 13 g/l and the Pinot Meunier at 9.8% and 8.5 g/l.