Chapel Down launches £100 English fizz

Chapel Down has released a ‘Coeur de Cuvée’ English sparkling wine priced at £99.99, which makes it the most expensive wine made in England on sale.

Called Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2013, just 1,600 individually numbered bottles of the blanc de blancs went on sale yesterday in honour of St. George’s Day.

The sparkler is made from the 121 Chardonnay clone sourced from the best blocks within Chapel Down’s 38-hectare Kity’s Coty vineyard on the North Downs of Kent.

Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty vineyard

The southerly aspect means the vines capture the sunshine all year long, while the limestone-rich chalk soils provide the ideal conditions for intensely flavoured fruit.

The Coeur de Cuvée is made from the heart of the first pressing – the best quality portion of juice extracted from the first press cycle.

The 12% abv sparkler undergoes wild fermentation and is aged on its lees in French oak for seven months.

With just 6 grams per litre of sugar, the wine undergoes minimal filtration. “It’s so pure it doesn’t need it – the wine is all about balance, freshness and purity of fruit,” Chapel Down brand ambassador James McLean told db.

According to winemaker Josh Donaghay-Spire, the £100 fizz is “a rich, elegant wine with aromas of ripe green apple, hazelnuts and freshly baked brioche.” While the palate boasts “tropical fruit, incredible purity and finesse from the chalk soils”.

“Our vision has always been to produce exceptional wines from the Kit’s Coty estate; to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in this country,” said Mark Harvey, Chapel Down’s managing director.

Prior to the release of Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2013, the most expensive wine made in England was Nyetimber’s single vineyard sparkler Tillington, priced at £75, made at the estate’s 37.3-hectare Netherland vineyard in West Sussex.

Modelled on the clos concept, the second release of Tillington (2010) – a blend of 78% Pinot Noir and 22% Chardonnay – went on sale last year.