The Global Masters Wine of the Week: Albury Silent Pool Rosé

Every week, we select a wine that picked up either a Gold or Master from our competition series, and tell you why the judges loved it. Enter the Global Masters, and this could be your wine.

In honour of our Organic Masters 2019 results being released this month, we wanted to reflect on a pioneering English estate that has cultivated not one, but two award-winning wines in our competition series over the past two years.

Nestled in the beautiful Surrey Hills, just outside Guildford, Albury is the Surrey home of the Duke of Northumberland. It has an organic 12-acre vineyard planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, as well as some Seyval Blanc and Pinot Gris, and produces around 20,000 bottles a year.

Organic viticulture is no mean feat, particularly in the UK, but Albury goes one step further, and is one of the only vineyards in England to follow biodynamic principles.

In last year’s Organic Masters, Albury’s sparkling rosé picked up a Gold medal, but in 2019, it was the winery’s still, Silent Pool rosé that wowed the judges.

This tempting rosé – which is the first wine Albury ever produced –  impressed not only with with a “prettily aromatic” nose, bursting with crushed red fruits, from summery strawberry to bright redcurrant, but also an inviting creamy quality that left more than one judge dreaming of rhubarb and custard.

On the palate, our esteemed panel loved the structure and craft of Albury’s rosé, with its balanced texture, concentrated red currant and rhubarb flavours, strong definition, length, and “bracing acidity”.

Not a bottle to be overlooked, one judged signed their sheet off remarking this was a “fairly serious” wine. We can think of nothing better to enjoy on a hot summer’s day in the English countryside. Push the boat out and pair this rosé with a summery dish such as trout with lemon and seasonal asparagus, or a soft, creamy cheese that will let those red fruit flavours sing.

The wine: Albury Vineyard Silent Pool Rosé 2018

The source: Surrey, UK

The grape(s): Pinot Noir (62%), and Pinot Meunier (38%)

The style: An organic, unoaked, still rosé wine

The price: £18.95

The medal: Gold – The Global Organic Masters, 2019

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, the Global Wine Masters provides a chance for your wines to star, whether they hail from the great vineyards of Europe or lesser-known corners of the New World.

It’s a competition dedicated to making winners out of winemakers.

Please visit the Global Masters website for more information, or please call +44 (0)20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com