Tasting notes
Crisp and aromatic with notes of elderflower, gooseberry, and fresh grass. Pairs wonderfully with seafood, particularly oysters and grilled white fish and asparagus and goats cheese.
Why we recommend this wine
Wherever we are in the world we try to drink local wines, even in places not well know for their wines, such as Thailand and Mexico. We have an English sparkling wine (see here) and have hunted for more than a decade for a half bottle of English Bacchus. We have found an excellent one in Liberty‘s Bacchus.
The wine
Made from Bacchus grapes with a touch of Chardonnay (8%), grown in Balfour's Foxridge and Sepham Farm vineyards in Kent. The grapes are hand-picked and gently pressed. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures to preserve the delicate aromas. The wine is then aged on its lees for three months to add complexity and has been mellowed by careful (5%) oak ageing. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The wine estate
Hush Heath Estate has been part of the Balfour-Lynn family for three generations, but it wasn’t until Richard and Leslie purchased the 400-acre farmland attached to Hush Heath Estate that Balfour Winery’s story began. It was Leslie’s idea to plant the original vines at Hush Heath in 2002, with a view to making a pink sparkling wine of equivalent quality to Billecart Salmon Rosé – their favourite pink Champagne. And so, five acres were planted with an aim to produce a wine they would love. “If we can’t sell it”, they thought, “we’ll drink it”. Fortunately, when Balfour Brut Rosé was launched in 2004 it quickly became a major success, winning a gold medal and trophy in the International Wine Challenge for its first vintage. Balfour Winery was one of the founding members of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification scheme. This scheme has specific guidelines which are designed to meet objectives in both vineyard and winery, pertaining to issues such as soil health (vineyard), the reduction and optimisation of pesticide inputs (vineyard), energy and water conservation (winery), and carbon footprint reduction (winery).
balfourwinery.com
Food and wine
This versatile white wine complements a range of dishes. Try it with grilled sea bass or a goat cheese salad. For vegetarians, it pairs beautifully with asparagus risotto or grilled halloumi. Refer also to our food and wine pairing guide, click here.
Did you know?
Bacchus, a grape varietal created in Germany in the 1930s by crossing several grape varieties, has found a second home in England. It's now considered one of the country's signature grape varieties, thriving in the cool climate and chalky soils of Kent.