Roebuck Estates, Blanc de Noirs, 2018
Roebuck Estates, Blanc de Noirs, 2018
- White Sparkling
- 75.0cl
- 12.0%
- Pinot Noir
Roebuck Estates farms some of the finest chalk slopes in Sussex, and this Blanc de Noirs is their statement that English sparkling wine can do brooding as well as it does bright. Made entirely from Pinot Noir, it skips the usual Chardonnay lift for something weightier and more serious, with a colour that hints at the red grape skins behind it and a palate that trades delicacy for depth.
Expect red cherry, redcurrant, and a savoury, biscuity richness from extended time on lees, all carried by that unmistakable chalk-soil tension that keeps English fizz honest.
- ❖ ABV: 12.0%
Grapes
Pinot Noir
Vintage report
2018 is the vintage Sussex growers still talk about with a slightly disbelieving grin. A mild, early spring set things off well, and then summer simply refused to let up: long, dry, properly hot by English standards, with none of the disease pressure or rot that usually keeps vineyard managers awake in September. The result was a harvest of genuinely ripe fruit at generous yields, something of a rarity in a region more used to battling for both. Chardonnay came in with real concentration, Pinot Noir ripened fully enough to show actual red fruit character rather than the leaner, hedgerow quality some vintages produce, and Pinot Meunier added the roundness that traditional method blends lean on.
This was the vintage that proved Sussex, and English fizz more broadly, could do "ripe" as convincingly as it does "racy", and plenty of producers used it to make a statement. The still wines are drinking beautifully now, full of flesh and confidence. The sparkling wines, particularly those with meaningful time on lees, are only just hitting their stride and will reward patience until 2030 and beyond.
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale copper-gold with a fine, persistent mousse.
NoseRed cherry and redcurrant sit alongside brioche and a faint smokiness from lees ageing.
PalateCreamy and full for an English sparkling wine, with ripe red fruit, a savoury biscuit edge, and bright chalky acidity holding it all together.
FinishLong, saline, and gently toasty.
Overall impressionA serious, structured Blanc de Noirs that proves Sussex chalk can produce weight as well as finesse.
Food Pairings
Down in Sussex, this sort of wine turns up alongside Rye Bay scallops seared in butter, or smoked trout from the local rivers. Softened by lees richness, it also copes well with a proper ploughman's of mature Sussex cheese and homemade chutney. Locals might open it with a roast partridge in autumn, the wine's red-fruit depth matching the gamey richness rather than being swamped by it.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 10-12°C, slightly warmer than you might pour a simple aperitif fizz, to let the biscuity complexity show. No need to decant, though opening twenty minutes before serving allows the aromas to unfurl. A proper white wine glass or tulip-shaped flute shows it better than a flat, narrow champagne flute.
The vineyards sit on the chalk seam that runs beneath the South Downs, the same geological band that underpins Champagne itself, giving sharp drainage and mineral tension to the fruit. Sussex's cool, maritime-influenced climate forces a long, slow ripening season, which keeps acidity high and flavours precise. Pinot Noir grown here struggles for full ripeness in lesser years, but that very tension is what gives the wine its backbone.
Sussex does not yet have the formal appellation weight of Champagne, but it has become shorthand for England's most serious sparkling wine, thanks largely to that shared chalk geology. There are no rigid blending rules as in Champagne, giving growers freedom to experiment with grape proportions and dosage levels. What unites the best Sussex producers is a commitment to traditional method winemaking and a refusal to rush the ageing process.
2018 is the vintage Sussex growers still talk about with a slightly disbelieving grin. A mild, early spring set things off well, and then summer simply refused to let up: long, dry, properly hot by English standards, with none of the disease pressure or rot that usually keeps vineyard managers awake in September. The result was a harvest of genuinely ripe fruit at generous yields, something of a rarity in a region more used to battling for both. Chardonnay came in with real concentration, Pinot Noir ripened fully enough to show actual red fruit character rather than the leaner, hedgerow quality some vintages produce, and Pinot Meunier added the roundness that traditional method blends lean on.
This was the vintage that proved Sussex, and English fizz more broadly, could do "ripe" as convincingly as it does "racy", and plenty of producers used it to make a statement. The still wines are drinking beautifully now, full of flesh and confidence. The sparkling wines, particularly those with meaningful time on lees, are only just hitting their stride and will reward patience until 2030 and beyond.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Red cherry and redcurrant fruit with a creamy, biscuity richness and a saline, chalky finish, fuller-bodied than most English sparkling wine.
When should I drink this wine?
It is drinking well now and will continue to develop nicely until around 2032.
What food should I pair it with?
Try it with seared scallops, smoked trout, or a mature Sussex cheese board. It also handles roast game, such as partridge, with ease.
How should I serve it?
Serve at 10-12°C in a white wine glass or tulip flute rather than a narrow champagne flute, to let the aromas open up.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
It rewards a few years of patience, with the richest, most savoury character emerging between 2028 and 2030.
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