Col Tillingham Estate English Sparkling Wine 2018

Col '18 Tillingham Estate, experimental Sparkling wine, natural fermentation, no added sulphur, unfiltered. Col is made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes, some of which were whole bunch, some crushed, some de-stemmed, which were fermented naturally. The fermentation takes place in a mixture of tank and 30% 2nd fill Burgundy barrels, then blended and bottled by the almighty power of gravity. As it went into the bottle a touch of sugar was added just to kick start the 2nd fermentation which left the resulting sparkling wine totally dry. Unlike most champagne method sparkling wines, this was not disgorged and nothing was added - no sulphur or dosage. The final wine is slightly hazy, with soft, small bubbles and aromas of toasty, creamy baked apples. The finish is long and dry with a lovely crisp acidity.

Tillingham is a fantastic project run by Ben Walgate in East Sussex. It is situated off a winding country lane on a slope leading down to the Tillingham River which meanders down to Rye. Ben has already set about using organic compost across his five acres, and he plans to introduce sheep onto the land in the spring to help naturally control cover crop and weeds. He's even experimenting with biodynamic preparations (such as 500) so as to improve the health of his soil. Now here's a man who's serious about natural wine making!  In all Ben has planted around 10,000 plants including thirteen English and International grape varieties. His style is experimental, preferring natural methods and a 'try-it-and-see' approach, which is yielding some great results from this budding winemaker.  Great to see such passion and instinct from English wineries.