Rathfinny Wine Estate, Blanc de Noirs

In April 2023 Rathfinny became the third wine producer in the UK to achieve B Corp certification, underscoring their philosophy to put people and the planet at the core of their business. Rathfinny Wine Estate was founded in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver, who planted the first vineyards in April 2012. This family-owned estate now comprises over 93 hectares of vines in the South Downs, just three miles from the Channel. Their vineyards are predominantly planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier on a south-facing slope. Combined with a semi-continental maritime climate and free-draining chalk soils, this unique site offers ideal conditions to ripen grapes for sparkling wine. Rathfinny uses only estate-grown fruit for their four traditional-method sparkling wines, Classic Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé, each produced and labelled as a vintage wine.

Rathfinny’s hand-harvested and whole-bunch-pressed grapes are vinified with minimal intervention and low dosage, preserving the purest expression of place and vintage. This preservation of character starts in the vineyard.

Sarah Driver explains, “We take the stewardship of our land seriously. All our buildings are constructed using locally sourced materials, such as flint from the vineyards, and we have worked with Natural England and the South Downs National Park to implement a programme of improvements to enhance wildlife habitats and reclaim areas of natural chalk grassland, as well as creating wildlife corridors throughout the vineyard.”

This ‘re-wilding’ of what was previously an arable farm ensures greater biodiversity in their vineyards. Focusing on the environment, sustainability and soil also ensures excellent quality fruit. Mark Driver adds that “sustainability is multi-layered, it’s everything we touch. It’s not just about the use of carbon or energy or chemicals. It’s about how we treat our soils, our use of water and all the inputs we have in the winemaking process, the whole environment.” This attention to detail shines through in the wines, which are beautifully made, elegant and balanced.

The Classic Cuvée blends Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. It is fermented solely in stainless steel and, like all Rathfinny’s base wines, goes through malolactic fermentation. It is then aged on its lees, in bottle, for 36 months before disgorgement. The black grape character provides excellent depth of flavour, while 4.5 grammes per litre dosage ensures great balance and elegance. The Rosé is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. While the base wine is fermented in stainless steel, it is blended with more Pinot Noir and aged in barrel to enhance the colour. After the second fermentation, the wine is aged on its lees for 24 months to preserve freshness and vivacity. The quality of the fruit is attested to by the balance and suppleness the final wine displays with a dosage of only five grammes per litre. The Blanc de Blancs, made solely from Chardonnay, which has enough depth to stand on its own, has an attractive biscuity, autolytic character giving the wine excellent length.

Described by Matthew Jukes as “hard to beat anywhere on Earth”, the Blanc de Noirs is Rathfinny’s flagship cuvée and evidences the quality of their estate fruit. It is made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, aged on its lees for 36 months. The resulting wine is rich without being burly, combining delicacy and weight in a way few English sparkling wines can.