Ridgeview Cavendish, Sussex NV

The grapes are sourced from the original Ridgeview vineyards, from 28-year-old vines, and carefully selected partner vineyards across Southern England. These are generally south facing sites, with free draining slopes, in and around the English South Downs, with a couple in East Anglia. The sites are on a combination of chalk, clay, gravel and sandstone soils and range between 10 to 50 metres elevation, with a cool maritime climate. Sourcing grapes from multiple vineyards allows maximising complexity and consistency. The vines are trained to Vertical Shoot Positioning, the best fit for the climate, resulting in better sunshine interception and disease management. The vines are mostly Guyot pruned, either single or double depending on vine vigour. Ridgeview is working closely with Marco Simonit to preserve older vines and ensure the longevity of younger vines, by advocating correct, gentle pruning and maintenance. The vines are managed sustainably, including annual tissue analysis, three-yearly soil analysis including soil organic matter content, annual worm count and management of the estate woodland. All grapes are hand-harvested.

The grapes were gently whole bunch pressed, before fermentation at 18°C to 20°C in stainless steel tanks, with selected Champagne yeasts. ‘Cavendish’ is a blend of carefully selected recent vintages and reserve wines, of which a selection underwent malolactic conversion. From harvest to bottling, the wine spent six months in stainless steel on the gross lees. Secondary fermentation took place in underground cellars where the slow, cool, traditional-method bottle fermentation lasted an average of 18 months on lees before disgorging.