County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month November 2023

Bluebell Vineyard’s White Chasselas Vintage 2020

This month’s Wine of the Month comes from Bluebell Vineyard which is situated between the famous Bluebell Steam Railway and the historic Sheffield Park and Garden in Sussex.

Bluebell Vineyard was established in 2005. Head winemaker Kevin Sutherland specialises in the production of award-winning estate-grown English sparkling wines using classic Champagne grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, along with Seyval Blanc, to produce wines that evoke the flavours and fresh aromas of England.

The vineyard was one of the first English vineyards I visited and have always produced high quality wines. I have chosen the grape Chasselas as it is a new wine for me and one that I haven’t tried previously at home or abroad.

The estate stretches across East and West Sussex, covering nearly 100 acres and boasts over 10 grape varieties. It produces a range of still wines within the “Ashdown” range and traditional method production sparkling wines known as ‘Hindleap’. They are one of the few English vineyards that is fortunate enough to have the right conditions to grow Merlot grapes where these are grown in warmer years.

The estate is open to visitors all year round for tours and tastings, along with self-guided walks around their vineyard and woodlands, so well worth a visit.

Michael’s tasting notes for Chasselas

The bottle is a screw top to ensure freshness and has a lighter 11.5% alcohol level, which makes it accessible for most wine drinkers.

One the nose – Fresh with citrus notes, including grapefruit and lime together with white peach. It reminds me of a lighter and more fruity version of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

On the palate – Again, there is citrus but also a refreshing amount of fruit with melon and honeysuckle present. The wine has a very nice mouthfeel and has a medium body from extended exposure of the juice from the pressed grapes.

Food pairing – The wine is fine on its own but will also work with the usual suspects of cheese, shellfish or pasta. For me, because of its added body and balanced acidity, this wine would work well with full flavour foods such as Chinese or Thai dishes.    

Where to buy?

This wine retails at £20.40 a bottle and can be purchased directly from the vineyard  https://bluebellwines.com/products/ashdown-chasselas-2020 or at various stockists around Sussex. You can also book a tour of their estate and tasting so book in online for this.

Written for County Business Club by Michael Yeoman, English Wine Specialist and producer of Spirit of the Downs, award winning local artisan Brandies and Grape spirit.