Flint Vineyard 'Charmat Rosé' 2023

Flint were the first producer in the UK to start fermenting a sparkling wine using the Charmat method of production. Unlike the traditional method used in Champagne, the secondary fermentation is completed in a tank rather than bottle giving a more approachable style. It is the method used for all Prosecco wines. This wine is neither a Prosecco nor a Champagne but, rather, is uniquely English. It makes a fantastic aperitif and lends itself to summer days. It is full of red berry fruits and sassy acidity and has been described by Matthew Jukes as a ‘dreamy stunner’ and ‘the best wine in the world made by this method’.

Possibly the pinkest and fruitiest Charmat yet... bursting with confected strawberries and cream. But it’s not just all fruit: there is a slight praline nuttiness in the background, which gives the wine some complexity.

On the palate it is crisp, crunchy and still full of red fruits. It is both easy drinking yet structured and serious enough to make a fine apéritif. Sassy, summery and fun.

Press Review:

Suzy Atkins, Decanter: "Strikingly different and fun - a deep cerise Norfolk fizz made using the Charmat (tank) method, like Prosecco, with a short (four months) period on its lees. Made from six varieties from two vineyards, it's bursting with juicy, tangy cranberry and red cherry fruit, the refreshing tartness balanced by 11g dosage. Soft bubbles. Perfect for a picnic or high summer party; pair it with sausage rolls, ham and tomato salads."

Owner and winemaker, Ben Witchell has had a lifelong passion for wine. What started as a desire to learn more about the vinous world quickly spiralled out of control, leading Ben to quit his job in IT and work out how to make wine in 2007. Having since extensively travelled the wine-making world, gained a first-class degree in Oenology and Viticulture at Plumpton College and spent three years in Beaujolais as an assistant winemaker, he is indeed a winemaker, with great respect for both the creative art and the fascinating science of the profession.

With the aim of starting his own winemaking venture in the UK, Ben pinpointed south Norfolk or Suffolk as being potential spots to craft outstanding English wines. With pockets of suitable vineyard soil, and a combination of being the warmest, driest most consistent climate in the country, East Anglia showed great potential. A chance email sent to a local farmer resulted in Ben taking on a plot of vines already planted in the sunny and sheltered Waveney Valley, Norfolk in 2015. Flint Vineyard was born, named after the stony soil on which it is planted.

Since then Flint Vineyard has flourished. There are now over 26,000 vines covering 6 hectares and a state-of-the-art winery allows wine production at the highest level. Flint has gained a solid reputation for producing some of the best premium English still wines. It has also innovated with methods in the winery and products such as the Charmat Rosé, the first sparkling wine to be made using the Charmat method, most commonly used in Prosecco.