English wine producer Roebuck Estates has launched Rare Expressions No. 96, the second instalment in its aptly named sparkling wine collection, a limited series designed to capture singular expressions of grape, place, or moment.
Aged an extraordinary 96 months before its debut, just 1,625 individually numbered bottles are available.
Crafted from the 2014 vintage, Rare Expressions No.96 is composed of the three noble grape varieties synonymous with Champagne: 47% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, and 15% Pinot Meunier. But unlike your typical release, this wine has been allowed to rest quietly in bottle for eight full years, a rarity in English winemaking.
The result, we’re told, is a sparkler with real gravitas. It pours a deep golden hue, with a fine bead of bubbles and a velvety mouthfeel. On the palate, there’s the promises of baked apple and honey, with biscuity depth, and intriguing layers of toasted walnuts and candied citrus peel.
Explains Jake Wicks, Roebuck’s Head of Viticulture: “We tasted the wine every year to assess its evolution in bottle… ageing sparkling wines is not linear! But after 96 months, the wine tasted incredible, deliciously rich, yet still refined.”
It pours a deep golden hue, with a fine bead of bubbles and a velvety mouthfeel…
More than just a label
The bottle’s design sports an intricate label that visually echoes this wine’s evolution. Roebuck’s signature Roe Deer motif is presented in graduated foiling, subtly shifting in tone to mimic the transformation the wine undergoes during extended ageing.
Michael Kennedy, CEO of Roebuck Estates, sees No.96 as a landmark release. “This really is a very special collection,” he says. “Rare Expressions No.96 represents one of our oldest wine releases to date, and joins our debut release, Rare Expressions No.19, which is currently being poured by the glass at the Mandarin Oriental.”
Roebuck’s wines have been spotted in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues, including The Savoy, The Fat Duck, and the Mandarin Oriental.
Established in 2013, Roebuck Estates is dedicated to the production of vintage sparkling wines that capture the essence of the growing season.
If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at a champagne bill and thought, “Well that escalated quickly,” you’re not alone. A new Champagne Index from global chauffeur service Blacklane has crunched the numbers on what a single glass of bubbly actually costs around the world – and the results are fizzing with surprises. Researched by drinks…
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Just in time for Burns Night, Orkney-based Highland Park has announced a limited-edition cask strength single malt whisky. The new release, Cask Strength: Heather, is made using 100 per cent Orkney peat-smoked barley, with peat sourced responsibly from Hobbister Moor, just a few miles from the distillery. Given Orkney’s northern latitude, trees struggle to grow,…
The Luxe Review 
English wine producer Roebuck Estates has launched Rare Expressions No. 96, the second instalment in its aptly named sparkling wine collection, a limited series designed to capture singular expressions of grape, place, or moment.
Aged an extraordinary 96 months before its debut, just 1,625 individually numbered bottles are available.
Crafted from the 2014 vintage, Rare Expressions No.96 is composed of the three noble grape varieties synonymous with Champagne: 47% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, and 15% Pinot Meunier. But unlike your typical release, this wine has been allowed to rest quietly in bottle for eight full years, a rarity in English winemaking.
The result, we’re told, is a sparkler with real gravitas. It pours a deep golden hue, with a fine bead of bubbles and a velvety mouthfeel. On the palate, there’s the promises of baked apple and honey, with biscuity depth, and intriguing layers of toasted walnuts and candied citrus peel.
Explains Jake Wicks, Roebuck’s Head of Viticulture: “We tasted the wine every year to assess its evolution in bottle… ageing sparkling wines is not linear! But after 96 months, the wine tasted incredible, deliciously rich, yet still refined.”
More than just a label
The bottle’s design sports an intricate label that visually echoes this wine’s evolution. Roebuck’s signature Roe Deer motif is presented in graduated foiling, subtly shifting in tone to mimic the transformation the wine undergoes during extended ageing.
Michael Kennedy, CEO of Roebuck Estates, sees No.96 as a landmark release. “This really is a very special collection,” he says. “Rare Expressions No.96 represents one of our oldest wine releases to date, and joins our debut release, Rare Expressions No.19, which is currently being poured by the glass at the Mandarin Oriental.”
Roebuck’s wines have been spotted in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues, including The Savoy, The Fat Duck, and the Mandarin Oriental.
Established in 2013, Roebuck Estates is dedicated to the production of vintage sparkling wines that capture the essence of the growing season.
Available now via roebuckestates.co.uk, Rare Expressions No.96 is priced at £95.
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If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at a champagne bill and thought, “Well that escalated quickly,” you’re not alone. A new Champagne Index from global chauffeur service Blacklane has crunched the numbers on what a single glass of bubbly actually costs around the world – and the results are fizzing with surprises. Researched by drinks…
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