Go Back

Rathfinny Classic Cuvée 2020 Gift Box Portrait

Rathfinny 2020 Classic Cuvée

Name: Rathfinny 2020 Classic Cuvée
Brand: Sussex Sparkling 75cl
SKU: Rathfinny 2018 Classic Cuvée-2
Availability: InStock

Price range: £38.00 through £456.00

Rathfinny 2020 Classic Cuvée is our ‘house-style’ English sparkling wine, made in the traditional method from a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier grapes, grown and hand-harvested on the Rathfinny Wine Estate. An elegant structure and crisp, dry finesse make this the perfect aperitif.

Single & Case Options

Clear

Add to Basket

Additional information

Additional information

Release Date	February 2022
Blend	50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier
Lees Ageing	36 months
Fermentation	Inoculated with commercial yeast, fermented in stainless steel tanks at 16°C
PH	3.10
TA	6.6g/l
Dosage	5g/L
Malolactic Fermentation	100%
Fining Agent	Isinglass
ABV	12%
Single & Case Options	Single Bottle No Gift Box, Single Bottle & Gift Box, 3 Bottle Case, 6 Bottle Case, 12 Bottle Case

Go Back

OUR CLASSIC SUSSEX SPARKLING

As a family-run, grower-producer, we specialise in making vintage Sussex Sparkling wines that are Pinot Noir-dominant. Our ‘house-style’ 2020 Classic Cuvée is crafted to be fresh, dry and characterful while emphasising the purity of estate‑grown fruit.

Tasting Note

Rich textures of red apples and summer fruits followed by hints of spice and orange peel on the finish.

“Very pale gold. Invitingly creamy and lightly yeasty aroma, with apple and clementine notes, even a very subtle hint of ginger. Extremely fine and persistent mousse, excellent balance between the crisp acidity and the rounded, creamy – and yet almost chewy – finish. Harmonious, classy and long.” 17 points. Julia Harding, wine writer for Jancis Robinson

FOOD PAIRING

As an aperitif-style wine, the Classic Cuvée prepares the palate for food with it’s mouth-watering structure. However, it is also a versatile food-matcher. We recommend pairing this vintage with a crab linguine. The orchard fruits complement the delicate, natural sweetness of the crab whilst the salinity of our wine enhances the briny flavours. The zesty acidity cuts through the buttery sauce, making every bite taste light and fresh.

2020 VINTAGE

Spring was met with the arrival of warm weather prompting an early budburst. This set the tone for a growing season with rapid vine development and limited rainfall. We witnessed the driest May ever recorded in England and flowering towards the end of June.

The vines benefited from a warm August and September, resulting in the perfect balance of sugar and acidity come veraison. Very low disease pressure at harvest resulted in a beautifully clean crop, characterised by small bunches and great concentration of flavour, with ripeness levels comparable to standout years like 2018.

Technical Details

CLASSIC CUVÉE 2020

RELEASE DATE.: June 2026
BLEND.: 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier
TIME IN BOTTLE.: 54 months upon release
WINEMAKING.: Inoculated with commercial yeast, fermented in stainless steel tanks at 16 °C
PH.: 3.09
TA.: 6.7g/L
DOSAGE.: 3.5g/L
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION.: 100%
ABV.: 12.5%

Technical Information

Discover Previous Vintages

2016 Classic Cuvée 2017 Classic Cuvée 2018 Classic Cuvée 2019 Classic Cuvée

Mark and Sarah Driver Rathfinny Tasting Room

About Rathfinny

The Sussex house of Rathfinny is a family-run, grower-producer, specialising in traditional method, vintage sparkling wines with Sussex PDO status. Terroir-driven, the wines emody the single-estate vineyard in the South Downs of Sussex. Produced from hand-harvested grapes that are whole-bunch pressed and patiently matured on lees and in bottle to develop rich, autolytic notes, with a low dosage that emphasises the purity of the fruit.

Discover More