Celebrating The Launch of Our Iconic English Sparkling Wine: Hattingley Valley Kings Cuvée Rosé

To celebrate the launch of our much anticipated Kings Cuvée Rosé, we decided it would be a good idea to seek the expertise of a top chef and ask their opinion on what dishes they would pair with our new Hattingley Valley prestige cuvée. We were honoured to work with none other than Alex Webb, winner of Master Chef: The Professionals 2020.

Number One Park Lane

Alex started a pop-up at the prestigious Number One Park Lane at The Intercontinental Park Lane, and after the success of his pop-up, which launched last year, it will continue to run into 2023. Having trained in restaurants such as Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Roux at Parliament Square and The Frog in Hoxton, Alex then went on to win Master Chef, The Professionals. His menu at Number One Park Lane is about putting his passion for nature into his creations.   

We asked Alex if he could create a food pairing to match our new prestige cuvée, our much-anticipated Kings Cuvée Rosé. This wine is a particularly special English wine, created from our superb vintage that was 2015. It is the first, and to date and the only time we have made a Rosé in our signature Kings style.

The Winemaking 

This sparkling wine is 100% barrel fermented and very small in production, with just over 1000 bottles made. We only make Kings Cuvée when the quality of our English grapes is exceptional, and we were lucky enough to be able to make it, so much so that this rare, beautiful English sparkling wine could not be created in 2016, so our 2015 is particularly special and one to be savoured!

A premium blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this wine was 100% barrel fermented and then aged for seven months in oak barrels, not least the best six oak barrels from the two hundred we have at Hattingley Valley. This has resulted in a much softer and creamier wine. Before tirage, 1% of Pinot Noir Précoce (having been vinified as still red wine) was added to enhance colour, body and flavour. To achieve the depth and complexity required, it aged for six years in bottle for secondary fermentation. Read the tasting notes here. This wine will mature beautifully over the next 4-5 years, but Alex tells us what he would pair this wine with from his menu to enjoy now.

The Pairings

Firstly, he paired our wine with a beautiful beef carpaccio dish with pine nuts, pickled mushrooms, and truffle worked incredibly well due to the light texture of the beef cut through the fruitiness of the Kings Rosé and the creamy pine nuts puree. A canapes selection would be a perfect dish to serve if you are entertaining, and this was tried and tested with a recipe using oyster and sweet black garlic.

 

 

 

If you were looking for a light pescatarian dish, the tuna tartare with citrus and squid cracker complimented the Kings Rosé incredibly well, and the meatiness of the tuna and the freshness of the citrus paired beautifully.

 

 

This wine also pairs well with desserts, Alex suggested a dark chocolate sphere with hazelnut praline and vanilla ice cream; the bitterness of the dark chocolate and orange gel balanced with the sweetness of the rosé sparkling wine.

 

 

Our Kings Rosé is incredibly versatile for food and wine pairings and one for special occasions; with that in mind, this is the perfect English wine to enjoy and a great wine gift for any wine connoisseur. With Mother’s Day around the corner, it makes for the perfect opportunity and a wine that will work for any dish.

“ The King Cuvee Rose is well-balanced and versatile to adapt to the dishes from my menu, including canapes, starters and desserts” Alex Webb 

 

You can enjoy Hattingley Valley’s Kings Cuvée Rosé by purchasing through our website, or at the following restaurants:

The Hand & Flowers, Marlow 2 Michelin *

Woven at Coworth Park, Ascot 1 Michelin *

Moor Hall, Ormskirk 2 Michelin *

Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Ripon 1 Michelin *

Unalome, Glasgow 1 Michelin *