Simpsons Wine Estate, Kent, 'Derringstone', Pinot Meunier is an exceptional still wine, boasting an inviting rose gold hue, a balanced flavour of poached pears, toffee apple, salted caramel, and orchard fruit compote. Pinot Meunier is a black grape so this has been made as a white wine or blanc de noirs. The wine has a luxuriously mouth-filling texture as a result of malolactic conversion and spending the winter resting on its fine lees.

A winner at the Sommelier awards, Simpsons Wine Estate, Kent, 'Derringstone', Pinot Meunier is a truly gastronomic wine and a must-have for any wine enthusiast.

Critic Review

Decanter World Wine Awards: 91Pts Silver Medal

"Pale pink tinge with a sweet floral nose and unripe cherry. Rich, pleasant flavours with definition on the end."
Decanter Panel for DWWA 2023

Decanter Magazine: 89Pts
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2025

"As the pink hue suggests, this is a 'Blanc de Noirs' white wine made using 100% Pinot Meunier. Candied peach and red berry fruits on the nose, with hints of herbs and crushed flint. Crisp and salted on the palate, textured with ripe red apple and a pinch of sweet spices on the finish."
Sylvia Wu

JancisRobinson.com: 16.5Pts
Drinking Window: now - 2024

"Very pale pink (but sold as a white wine). Lots of personality! A little saline and savoury. Definitely Pinot and great fun."
Jancis Robinson MW

About the Producer

Charles and Ruth Simpson have been making award-winning wines in the South of France since 2002. In 2012, attracted by the quality of the terroir and the opportunity to become part of one of the most dynamic wine producing regions in the world, they brought their expertise back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate. Aspiring to produce the finest quality English wine, they planted 30 hectares of vineyards on the iconic chalk terroir of the North Downs and built a state-of-the-art gravity fed winery. They are members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain. In 2016, the Simpsons saw their first harvest. With a strong focus on provenance, they produce a highly acclaimed range of exclusively estate-grown still and sparkling wines, including the Chalklands Classic Cuvée 2016, which won a gold medal in the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

Vineyard and Winery

Simpsons Wine Estate is situated in the Elham Valley; an unspoilt seam in the North Downs of Kent where the contours of the land, the climate and the soil are excellent for viticulture. The intensely lime-rich chalk soil forms part of the same chalk ridge that stretches from southern England to Burgundy. The grapes come from the Roman Road vineyard, where the Guyot trained vines are trained on vertical foliage wires to help with canopy management. The Pinot Meunier vines are planted at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare from clones 791, 977 and 978. They are grown on south facing slopes, ensuring heat accumulation in the day and cold air drainage at night. The vineyard is less than eight miles from the coast, providing a crucial maritime influence insulating the fruit against intense temperature variations. Grass cover crops between the rows encourage biodiversity within the vineyard. Pruning and harvesting takes place by hand and Simpsons is signed up to the Wine GB’s Sustainability Scheme.

The hand-picked grapes were carefully whole bunch pressed. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours before being racked and undergoing a long, slow fermentation using aromatic yeasts. The wine went through full malolactic conversion, resulting in a creamy texture and then rested on its fine lees to build palate weight.