Blackbook 'Painter of Light' Chardonnay

Blackbook is the first solo project from winemaker, Sergio Verrillo, and his wife Lynsey.  They are both passionate Londoners who have long held the dream of starting an urban winery in London. The winery is located in a railway arch in Battersea, a stone's throw from Battersea Park in south London.

The grapes are sourced from growers within hours of the city, carefully selected for their well-located vineyards and high quality grapes. They endeavour to bring the hard work of our vineyard owners to the forefront by creating a range of single vineyard wines that showcase the quality and potential for making world-leading still wine here in England.

The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown all over the world, from England to New Zealand. The Chardonnay grape itself is neutral, with many of the flavours commonly associated with the wine being derived from influences such as terrior and oak.

In cool climates like northern France or England you would expect flavours of orchard fruits like apples, pears and green plums but in the warmer climbs of California in the USA or Adelaide in Australia you may see tropical fruits, sometimes even banana. 

Chardonnay is well adapted to taking on flavours from its surroundings, for example fermenting or ageing in oak gives the wine flavours of vanilla, smoke and toast. It is most often used as a single variety in still wines but is equally successful blended into some of the best sparkling wines in the world, incuding Champagne and English sparkling wine.