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Sussex PDO: The 12- and 15-month requirements overlap
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Example of racking from lees after a minimum of 12 months on the lees. Do not add 12 months to the 15 months before release to make 27 months in total. To the supporting reference ↓
FIELD NOTE 01
Region and appellation
Sussex is a registered PDO under the UK system. It includes both still and sparkling wines, each with its own set of specifications. Simply knowing Sussex as a regional name doesn’t tell you how long the wine matures in bottle. Begin by selecting the product type and read the corresponding requirements.
FIELD NOTE 02
15 months and 12 months
For sparkling wines, specifications require a minimum of 15 months in the bottle before release, including at least 12 months in contact with lees during the tirage. If disgorgement occurs after 12 months on lees, add another 3 months to reach 15 months. If you simplify this as "15 months lees aging for all," you lose the distinctions in the rules.
FIELD NOTE 03
Distinguish what is being compared in terms of ratio.
For sparkling wines, at least 85% of the base vintage must be stated on the label, and at least 90% for single-variety expressions. For blanc de blancs Chardonnay, the requirement is also 90%; do not generically record it as 100%. Including both the proportion and the applicable designation in your notes allows for precise comparisons with sparkling wines from other countries.
Incorrect. This includes at least 12 months on the lees in bottle prior to release. If it is 12 months, add 3 more months following disgorgement.
PAUSE & REFLECT
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Does "15 months before release" mean "15 months on lees"?
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Incorrect. This includes at least 12 months on the lees in bottle prior to release. If it is 12 months, add 3 more months following disgorgement.
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View saved notes →Sources and reference materials
These are the reference materials for the main text. For details of production regulations, consult the current documents. For individual wine specifications, refer to materials for the relevant vintage.
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