Thorrington Mill, Bacchus, 2022, Essex, UK
Nestling in the Essex countryside is the Thorrington Mill Vineyard. While not a massive producer it does make some excellent wine. This 2022 Bacchus is a classy wine. A dry, refined Bacchus with subtle flavours of grapefruit, citrus with a little peach and hint of flint, it’s well worth trying. A well deserved gold received at the 2024 Essex wine awards, see www.essexwineawards.co.uk and at under £20 a bottle very reasonably priced.
Potash Field, Bacchus, 2023, Essex, UK
Potash Field vineyard is not a big player, a local place with a lot of passion and an experienced wine maker. This is an off dry bacchus with a soft feel, good acidity and chunk of gooseberry with hints of lime and lemon. Its a very easy drinking wine that would go well with a zesty salad or fish dish.
New Hall Estate, Single Estate, Pinot Noir, 2021, Essex, UK
New Hall Estate in Essex can produce so excellent Lines but this single Estate Pinot Noir is outstanding. It’s one of the best Rosé wines I’ve tasted in a long time. There is a classiness about it, it’s subtle with redcurrent, strawberry, hint of creaminess and minerality on the finish.
At £16 a bottle it’s not cheap but its fantastic wine.
New Hall Estate, Barons Lane, 2021, Essex, UK
This white wine made primarily with pinot Blanc grapes, is another classic English White from New Hall in Essex and it’s all the better for it.
It’s a dry fruity wine with flavours of citrus and hints of peach, it’s a great wine for the summer sitting in the garden enjoying life or have with sea food. At £13 its fair value.
Tuffon Hall, Beatrice, Rosé, 2022, Essex, UK
We know that Essex is one of the best places in England for why and this Rose from Tuffon Hall really does show some classic English, easy drinking Summer Wine. It’s very much like a Provence which isn’t a bad thing there are hints of strawberry and a touch of red fruit it’s got greater acidity and a firm crispness which is refreshing when sitting at the bottom of the garden watching the sunset. Unfortunately at £16 a bottle it is a little bit on the pricey side, but it is a quality wine.
Made in the traditional, just like Champagne this New Hall, Brut Rose is a classic easy drinking sparkling wine from central Essex. There’s hints of strawberries and raspberry. It’s got a good hit of acidity and pretty dry but very drinkable. At a bit over £20 its decent value.
Toppesfield, Classic Brut, Sparkling wine, 2018, Essex
I really like the Toppesfield wines, they are no that far away from me and they are really passionate about what they do which I love, along with the wines and this Sparkling Brut.
Its crisp and dry, made in the traditional sparkling wine way this is a elegant but more fruit driven on the flavour than a traditional Champagne way. You get citrus and apples and a little gooseberry undernote in there.
At £24 a bottle its priced as cheaper Champagne but so much more drinkable than french champagne and a step up from french Cremant.
Bardfield, Anne of Cleves, 2017, Essex, UK
We have visited Bardfield and its an english vineyard that make great easy drinking summer wines. Made with the Bacchus grape you get fresh citrus on the nose and in the taste that’s joined by a lime and lemon under note. It has good length its clean fresh taste makes this a great white wine to just drink on a hot summers day watching the world go by.
At £12 a bottle its what you pay for english white wine. A shame in some ways as the price will put some people off.
New Hall, Bacchus Fume Reserve, 2016, Essex, UK
New Hall in Essex has been making Bacchus for a long time and they are getting better and better. They make a lot of different wines which can be a little confusing, so its best to pop a long to an open day and sample!
This 4 year old Fume Reserve is light with aromas of elderflower and mellon, flavours of apple, lemon and hints of gooseberry. Its not what you may call sophisticated but it is what you would all wonderful.
At £12 a bottle it’s decent value given the quality you are getting.