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.
Louis Pommery, Brut, Sparkling Wine, England, UK
The French of started to taking English vineyard seriously and Louis Pommery has started to make wine in Hampshire and it’s pretty good stuff. Its dry, fresh, but classy with more citrus fruit than toasty notes in French Champagne. I’ve you like the new style of sparkling or a good cremant sparkling wine then this is for you.
At £25 a bottle it’s good value for champagne although a cremant is usually much cheaper at £10.
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.
Winbirri, Solaris, 2019, Norfolk, UK
A few years ago Winbirri won a Decanter world wine award trophy which is some achievement. That was for their Bacchus but their Solaris is very good, it’s dry and crisp but with a softness that is very palatable. Lemon, blossom and stone fruit flavours with a slight tartness on the end makes this perfect for fish, salad or as an aperitif.
At 13 a bottle it’s what English wine usually costs, it’s a shame as it puts people off trying English wine.
Chet Valley, Jubilee Blanc de Blanc 2020, Norfolk, UK
Chet Valley, Jubilee Blanc de Blanc 2020 from Norfolk was made with the Queen’s 70th jubilee celebrations in mind. It’s easy to dismiss this as all marketing, but this is truly an excellent sparkling wine. Made with 100% chardonnay it has many characteristics of champagne but is that little bit lighter with slightly less toasty notes and more fruit driven.
It’s got to be one of the best English sparkling wines I tried in a long time. It’s a shame that it’s £30 a bottle because it would put people off, but that’s the cost of champagne beating wine from the UK.
Chapel Down, Kits Coty, Chardonnay, 2013, UK
If you think you can’t keep English wine for years before drinking it you’re wrong and this is exactly the bottle to try. Chapel Down make a lot of wine and a million bottles on a year but this kits coty is one of their premier lines.
Even after 8-years it is stunning wine to taste and although it costs over £25 a bottle it’s a must to try anyone that likes white wine. A worthy gold medal winner.
Theres still complexity in this wine with aromas of peach and apple, apricot with flinty under notes and subtle oak and a very long finish.
With summer and sitting out in the garden eating salads and barbecues, talking with friends this is got to be one to put on the menu.
Sugrue, English Sparkling Wine, South Downs, UK
Its the first time that I have tried Sugrue’s english sparkling wine which is from the South Downs in England and I was very surprised.
Dry, crisp with high acidity and tasting exactly like Champagne I was expecting more fruit driven flavours rather than deep yeasty notes. Its nice but I’m more a cremant person, its good but just not for me.