Who’d have thought it? In the early 1980s when I was first getting into wine, the idea of England as a credible wine-producing country would have been laughable. Yes, vineyards were planted here by the Romans 2,000 years ago, but in the 1980s ‘British wine’ was alive and well; wine made from imported grape must processed in the UK. Wines made from English fruit were oddities with little or no reputation.
The growth and quality improvement in the last 40 years has been nothing less than phenomenal. Factors for that might include climate change making the reliable ripening of grapes feasible, as well as an interest in low carbon footprint, ‘zero miles’ foodstuffs. There’s a snowballing confidence among both domestic and overseas investors. Among those, Champagne Taittinger, Champagne Pommery, Graham Beck and Jordan Estate of South Africa, Freixenet of Spain and Jackson Family of the USA are among the foreign wine companies putting their money into English vineyards.
I am constantly surprised by yet another new label arriving on my doorstep as a sample, coming from a vineyard or brand that’s a new name to me.
Some of these are wine estates with their own vineyards, others have their own vineyard but the wine is made by a contracted wine-making facility, and yet others are brands which buy-in both fruit and wine-making expertise.
In Numbers
The latest stats from industry body winegb.co.uk suggests there are 1,030 vineyards in England and Wales, and 221 wineries. In 2023 alone, 87 new vineyards were registered. Where once cross-bred and hybrid varieties like Solaris, Bacchus and Rondo ruled, nowadays Chardonnay is the most planted variety (32% of total plantings) followed by Pinot Noir (27% of total plantings).
I thought it would be a good time to look at some English wines tasted over the last couple of months, from both established and newer players.
Still Wines
(2024) A new brand founded in 2022, which "aims to champion English wine and is all about quality, style and passion," apparently, this Pinot Noir rosé coming from vineyards on clay soils in Crouch End, Essex. It was made in old Burgundy barrels with lees stirring, and is dry with just 1.24g/l of residual sugar. It is indeed pale, light bronze/pink with very attractive aromas, just a touch of vanilla pod but mostly floral and elegant red fruits and orange zest. Really lovely on the palate, with a feeling of purity, precision and delicate fruit sweetness, real pin-point lightly sherbetty strawberry, but a juicy and rather more strict core of citrus and salts acidity begins to elongate the finish. A very impressive, delicate and understated first release.
(2024) Hattingly describe 2022 as "an unusual year," with double the normal sunshine hours during the growing season in some sites. This Chardonnay was whole-bunch pressed and 76% barrel fermented in old barrels, though only 19% was aged barrel for eight months. Around 60% of the blend went through malolactic fermentation. It's a fresh but meally, almondy wine, with plenty of crunchy yellow apple and citrus, but a suggestion of creaminess to the aromatics follows through to the palate. Lemon and orange on the palate is juicy and ripe - it's a crisp, light style, and yet there is texture and depth. Very well done in a broadly Chablis style.
(2024) Devon's Lyme Bay Winery makes some lovely still wines and I've rated their Bacchus, Shoreline blend and Pinot Noir quite highly before. This Chardonnay comes from vineyards in Essex. It was fermented in a mix of stainless steel and oak and was matured nine months in oak (33% new). Creamy and mealy aromas also show ripe yellow apple and a little hint of fig and dried apricot. In the mouth the sweetness of fruit is good, again ripe orchard apples and pears, a hint of more tropical nectarine. The acidity is elegant and the cream and oatmeal richness of the barrels fills in. It is a little expensive in out and out terms, but that's a factor in quality English wines. It is very good indeed.
(2024) Hand-harvested Pinot planted in 2005 with Burgundy clones is blended with locally-sourced fruit for this oak-aged cuvée. There's a very pretty fragrance here, wispy smoke topped by cherry and floral red fruit notes. In the mouth the tannins are soft and fine, the acidity is nicely weighted, and the whole wine with its 12% alcohol feels light and finessed. Fruit stays in that red spectrum and is very nicely balanced in the overall picture. I was pleasantly surprised by this, owner Simon Kirby confessing how challenging it can be to make Pinot in England, but they have made a lovely wine.
Sparkling Wines
(2024) One of three sparkling wines that Roebuck will release from 2018, such was the quality of the vintage in its Sussex vineyards. This is a blend of Chardonnay (47%), Pinot Noir (42%) and Pinot Meunier (11%), around 5% barrel-fermented. The wine spent 48 months on the lees. It has a really vivacious, sparky personality, and although there's plenty of biscuity richness and creaminess, lemon and crisp apple, plus a hint of umami savouriness add to the complexity. The mousse is tight and energetic, all the citrussy fruit anchored by some truffle and toast toward the finish. It's a taut, intense style, done very well.
(2024) Another new English name for me, a single estate wine from East Sussex composed of 47% Pinot Noir, 47% Chardonnay and 6% Pinot Meunier, part barrel fermented and with 24% reserve wine. This bottle was disgorged in NOvember 2023 after 20 months the on the lees. There's a baked apple pie character, creamy and generous, with ripe yellow apple notes. In the mouth that high proportion of reserves adds depth, a lovely biscuity richness but cut with plenty of crisp lemon and apple. Long, well-balanced, and I have to say, if buying at £28, very good value indeed. A name to watch on this evidence. Watch the
video for more information.
(2024) A blend of a very precise 48.5% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 18.5% Pinot Meunier and 7% Reserve wine, all from Bluestone's estate vineyards. It spent 36 months ageing on the lees. This has a golden hue and plenty of small, streaming bubbles. The nose has loads of walnut and buttered toast, brioche character, yellow apple and citrus adding zip and freshness. There's plenty of fruit sweetness and ripeness on the palate, the dosage adding to that sense of delicious approachability. The acid structure gives a bracing salt and citrus balance, and that toastiness is the third element in a balanced, long finish.
(2024) From Dorset a sparkling blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay with just 2g/l dosage. Made using the traditional method, 50% is fermented in neutral barrels with natural yeasts, before the second ferment for a minimum of 24 months on the lees. This bottle mostly from the 2019 vintage, with 18% reserve wines and disgorged 11th July 2023. Lots of foamy mousse and a very delicate mother of pearl to peach colour. Quite a lot of leesy, bready autolysis here giving some toast and cinder toffee, then a real mouth-filling wine with plenty of ripe berry sweetness, but the low dosage and thrust of lemony acidity gives real zip and real gastronomic appeal.
(2024) Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée is a multi-vintage blend of the three main Champagne grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Handily, typing in the code from the back label into the Nyetimber website will reveal the precise composition of your bottle: mine has 9.4g/l dosage, was disgorged in April after almost four years on the lees, and has plenty of reserve wines in the blend: based on 2019 (77%), it also boasts reserves from every year back to 2014. Shimmering light gold, there is a pastry and biscuit character, as well as a bold golden yellow apple and quince. In the mouth it is a juicy, flavourful sparkling wine with fruit that touches on the tropical before being drawn back by English orchard apples and citrus into a balanced finish. Delightful at any time, but this special release to celebrate Team GB's Paris Olympics comes in a special livery for the occasion. Watch the
video for more information.
(2024) The Goring family's West Sussex estate, Wiston, was planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir in 2006. This wine spent 42 months on lees and was bottled with 8g/l dosage. Quite a deep bronze colour, an indication that this is an 'assemblage' with 15% vinified as red wine, there's a lovely rhubarb and hint of truffle depth to tangy raspberry fruit. The palate marries vibrant Seville orange, more raspberry and a hint of juicy strawberry, but with excellent acidity never wavering at the core. Long and delicious from ace winemaker Dermot Sugrue.
(2024) Bottled in 2015 and disgorged in 2022 after seven years of the lees, there's a wonderful balance of singing freshness and biscuity richness. With 6g/l dosage it's on the dry side of Brut, and is a wine made only in exceptional vintages. As well as that biscuit character there's truffle and fresh, nutty apple fruit. In the mouth the mousse is lively and creamy, and though there's a thrilling directness of citrus and apple, hints of a more exotic and sweet nectarine join in. But zipping salts and lemon propel the long, mouth-watering and juicy finish.