(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) 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.
