White
Radlow Hundred White Wine
Location? Herefordshire
Produced on a family-run farm, Radlow Hundred comes from the undulating landscape of the Herefordshire countryside, formerly known as the “Radlow Hundred”, noted in the doomsday book. This small-batch English Wine is a commemorative nod to their farmscape’s history and surrounding community. Describing their wine, the founders commented, “Each bottle ignites a fond memory of our homeland. From our Great-Greats ice-skating on the Wye, to the long-awaited train finally arriving in Bromyard. We all long for summers of Cricket and riverside days with family and friends. As you sip our exquisite English wines, we’ll raise a glass for all the memories that are, and toast to all that are yet to be.”
Price? White – 1 Bottle £16.99 -buy here.
Dillions Vineyard Bacchus
Location? West Sussex
Produced on the South-West facing slopes of West Sussex, Dillion’s vineyard creates small batches of high-quality English Wine. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay are all gown here but the Bacchus is the one to watch for us. A fresh, crisp white with notes of gooseberry, elderflower and white stone fruits, this Bacchus white is perfectly served on it’s own as well as complimenting white fish, salads and white meat dishes. Described on their website as a “top-notch English wine which is easy to drink and always welcome”, we really think they have hit the nail on the head there.
Price? £16.95 a bottle – buy here.
Sharpham Wine Pinot Gris
Location? Devon
Sharpham vineyard was originally established in 1981 when all the vines were planted on the west bank of the River Dart on the Sharpham Estate, Devon. A further vineyard was then planted in 2008 on the East Bank of the River Dart on the Sandridge Barton Estate, which was carefully selected for having the best attributes of a vineyard.
Fast forward to 2021 and Sharpham is now producing a range of wines across the board; red, sparkling, whites and rosés. This Pinot Gris is a zesty and textured white wine that’s a brand new style from Sharpham. The nose has vibrant white nectarine, peach skin, apple cider and tangerine.
The palate is bursting with more stone fruit, notes of grapefruit-like acidity and a touch of spice. Unfined and unfiltered so be aware that it may contain a little sediment. Sharpham recommends you serve this wine around 12 degrees for optimum consumption.
Price? £17.70 per bottle- buy here.
Simpsons Roman Road Chardonnay 2019
Location? Kent
Simpsons Wine Estate owners Charles & Ruth Simpson have been making award-winning wines at Domaine Sainte Rose, their stunning, southern French property, for the past 17 years. In 2014, they bought their expertise and savoir-faire back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate in Barham, Kent.
Simpsons Wine Estate now has 30 hectares of vineyard, planted with the grape varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The “Roman Road Chardonnay” displays pineapple and apricot aromas, complemented with sweet oak, clementine and mixed spice flavours and finishing in a luxurious, textured palate.
Price? £26 a bottle – buy here.
Sparkling
Hattingley Valley Sparkling
Location? Hampshire
Set in the stunning East Hampshire countryside, Hattingley Valley is a family-owned vineyard specialising in top quality English sparkling wine, created by the talented wine-making team led by Emma Rice, UK Winemaker of the Year in 2014 and 2016. Since producing its first vintage in 2010 and launching its first release in August 2013, Hattingley Valley has developed into one of the most respected producers of English sparkling wines in the country. The core line-up of award-winning bottles including the Classic Reserve (£30), Blanc de Blancs (£47.50) and the Rosé (£36). We tried the Classic Reserve and highly recommend it. The perfect gift for a friend too, their packaging is quintessentially British and exquisite.
Poynings Grange Vineyard Blanc De Blancs 2014
Location? West Sussex
Nestled in the south downs just above Brighton a beautiful vineyard using minimal intervention in the production of some superlative wines. This 6 care vineyard owned and run by Rupert and Esme Crowther lies in the shadow of the Devil’s Dyke. They grow the classic three grape varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and Bacchus, from which they make three wines; a Blanc de Blancs made from 100% Chardonnay, a Rose de Noirs made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and a Bacchus. Their 2014 Blanc De Blancs made from chardonnay grapes offers crisp acidity and apple fruit, accompanying the rich toasted brioche notes, this wine is fresh and complex with lovely texture and length. Disgorged in August 2018, this wine has aged on its lees for almost 5 years.
Find out more about this vineyard here.
Louis Pommery
Where? Hampshire
Putting down roots in England in 2014, Vranken-Pommery was the first Champagne house to release an English sparkling wine, Louis Pommery England. Under the watchful eye of Clément Pierlot, Cellar Master of Champagne Pommery, Louis Pommery England had become very quickly an award-winning English Sparkling Wine. Since then, a 40-hectare site called Pinglestone in Alresford, Hampshire has been planted where chalk is the dominant element of the soil.
Louis Pommery England is developed according to a completely classic and traditional method based on the internationally renowned grape varieties that are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. It has characters of green apple, fresh lemon and lime, and honeyed stone fruits with well-integrated bubbles and a delightful mineral finish.
Black Chalk Wild Rose
Location? Hampshire
Black Chalk is a wine proud of its English heritage, with roots firmly planted in the chalklands of southern England. They use traditional methods to create Black Chalk, using the tried and tested grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This small-batch traditional method of English sparkling wine is created using the three classic varieties: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
“Wild Rose” is a complex blend of rich, pure raspberries and strawberries that perfectly balance a crisp, clean very English finish. Black Chalk is just one of the many wines available to buy at Wine Utopia (linked below), a company established in 2011 to share and highlight a variety of unique wines from vineyards around the world.
Supplying to both the trade and consumer, Wine Utopia have built a steadfast reputation thanks to their personal, hands-on service.
Jenkyns Place Brut Cuvée 2014
Location? Hampshire
Situated on the south-facing slope of the North Downs in Hampshire, Jenkyn Place is run by Simon Bladon and his daughter Camilla. Originally a hop farm, Jenkyn Place grew some of the most highly prized hops in the whole of Britain. These same chalky Hampshire soils are now proudly home to their much-loved grapes, which make some of the most exciting sparkling wines in Britain. Today the vineyard has now grown to over 13 acres. Their Brut Cuvée 2014 features brioche aromas with high crisp acidity, plenty of bubbles and some minerality on a broad mid-palate. Having aged for many years in bottle, this is fantastic to drink now, with crisp acidity and compelling chardonnay dynamism on the palate. This is the 9th vintage from the 13 acres now planted at Jenkyn Place. Pair it with light seafood or vegetable dishes.
Reds
Denbies 2018 Pinot Noir
Location? Surrey
Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking is England’s largest single estate vineyard. With 265 acres currently under vine (10% of the UK’s plantings), it has a production capacity of 450,000 bottles. The first vines were planted on the estate in 1986.
The estate is family owned and run by the White family. Christopher White, Denbies CEO, has been at the helm for over 15 years and has lived on the estate with his family since 1984.
This elegant Pinot Noir edition came on the back of the long, hot summer of 2018. The nose and palate are interwoven with layers of Florence strawberries and Sweetheart cherries.
Seventeen months in French oak barriques leads to a gentle, vanilla finish, which pairs brilliantly with ripe cheeses and grilled lamb.
Bolney Wine Estate Pinot Noir 2019
Location? West Sussex
Bolney Wine Estate was established in 1972 by Janet and Rodney Pratt. One of the first, and undoubtedly most beautiful English wine estates, Bolney’s views are second to none, south-facing over the Sussex downs. Their Pinot Noir is a well-balanced vibrant and bright red wine, with soft tannins and ripe strawberries, plums and red cherries on the palate. Leather and earthy notes complement toasted almonds, black cherry and dark fruits, with a long, smooth finish. Perfectly pairs with grilled asparagus, pork, duck and rabbit as well as game birds. The light elegance of this wine does not overpower, so a good fit with lighter, less richly flavoured foods, especially brie.
Find out more about Bolney Vineyard here.
