Wine Region: Essex

(2026) I've enjoyed previous vintages of this zesty white before, and this is another excellent effort. The blend is a mouthful in its own right: Reichensteiner, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Ortega, Pinot Noir, Solaris, and Sauvignon Blanc, believe it or not. But the sum of the parts is a zippy, pungent wine that has elderflower, passion fruit and guava, but excellent acidity and a stone fruit and apple mid-palate balances and gives this a savoury, Dry and gastronomic finish. For those cutting down after the festive season, it has only 11.5% alcohol too. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) From single vineyard owned by the Laithwaite family and planted on chalk and gravel, made from a blend of the three main Champagne grapes, with wines from a perpetual reserve started in 2013 as part of the blend. Bottled in May 2021, it was disgorged in October 2024. Pale gold in colour there is plenty of shortbread biscuit and toast on the nose, lightly bruised apple and citrus. On the palate there is some sweetness of the dosage, and ripe and juicy orchard fruit, then a nicely sour and savoury hit of lemon pith and grapefruit. Stylish and enjoyable.

(2025) Only 500 bottles of this utterly convincing Pinot Noir are available, on sale to waiting list customers from 24th October 2025. From the Mason's Point Vineyard in the Crouch Valley, planted on blue clay, it also comes from the exceptional 2022 vintage of record-breaking temperatures. It spent 14 months in new oak, then rested another 22 months before release. It is superbly ripe. Immediately, it is all about glossy, deep black cherry running into bittersweet damson plum. The oak sits lightly, but adds a little balsamic note, hints of truffle and peppercorn add interest. In the mouth it is smooth, juicy and has plush ripeness, then something cool and mineral kicks in, again cherry springs to mind with svelte tannins and pert, pretty acidity extending the finish.

(2025) Another impressive wine from The Heretics, Crouch Valley in Essex is the source of the fruit for a wine that saw only partial malolactic, and less than half the blend aged in older Burgundy barrels. A distinct and juicy Comice pear nose also has a squeeze of lemony freshness, the barrel component adding no more than a dust of crushed almond. The palate has some weight and creaminess to the texture, the fruit a straightforward but very nicely balanced picture of juiciness and citrus freshness with a hint of chalky minerality. Quite fine and elegant really.

(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.