English Wines Part 2 – Pink, Red, & Sparkling

Posted by Simon on May 23, 2010

The second of two videos I’ve done in the lead up to English Wine Week (the first one is here)

Chapel Down English Rosé 2009 (£9.20 Waitrose – link is for the ’08, but ’09 should be around soon)
Simple but honest and tasty style of rosé, with a flavour reminiscent of strawberry & apple pie, just off-dry, decent summer quaffer. B-

Bolney Pinot Noir 2009 (£10.95 Waitrose)
It’s not Burgundy, but this sappy youngster does a pretty reasonable imitation of Beaujolais. Tangy and earthy, with crunchy raspberry and blackberry fruit and a refreshing finish – trying chilling this. B

Bolney Dark Harvest 2008 (£8.95 Waitrose Wine Direct)
A blend of Rondo and Triomphe, this has a spiky, almost fizzy bramble and dark berry fruit character, but is let down by slightly vegetal notes. C

Three Choirs Classic Cuvée NV (£10.25 Three Choirs)
This blend of 65% Seyval Blanc, 25% Reichensteiner and 10% Pinot Noir succeeds thanks to a decent amount of time on lees, which has given a nutty, biscuity/brioche edge to the smoky, floral-scented apple fruit. Good wine. B+

Gusbourne Brut 2006 (~£21.99 01233 758666)
Nice cooked bread, green apple and citrus fruit, quite delicately flavoured but marred by a rather intrusive cheesy/lactic character – shame. B-

The Theale Vineyard Blanc de Blancs Founder’s Reserve Brut 2005 (£22.99 Laithwaites)
Leaner and finer than the Gusborne, and very classy. Has apple & lemon intensity, touches of yeasty richness and floral notes, and a dainty, fine-boned finish. From Laitwaites own vineyard, but made by the team at Ridgeview. S

PS A note to some of the vineyards on here and on the previous video – many of your websites need updating with the current vintages…