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‘It's never tasted better’: The best English wines to try, according to our expert
From chardonnay to bacchus, the best bottles for toasting English Wine Week
We’ve long been told that English wine is one to watch. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a showcase at Fortnum & Mason – and let me tell you, the category is exceptional right now. So much so, I rushed back to my laptop to share the best bottles with you.
From Cornwall to Norfolk, innovation is thriving. Many brands are, quite rightly, already household names – Nyetimber and Chapel Down among them. But it wasn’t all about the sparkling wines. Some of the still chardonnays and lightly chilled reds we sampled were incredible; many coming from tiny, independent producers.
So, why has everything levelled up? Climate change, undoubtedly, plays a major role. As temperatures rise, Champagne producers are struggling to preserve the fresh, zippy acidity that defines their wines. Meanwhile, here in parts of the UK, we have it in spades.
In fact, Ruinart recently released its Blanc Singulier Edition 19 in direct response to what it called a “scorching summer.” Composed of 100% chardonnay, this intense expression reflects the record-breaking heat of 2019.
We also know that several Champagne houses are snapping up plots of land in the UK to future-proof production. Louis Pommery Brut England was the first to release an English sparkling wine, but it will be years before we see what emerges from the others.
And what better way to toast a British summer? From now until 1st July, Fortnum & Mason is offering 10% off all English wines – both still and sparkling. Better yet, if you purchase six bottles, you’ll receive an additional 10% off. The perfect excuse to stock up, if ever there was one.
Need a steer? Here’s what had the wine experts going back for a top up...
‘Kit’s Coty’ is named after Chapel Down’s best plot – a 95-acre vineyard with a southerly aspect to soak up every ray of sun. The free-draining, chalky soil (not dissimilar to what you’d find in Champagne) provides the perfect terroir for producing an elegant white wine.
Harvested in late September to give the grapes a little longer to ripen, it has time in old French oak to add complexity and richness, and subtle toasty finish.
Buttery, flinty and beautifully textured – with notes of green apple, apricot and hazelnuts – it’s a brilliant example of an English chardonnay.
We’ve tried Fortnum’s Still Rosé before and enjoyed it, but this vintage is tasting better than ever. Catching up with Tom Cannon from rosé wine makers, Folc, he explained that they’d taken the decision to reduce the percentage of bacchus right down – bacchus is often referred to as England’s version of sauvignon blanc – making up just four per cent of the blend. It’s all the rounder and easier to drink for it.
Perfumed with strawberries, with crisp acidity on the palate, it’s Wimbledon and summer picnics all rolled into one.
This 2014 vintage sparkling chardonnay, made in tiny quantities, is aged for seven years, but interestingly hasn't undergone malolactic conversion.
So, instead of a buttery richness like you might expect from a French fizz, instead you have a sparkler that perfectly encapsulates what English wine is all about – super fresh and crisp with zippy acidity, and layers of complexity that reveal themselves a little more with each sip.
It’s easy to forget that not everyone enjoys the richness of traditional method wines. In fact, prosecco – made using the Charmat, or ‘tank’, method – is the UK’s best-selling sparkling wine. Flint is England’s answer to our beloved Italian fizz.
Fresh, zesty and oh-so-easy drinking, you can taste lemon, pear and green apple, with a clean, crisp finish.
Gusbourne has a stellar reputation across the range, but the Guinevere is a stunning example of a barrel fermented, cool climate chardonnay.
The beautiful buttery nose hints at the complexity, while the palate dishes up candied citrus peel, ripe apricot and smokey minerality. Team with fish in lemon butter at your next dinner party and wait for the compliments to roll in.
Alternatively, I also love the winemaker's super fresh and fruity Sparkling Rosé, which I’d pair with salt marsh lamb or duck.
The Uncommon was a trailblazer in the canned wine space, creating truly top-quality vino for on-the-go refreshment.
If perhaps you don’t want to open a whole bottle on a Wednesday, or need something to stash in the picnic basket – this is the solution. And it’s much lighter than a regular bottle, making it a win for the environment too.
The brand also told me to keep my eyes peeled for a lovely light pinot noir, perfect for chilling – coming soon.
Like your wines bone dry? This minimal-intervention, low dosage fizz is for you. The chardonnay-led blend has a subtle nutty note due to some of the blend being kept under ‘flor’ – a film of yeast, normally only seen in sherry production – which adds a unique, complex, savoury element to the wine.
You’re probably familiar with the Nyetimber brand, but have you tried this Demi Sec? Meaning ‘half-sweet’ in French, I was a little hesitant, thinking it would be too saccharine for my palate. I needn’t have been!
Although it’s a sweeter style of sparkling wine, it’s far from sickly, and offers a rich, fruity profile that would pair perfectly with strawberries and pancakes for brunch, or spicy Thai food.
You’ll find this served by the glass at many restaurants, including The Pig hotels, and it's gaining quite a cult following.
It's created using a multi-vintage solera system, blending chardonnay and pinot noir to create the brand's trademark style. Intense and savoury, I detected a touch of oxidisation, which really added to the rich, nutty complexity. A real treat!
This is the one every wine writer was talking about on the night. Whitewolfe specialises in 100% still chardonnay, and this is the brand's first release. Friends Clare Whitehead and Luke Wolfe play around with different press fractions to see what comes out. In this case, they’ve achieved a wine with lemon, stone fruit and flint notes that’s structured and silky, with subtle oak and a long, powerful finish.
It’s worth also trying the KC2 Chardonnay. It showcases pastry, almonds and vanilla and demonstrates just how different wines from the same vineyard can be. Get in quick to snap it up; it’s quite collectible if you can resist drinking it straight away.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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