Created by Will Davenport in his back garden… and organic!
In 1991 Will Davenport planted 5 acres of vines at Horsmonden in Kent, while simultaneously working for a Hampshire vineyard and, unintentionally, this became the beginning of a life-long business as a wine producer.
26 years later the vineyards now make up 24 acres, grown on 5 parcels of land, 9 grape varieties and a multitude of soil types and micro-climates. The vineyards are mostly at Horsmonden in Kent, with a smaller vineyard next to the winery at Rotherfield, East Sussex.
Will was always a keen supporter of organic farming and in 2000 he made the decision to convert all the vines and winery to organic systems, certified by the Soil Association.
This English wine has aromatic peach and floral fruit with a background of yeasty flavour and a soft broad palate – a wine with real structure which can be drunk now.
The 2019 growing conditions produced a slightly more restrained ripeness than the previous year, fresher and retaining a crisp backbone. A wine that could be kept for a couple of years, or enjoyed in its youth. It will age to become softer and more aromatic over the next 6 – 12 months.
The blend of varieties includes Bacchus, Ortega, Faber, Siegerrebe and Huxelrebe that blend together to make a complex, fragrant and balanced dry white wine. No yeast is added because the grapes have yeast on their skins. The alcohol is 11.5% giving the wine a wonderful lightness and delicacy. 10% of the blend in was fermented in large foudres (massive oak casks traditionally used in Alsace) which gives the wine a really soft texture and smooth creamy structure – without making the wine taste of oak.
Waldorf salad is a must or good old fish and chips but do make sure you include the peas!
10.5%
Vegan
