Denbies Ortega 2006

I thought this wine looked interesting. Oak-fermented, a bit of barrel age, and it's a white.

Not sure what I think of it though. It went over like a lead balloon. This reminds me of another wine that made me think the same thing - poor oak integration, or just poor wine. It tastes like it has 3 layers - oak, water, and something thin, grapey and plasticky in between.

Not so great then. The grape Ortega sounds like a natural for the English climate, but next time I'm out at Denbies I'll stick to the Greenfields.

Denbies

Ortega 2006

Dorking, Surrey, England

£9.99

2/5

Chiltern Valley Sparkling Wine NV

I visited this winery during a recent visit to Henley-on-Thames. Went to the shop, tasted some wines, and bought some.

I think this sparkling wine is made from Seyval Blanc, but I can't verify that because it doesn't say on the bottle or the website. I'm pretty sure it's not Champagne varieties.

No nose to speak of (not really an issue), very bubbly - coarse bubbles. Noticeable tartaric acid deposit. Dominant flavour of Elder flowers. Very dry, bitter finish. I didn't enjoy it. It lacked the tart acidity most English wines have, but the bitterness put me off.

Chiltern Valley

Sparkling Wine NV

Chiltern Valley, Henley-on-Thames, England

£19.99

2/5

Denbies Chalk Ridge NV

Ah yes...English wine. We all want to like it because we live here. Some of it is pretty good, some of it isn't (not unlike any other country). I think to sum it up though, you have to like tart, high acid white wines. If you don't, then you may struggle with English wine.

We packed up all the kids recently for a day out to Denbies. I was under the impression that it was a good day out for families (i.e. kids). It isn't, and the fact that it isn't severely hampered my enjoyment (not to mention my wifes). They have wine tours, but they are lazy and mechanical - a movie at the start followed by a ride through the cellars accompanied by a tinny, pre-recorded soundtrack which takes all of 5 minutes.

The woman doing the tasting at the end was more entertaining though. We opted for the 'sparkling wine experience', which meant we tasted the 'Whitedowns' (Seyval Blanc - OK), the rose (100% Pinot Noir - not so good), and the 'Greenfields' 2004 (champagne varieties - pretty good). Random Aussie Bloke got a ribbing for being Australian, and for me being Canadian icewine got mentioned, but at least she knew her stuff...

So, the Chalk Ridge. I bought it because it was described as 'aromatic' and 'off dry'. I love that style of wine. However it isn't off-dry...it's dry, which is fine just inaccurate. It's like a grassy, nettley Sauvignon Blanc, but a bit underripe. Not a problem, this is England and not everything ripens the way you'd like it - like I said earlier you have to like the style to appreciate this stuff.

Bottom line - OK but if I was English I would only be buying it out of loyalty. There are better wines for that price.

Denbies

Chalk Hill NV

Dorking, Surrey, England

£6.99

2.5/5

Ridgeview Cuveé Merret Bloomsbury 2007

Ridgeview is supposedly one of the finest sparkling wine producers in England. They do well in blind tastings, and their best wines are said to be on the same level as fine champagne.

I decided to try a bottle to see what all the fuss is about. It's definitely a quality wine. Chardonnay dominance gives it a crisp elegance, although it does have a pronounced tartness (something not uncommon in English wines). I liked it though, and even a fussy friend of ours approved wholeheartedly.

The only downside is the cost, which is disappointing. Producers here have every right to charge as much as those in Champagne, but you'd think local produce would save you a few quid.

Ridgeview

Cuveé Merret Bloomsbury 2007

Sussex, England

Waitrose

£19.99

4/5

Denbies Vineyard Select Greenfields Cuvee 2002

Sparkling wine is supposed to be THE wine to look out for from English vineyards. The cool climate is ideal for a neutral acidic character that forms a good base for sparkling wines.

This offering from Denbies Vineyard in Surrey uses the so called Methode Traditionelle with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Comprised of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, the 2004 vintage has won a number of awards so hopes were high when I tried this 2002.

The mousse on this in not especially fine and the colour is a light greeny gold. On the nose on this wine is very appealing. Notes of honey, grass and even that sought after 'biscuitiness'. Some of this comes through in a pleasant digestive biscuit taste initially, although it is to some extent spoiled by a sour vegetal finish. The wine itself is very dry and is pretty drinkable. Not too bad at all, although I cant help thinking the finish was not so great.

The 2004 is listed as £22 on the Denbies site, I got this 2002 for around £16 direct from the wine estate. Waitrose has the 2004 on at just above £15 at the moment so I am not sure why it is listed so costly at Denbies.

Denbies
Greenfields Cuvee Vineyard Select
Surrey, England
Waitrose (2004)
£15
3/5

Denbies Vineyard Select Schonburger 2006

An eco friendly wine lover has difficulty buying local in England... but lying just outside the M25, Denbies may be the answer. This place is well worth a visit, even if you don’t do a tour (which was fully booked when I turned up), as the vineyards are set in beautiful rolling chalk hills. You can also go to the shop, sample the wines and buy at a discount. Which is exactly what I did on a warm, sunny day in early autumn.

Only produced in certain vintages, the Vineyard Select range promises much... but does it deliver? I cracked open the varietal Schonburger (an early ripening German cross) and dived in. In short – yes it does. This is very drinkable. It’s extremely pale but this hides a very fragrant aroma and intense taste. Not quite what you expect. There are distinct honeydew melon and pear tones on the palate, with a fair old vegetal kick. Although this vegetation is perhaps a tad too much for me, this is a pretty good wine.

It sells at £13 full price, which may be a bit high, but when I was at the vineyard there were deals on. Can me a sucker but there is also something quite nice about living near London and drinking a good LOCAL wine....

Denbies
Schonburger, Vineyard Select
Surrey, England
Denbies vineyard
£13
3.5/5

Denbies Hillside Chardonnay 2006

You know, English wine is really not too bad. I'm a big believer in buying local, and would have no problem drinking English white and sparkling wines more often. Except for the price.

This goes for £13.50 on Denbies online shop, and it's just not worth the money. It's not bad - good fruit with some spicy oak. I think it's oak anyways - there is no mention of oaking on the label, or on the website. They mention that they use French and English oak, but on what products they don't say. Is this oaked? If so, it's not well integrated - the fruit and oak seem to be separated - the fruit detectable first, followed by an oaky finish.

It's better than £5 supermarket plonk, but doesn't justify its price tag.

Denbies

Hillside Chardonnay 2006

Dorking, Surrey, England

£13.50 (online)

3/5

Chapel Down Century Extra Dry NV

On a visit to the Chapel Down winery and shop, I decided on this sparkler as my purchase of the day. I find English wine quite acidic, and I figured that the extra sweetness might offset the acidity a little bit, and perhaps make it a nice match for an oriental starter.

I'm glad I chose it, because I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it's sweet, just off-dry, which is a style I really like, but probably not for fans of bone dry wines only. I also find English wine expensive to the point of being overpriced, and this is probably borderline (although nothing like the Chapel Down vintage offering we also tried which cost over £30 and was terrible, in my opinion).

Chapel Down

Century Extra Dry NV

Tenterden, Kent, England
£16.99
3/5