It is easy to ignore the wines that are closest to home, so we decided to cut down the food miles and see the variety of wines that are produced in our home county.
Hidden Spring Pinot Gris 2022
£20.00 cellar door
Packed full of tropical fruit with a floral honeysuckle nose and a flinty minerality. Aromas of pear and citrus fruit work harmoniously with flavours of pear, apricot, honey and grapefruit, a beautiful creamy complexity and an exuberant finish. 11.5% ABV
Hidden Spring Bacchus Fumé 2023
£18.00 cellar door
A generous and rich nose carries notes of vanilla, spice and nectarine which balance with the delicate classic Bacchus aromas of elderflower and citrus. Poised fresh acidity and mineralogy on the palette. Gentle oak ageing brings developed aromatic flavours, guiding you into a long textural finish. WineGB silver medal 2022. 12% ABV
Oastbrook Estate White Pinot Noir 2023 (served blind without these notes)
£22.50 cellar door
The wine presents a light gold colour, with subtle red fruit aromas strawberry and red cherries with a hint of acacia and black pepper, this leads to deliciously rounded succulent palate balanced by beautifully clean acidity. The wine somehow both cleanses and envelopes on the finish. 2023 had perfect conditions for flowering and fruit set and a warm and dry harvest period the quality of the fruit was excellent, and we harvested in early October.
The grapes were handpicked and pressed in October. After low temperature fermentation to accentuate the aromas the wine was left in tank over winter but not allowed to go to malolactic fermentation, the juice was very clear and required minimal fining and developed a rich aroma of red fruits with a soft creamy palate with crisp acidity. The wine was bottled in March 2024. Pinot Noir: 100%, Total acidity: 7.6 g/L, pH: 2.92, ABV 11.5%, RS. 6.4 g/L
Albourne Estate Sussex Rosé 2023
£18.95 cellar door
Albourne Estate is a family-owned vineyard and winery overlooking the beautiful South Downs, just 8 miles from Brighton in the heart of the Sussex countryside. They craft small quantities of award-winning still and sparkling English wine using their own sustainably grown grapes.
With the palest of pink hues this Sussex Rosé is elegant, refreshing and very moreish. Made from de-stemmed and crushed Pinot Noir, a Provençal-style rosé that delivers a fresh crisp mineral palate with delicate aromas of red summer fruits. As ever, this wine is perfect for sipping or food matching. Suggest drinking chilled at around 6 – 8°C, preferably in the sunshine with friends! ABV 11%
Hidden Spring Blanc de Noirs 2019
£30.00 cellar door
We’re sure you’ll love this traditional method sparkling wine. It is lively and bright with lemon peel, blackberry and brioche aromas leading to flavours of lime, blackcurrant and crunchy green apple, vibrant bubbles with a lingering finish make this a real gem.
100% Pinot Noir grapes, 11% ABV
Ridgeview Sparkling Red Reserve NV
£55 Cellar Door
100% Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from original estate vines, along with carefully selected partner vineyards across Southern England; typically south facing, with free draining slopes, on varied chalk, clay, gravel and sandstone soils. After de-stemming and gentle crushing, selectively chosen, ripest Pinot Noir grapes were left on their skins for the first five days of primary fermentation, at 16-18°C in stainless steel. Approximately 15% of the base wine was aged in ten-year-old French oak barrels, before secondary bottle fermentation; disgorged after 18 months on lees. ABV 12%, Acidity 7.1g/L, Residual sugar 6.8g/L, PH 3.19
A ruby-robed gem of a wine showing vibrant aromas of cherry and vanilla. In the mouth, wild blackberry is finessed by a clean twist of pomegranate and sweet, peppery spice notes with a long and deeply textured finish.
Oastbrook Estate Pinot Noir Reserve 2022
£38 cellar door
This product is normally only available to Oastbrook club members. The wine presents a clear deep ruby colour with rich aromas of blackcurrant and morello cherries with hints of vanilla, prunes, and spice – pepper, coriander and cloves and a smokiness reminiscent of lapsang souchong tea. Medium bodied with moderate tannins with smooth, subtle tannins and with notable freshness with a long finish. Pairs well with duck, beef bourguignon, roasted chicken, hard cheese and South Asian dishes. 2022 was a warm year with a long hot summer, the quality of the fruit was good after we left it on the vines for a late harvest. Grapes were handpicked, crushed and destemmed in late October. The wine was cold macerated for several days before a natural ferment at lower temperatures was superseded by a higher temperature fermentation, some was fermented in oak barrels. The wine was matured in Burgundian oak barrels for 12 months and allowed to go through full natural malolactic fermentation in Spring. Bottled in Jan 2024. Pinot Noir: 100%, Total acidity: 5.8 g/L, PH: 3.27, ABV 11.5 %, RS. 0g/L
Albourne Estate 40 English Vermouth
£24.00 cellar door
Vermouth is a fortified wine carefully flavoured with a variety of botanicals. Produced from their own single estate matured base wines, blended with grain spirit and an infusion of 40 carefully selected herbs, spices and citrus peels each adding depth, complexity and interest to this delicious drink. The key to a great Vermouth is the delicate balance of the botanicals – so each can play their part without being lost or taking over. Semi-dry in style, the 40 Vermouth is ideally suited to drinking on its own paired with strong cheeses, nuts or cured meats; or as a partner in many cocktails from the classic Negroni to the sophisticated Martini. ABV 18%
Accompanied by:
Seven Sisters Sussex cheese, Cornish 24-month aged Cheddar, Somerset goats cheese, crackers, raspberries and almonds
The Hidden Spring Blanc de Noirs was voted the favourite wine of the evening.