The atmosphere at the Wines of Great Britain (WineGB) tasting in London on September 8 was one of excitement combined with first night nerves over the impending vintage. It’s a sign of the event’s importance that so many winemakers like Tommy Grimshaw at Langham in Dorset, Brad Greatrix from Nyetimber in Sussex and Fergus Elias from Balfour in Kent had taken time off from tentatively biting grapes and staring with worried expressions at clouds to attend.
It looks like it's going to be a small but high quality vintage. A relief after the damp 2024 and the super abundance of 2023. Nick Brewer from Oastbrook in Sussex said that sugar levels are much higher than last year. The only worry is that rain during harvest may result in split berries, according to Hugo Alexander at Domaine Hugo in Wiltshire.
Higher sugar levels in 2025 – Oastbrook's Nick and America Brewer (l-r)
For others the harvest had already started, extremely early by English standards, and there were happy faces from Sam Lindo at Camel Valley in Cornwall and Tom Barnes at Biddenden in Kent on the cleanness of the fruit.
This year saw a new, bigger venue at 8 Northumberland Avenue near Trafalgar Square with two floors. There were some spectacularly good wines on show, many from last year's difficult vintage.
I’ve whittled them down to 10 bottles, below. Other highlights included Sandridge Barton’s wild ‘Devon Fino’, a flor-aged 2022 Pinot Blanc, Domaine Hugo’s 2022 Rosé, its first pink, Ambriel’s electric Wendling Blanc de Blancs 2018, and a creamy White Pinot Noir 2024 from Biddenden.
To top it all off, the day after the tasting, Cherie Spriggs from Nyetimber, Greatrix's wife, won International Wine Challenge (IWC) Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the second time. The only woman and only one from an English vineyard to win this accolade. While Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum won the Sparkling Wine Trophy, the first time this has ever gone to a wine from outside Champagne. A great week for English wine.
Langham Perpetual Chardonnay 1st Edition
I had to start with this as I've heard so much about it. Clearly I wasn’t the only one: the Langham team's stand was mobbed. This is multi-vintage, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Chardonnay that won Supreme Champion at the WineGB awards this year. It comes from a single Slavonian oak foudre which developed a layer of flor by accident and winemaker Tommy Grimshaw decided to encourage it.
I had hoped for greatness and I got it. The nose is incredibly lively, fresh green apples but also some mulchy brown ones. Palate is salty with noticeable flor character, fresh apples, toffee, very very long.
Gusbourne Blanc de Meuniers Boot Hill Vineyard 2019
What I loved about this tasting is that everyone had brought something special to try. As I was tasting this wine, brand ambassador Laura Rhys pulled out a magnum of Gusbourne Blancs de Blancs 2014. It just shows the back vintage strength of this Kent estate.
The sparkling Pinot Meunier comes from the Boot Hill vineyard in Kent, which produces Gusbourne's best still reds. It's so distinctive on the nose with an earthy, dark fruit character. The palate is like chocolate and cherry, Black Forest gateau. Great fun.
Hundred Hills Rosé de Saignée 2021
This is one of the signature wines from this small Oxfordshire estate. It's only made when the Pinot Noir is ripe enough. It's macerated for nine hours on the skins before barrel fermentation. Only 900 bottles were made so you will have to move fast.
I love the deep pink colour and the overwhelming smell of wild strawberries and maraschino cherries. There's vanilla, spices, toast and masses of fruit. A rosé for hedonists.
Walgate Blanc de Blancs 2020
It was great to see Ben Walgate, formerly of Tillingham, at the tasting. He’s now based at an urban winery in Rye which is well worth a visit if you're in town. He's been working with a South African winemaker Tim Hillock for a couple of years now. The stills are very good especially Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, for me this rare sparkling wine was the pick of the bunch.
Bruised apple on the nose, spicy and earthy. Very creamy, lovely texture, touch volatile but nothing to frighten the horses, hazelnut. Lots of character. One for lovers of grower Champagne.
Williams Family Wines Bacchus 2024
I discovered this husband and wife producer at the London Wine Fair this year. This is their inaugural vintage. Nick and Julia Williams make the wine in Cambridgeshire from fruit sourced from Kent and Herefordshire for this cuvée. The 2024 Chardonnay in a Chablis-style is also excellent and the 2024 Pinot Noir showed promise.
If like me you're a bit of Bacchus sceptic give this a go. It had a peachy roundness and lack of aggressiveness, helped by seven grams of residual sugar.
Lyme Bay Pinot Noir Rosé 2024
There's a changing of the guard at Lyme Bay in Devon with the old team of Sarah Massey and James Lambert leaving to be replaced by Clem Yates MW. Big shoes to fill. 2024 was her inaugural vintage, a tricky one, but she's pulled a blinder with this rosé.
It's made from Essex grapes, 96.8% Pinot Noir 3.2% Meunier, and I love that she hasn't tried to ape Provence. With its ripe raspberry fruit, pinky red colour and creamy full texture, it's more like a light red.
Mousehall Pinot Gris Tidebrook Medieval Monk 2023
Mousehall in East Sussex was founded by South Africans Gary and Kathy Jordan who own Jordan Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. They're part of the South African foreign legion taking over English wine. I've picked out the Pinot Gris, the Saddle Stone Chardonnay is excellent too.
Pinot Gris is a variety that England does really well and this is a fine example. This is aged for 10 months on lees making it quite rich and full-bodied with good purity of fruit and nice refreshing acidity. Superb wine.
Oastbrook Pinot Blanc 2024
You can't ignore Oastbrook, run by the most colourful character in English wine America Brewer with her husband Nick. But whereas the couple are non-stop fun, the wines are deadly serious and for me often some of the best still wines in the business. The 2024s were tasting great, especially the white Pinot Meunier and the Pinot Blanc.
The latter has a sort of spiced apple pie on the nose. The palate is saline, fresh and creamy, great purity with a long finish. This is only going to improve with time in bottle.
Simpsons Wine Estate Chardonnay The Roman Road 2023
With all the excitement about ‘Essex Burgundy’, don't overlook Simpsons down near Canterbury in Kent which has been making still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir since 2016. The wines have long been good but I have to say I was bowled over by the 2023 offerings like the white Pinot Meunier and a joyful red Pinot Noir.
If I was going to pick one bottle it would be the Roman Road Chardonnay. There's beautiful ripeness here, like a lemon and meringue pie and perfectly judged nutty oak plus not even a hint of dilution that I sometimes find in 2023 English wines.
Balfour Sauvignon Blanc Scout's 2024
Balfour built its reputation on sparkling wine especially its flagship pink but it's the experimental wines I love most. Winemaker Fergus Elias always has something unusual up his sleeves, a couple of years ago it was a stunningly ripe Albariño. This year he's done it again with the best English Sauvignon Blanc I've ever had. Also highly recommended is the fine 2022 Pinot Noir Reserve.
Though the Sauvignon has a little green pepper on the nose, it's no pyrazine party. It's more about stone fruit and a saline freshness combined with perfect ripeness. Not dissimilar to Sancerre, in fact. Bravo Fergus!
