English Red Wines
Lyme Bay Martin’s Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020
Cherries, blackcurrant and some lighter raspberry, underpinned by toasty vanilla and subtle spice.
A beautiful, long, hot summer in 2020 enabled the grapes to fully ripen on the vine, resulting in the intensity of flavour and body. Harvested on October 9th, 17th and 18th, using Spätburgunder still wine clones, each clone underwent its own specific protocol. Small batch fermentations were undertaken with manual pigéage, every 8 hours, to gently maximise the extraction of colour, flavour and structure. After fermentation, the wine was left to macerate for 10 days before racking and light débourbage, for 24 hours to retain some fine lees. The wine was then transferred to 400-litre French barriques for 100% malolactic fermentation and ageing. Aged for 10 months in barrel, the wine has no fining or filtration to retain the delicate nuances of the fruit and oak. It demonstrates forward primary fruit character synonymous with young vines which will develop in intensity and potential even further with time.
“This is a serious Pinot Noir, and I sort of wish that I’d tasted it blind. There’s a touch of coffee, spice and woodsmoke on the nose supporting aromatic black cherries and blackberries. The palate has a lovely sleek cherry fruit core with a smooth, sweetly fruited mid-palate, and then finishes taut and focused, with some spicy framing. This is glossy, pure, alluring and fully ripe. Where would I place it, tasted blind? Probably Central Otago, as there’s freshness but also a dark fruit core. Perhaps the lively acid line on the finish gives its origin away, but I’m really impressed. 93/100” – Jamie Goode
The Martins Lane Vineyard site is situated in a designated Special Landscape Area occupying south and west facing hillside between 20 and 55 metres above sea level with stunning views across the River Crouch estuary in Essex. Importantly for grape production in this country the site benefits climatically through protection from the river tides against spring frosts in a corner of Essex having regularly the warmest temperatures and lowest rainfall in the United Kingdom at less than half a metre per annum. The 30 acres of vineyard has slopes of up to 1 in 6; because of its steep gradients the site had never previously been used for arable farming except for a brief period in the forties during the Second World War. As a result the meadowland retained a good organic top soil layer above the rich local clay and good drainage and high fertility were assured throughout.
Lyme Bay is a small, dedicated West Country company passionate about producing delicious and award-winning English Wines, Fruit Wines, Ciders, Meads and Liqueurs from their home in Devon’s beautiful Axe Valley. 26,000 vines were planted in 2009 and 2010 within a stone’s throw of their winery. They also source grapes from a select group of the best growers in the South of England, believing that truly special wines are born from grapes with diverse backgrounds.
