English Red Wines
Winbirri Vineyard Signature Red 2020
Rich plum and dark-berry fruits; spicy with notes of coffee and blackberries and slightly toasted
Winbirri’s Signature Red is bursting with rich plum and dark-berry fruits; spicy with notes of coffee and blackberries and slightly toasted. Its time in oak has given it an extra dimension. Winemaker Lee Dyer’s appreciation of Rioja comes through in this fantastic English red wine. Made from 100% handpicked Dornfelder processed within minutes of harvest, this wine has added depth from three weeks macerating on skins – with a healthy percentage of bunches allowed carry out carbonic maceration. It subsequently underwent one year ageing in a fermentation vessel, followed by 18 months ageing in American Oak barrels, with an equal split of new to 3 year old barrels. This was completed by a further 12 months ageing in glass bottles.
Winbirri Vineyards has 25 acres in Surlingham, an important Anglo-Saxon settlement on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park. The name Winbirri, comes from the Anglo-Saxon “win” (wine) and “birri” (grape). It was established in 2007 by experienced fruit farmer, Stephen Dyer, who supplies major retailers. He spotted an opportunity and planted around 2½ acres with vines. Stephen’s son, Lee, took over at the age of 32 in 2010 when the first commercial plantings took place. All sites have been carefully selected so that they are not in frost pockets and each site has a lower-lying field for the frost to run off to. The soils are very light, sandy loams with clay about 6ft down. There is a high flint content and all pruning is carried out by hand.
