Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2020

On the nose this gorgeous Chardonnay has creamy green and red apples, toast, peaches and a hint of mango. On the palate, one finds good length and elegance with a round mouthfeel. There are stone fruit flavours with a touch of orange, nuts and toffee. The 2020 vintage was exceptional, which allowed the grapes to be hand-picked at optimum ripeness in October from vineyards in the Crouch Valley region of Essex. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and settled naturally for a short length of time, before fermentation in stainless steel with a malolactic co-inoculation. Once malolactic fermentation was complete the wine was transferred to barrels of French oak, along with the lees, for 11 months of ageing and gentle stirring. Lyme Bay entered into the world of English wine, planting 26,000 vines in 2009 and 2010 within a short distance of their winery in Devon. They also, as with this wine, source grapes from a select group of the best growers in the South of England.