Woodchester Valley Orpheus Bacchus 2021

The Orpheus Bacchus is Woodchester’s flagship Bacchus and one of our favourite examples of this variety. This wine shows true complexity and length – a wine to keep coming back to as it reveals layers of aromas and flavours. But it is also a great food wine, matching a wide range of fish and white meat dishes.

There are initial aromas of citrus and stone fruits accented by hints of jasmine and mineral notes opening to reveal nuances of fresh peach, fennel and citrus with gooseberry and a touch of elderflower. On the palate there is plenty of silky orchard fruit and a deliciously creamy texture through which the fine structure and focussed acidity is just discernible. As it unfolds across the palate, notes of quince and honey and grilled lemon emerge. Gorgeous texture – surprisingly weighty yet perfectly balanced with a very long finish.

Woodchester Valley is a family owned boutique vineyard and winery in the South Cotswolds. They have three vineyard sites in the Stroud valleys which produce a range of still white, rosé and sparkling wines. They are located in Amberley, Woodchester and Doverow Hill (Stonehouse), with a total of 45 acres under vine. Woodchester Valley was established in 2007 when a single acre was planted on their Amberley site to assess the suitability of the land for growing vines. The three sites have different soil profiles although are all predominantly limestone. The Woodchester and Amberley sites are typical of Cotswold brash – shallow soils with a high stone content overlying Oolitic limestone, particularly favourable for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. These soils are very free-draining. Their Stonehouse site has a higher clay content and deeper soils well-suited for their Bacchus vines.