Corney and Barrow tasting
I was delighted by the performance of my 2011 Seyval/Chardonnay/Pinot blend at London vintner Corney and Barrow's recent comparison of sparkling wines from the Veneto, Burgundy, Argentina and England. C&B's Rebecca Palmer was joined by Peter Dean, drinks editor of The Buyer, who was 'blown away' by the 2011 Breaky Bottom: "a grower’s vintage Champagne by another name - meticulously made, hand-crafted and speaks of the land from which it comes.”
You can watch the tasting on YouTube at https://youtu.be/27JkdbZLBYo. It's 25 minutes in all, but fast-forward 17 minutes to catch their judgement on Breaky Bottom.
New wines
I have just released two wines from the 2015 vintage:
Cuvée Jack Pike is 100% Seyval Blanc, the characteristic Breaky Bottom varietal; this has a fine balance of fruit and acidity, a delicate nose of white flowers and a long fresh finish. Total production was 6,694 bottles.
Cuvée David Pearson is a classic Chardonnay/Pinot blend (70/30%), showing rich vanilla aromas, a creamy texture, hints of buttered toast and a refreshing acidity. Just 6,004 bottles were produced.
Both these new wines are now available from the online shop. Delivery of all wines remains free until the end of July.
Frost!
Over the past weeks, with appropriate social distancing, we have been busy mending trellis, tightening wires, tying down canes and replacing vines. Buds have burst and the trellises are once more turning green with young shoots. Frost is the big risk at this time of year and over the past days (12 and 13 May) many English vineyards have been badly affected. For once, Breaky Bottom is no exception. I planted the vineyard 46 years ago and have never experienced such frost damage as I discovered today on a routine walkabout, in bright sunshine, to survey the vines and check on my ewes and lambs. Maybe once every four or five years a few vines get a touch of frost, but our closeness to the sea usually spares us when vineyards further inland get hit. Such are the challenges of viticulture in England. It's possible that secondary buds will produce some flowers and fruit in a modest way. Time will tell….
Before - plentiful flowers
After frost, morning of 14 May