Walsingham Vineyard 2022 Mixed Case Selection

Our Walsingham Vineyard 2022 Mixed Case Selection Consists of two bottles of each variety of the wine Walsingham Vineyards has produced - Pinot Noir, Bacchus and Solaris. These three varieties of wines are each of fine quality, grown within the Walsingham Estate and are sold only via our Farm Shop. Get yours today!

About the Vineyard: 

Walsingham Estate Vineyard lies in the Stiffkey Valley, an easy walk to the south of Walsingham, close to the Roman Catholic Shrine at the Slipper Chapel and beside the former railway line which is now the Pilgrim Way. Part of the Walsingham Estate, the field was chosen for the vineyard as it is a gentle south-facing slope, with free-draining soil studded with plenty of flint, above the all-important underlying bed of chalk. This same chalk seam runs through southeastern England to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy.

Planted in April 2019, 2022 is our first harvest and first vintage from our young vines. Our three grape varieties are two whites, Bacchus and Solaris, and one red, Pinot Noir.

The first harvest from a vineyard is always small but a very challenging start to the year with severe late frosts (with even a small frost on June 1) reduced our first yield even further, taking out probably about 1/3 of the potential grape clusters.

The hot dry summer - the drought in fact - meant grapes got very ripe but berry size and cluster size was small. There was also some bird and insect damage, probably because of high sugar levels in the fruit due to the heat, and also due to the drought reducing available water and food for wild creatures.

All grapes were hand-harvested, with the total of our first harvest less than two tons.  As a result supplies of the 2022 vintage are very limited!

Vintage:

2022

Grape:

Bacchus, Solaris and Pinot Noir

Volume:

• Bacchus: 12%
• Solaris: 13%
• Pinot Noir: 11.5%

Tasting Notes:

• Bacchus: Made with hand-harvested fruit, barrel-fermented and aged on lees for six months, our new wine is dry and fresh, showcasing aromas of elderflower and citrus leading to a crisp palate with green apple and lemon zest notes and subtle hints of oak. Will continue to develop in bottle.

• Solaris: Partial malolactic fermentation produces a subtle yet creamy palate balanced well with acidity and subtle hints of sweetness. Delicate stone fruits merge with the oak and vanilla notes leading to a long finish.

• Pinot Noir: Fermented on skins for 14 days, purely wild yeast. Aged in Hungarian oak barrels for seven months. A more Burgundian style of Pinot Noir with delicate floral aromatics. Fine tannins are beautifully integrated with the soft berry fruits and balanced acidity leading to a long yet complex finish.

Food Pairing:

• Bacchus: Bacchus wines pair well with fresh goat's cheese and goat's cheese salads. English Bacchus works really well with spring vegetables such as asparagus, peas and broad beans - a risotto primavera for example.

• Solaris: Goes really well with white fish and shellfish and perfectly with poultry served with cream sauces.

• Pinot Noir: Pairs perfectly with charcuterie, ham and other cold meats, patés and terrines. It will also be great with roasted chicken, rabbit and quail! Because of its light finish try serving it with dishes accompanied with light cream sauces!