Walsingham Estate Vineyard - Solaris 2023
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 south eastern England to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy.
Planted in April 2019, the 2023 vintage is the second harvest from our young vines. Our three grape varieties are two whites, Bacchus and Solaris, and one red, Pinot Noir.
The second harvest from a vineyard was much larger than the first. With large bundles of grapes being harvested for many days. The result was 24,000 bottles of wine from the 2023 harvest. Mainly due to the very favourable conditions and lack of frosts.
All grapes were hand-harvested.
Vintage:
2023
Grape:
Solaris
Solaris is a German variety developed in the 1970s. It was developed as a disease-resistant frost-hardy variety for more marginal climates. Solaris ancestry includes some well known varieties - Seyval Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris (as well as the lesser-known Muscat-Ottonel and Zarya Severa). Our Solaris has established itself fast, with noticeable thicker trunks than the other varieties we have.
It develops huge bright green leaves, which means the grapes can attain high sugar levels, especially in hotter climates. For example in Germany it would mainly be used for sweet dessert wines. Solaris is grown a lot in Sweden apparently, where like us they make a dry wine from it. The vines produce large, heavy clusters that turn gold, even brownish-gold when fully ripe. In the vineyard the leaves stay green even when the other varieties’ leaves start to turn brown and fall.
Volume:
12%
Tasting Notes:
Aged on lees for two months, a light and delicate fresh tasting dry wine, offering lightly floral, leafy, citrus and stone fruit notes.
Food Pairing:
Solaris goes really well with white fish and shellfish and perfectly with poultry served with cream sauces.
