We’re very excited to offer a special library release of 2018 Pinot Noirs. 2018 was the breakthrough vintage for English & Welsh red wines, producing the ripest fruit ever seen in these countries. Luscious and textural red Pinot Noirs were produced, by many vineyards for the first time. We’ve assembled a selection of some of the finest examples, the vast majority of which aren’t available to purchase anywhere else. The wines have been carefully cellared in temperature controlled conditions for the past five years and are now in beautiful form. 2018 was a sensational vintage, allowing the grapes to ripen wonderfully and develop glorious red and black fruit qualities. Charles Palmer’s 2018 Pinot Noir was a relatively big wine on release, and we felt at the time that it would reward ageing. It’s now drinking beautifully. Still an intense, rich wine, it rewards a bit of aeration, allowing the ripe red and black fruits, and silky tannins, to show. Impressively for such a complex wine there is no oak used in this wine’s production – the family were keen for the fruit to be the unquestioned star of the show. Charles Palmer Vineyards is a family run wine estate at Winchelsea in Sussex. The vineyards on the estate benefit from an ideal climate for vines, with a close proximity to the sea and south facing slopes. The lowest part of the vineyard is a mere 5 metres from sea level and sits above a bed of Kimmeridgian clay similar to the Grand Crus of Burgundy. Their vines were first planted in 2006 specifically with the aim of producing a sparkling wine of the highest standard. Production is small and meticulous. Every effort is made to ensure only the best grapes are produced and selected according to the exacting standards of the family. The result is a small and exciting collection of vintage sparkling wines, each vintage unique and characterful in its own way.
