Furleigh Estate has arrived,” said a delighted Ian Edwards in response to winning the 2012 Winemaker of the Year accolade in the UK Vineyard Association’s annual awards. “We had taken a bit of a risk,” he admitted about his youthful winery, still less than a decade old, located five miles from the Jurassic Coast.
With no major producers nearby, he and his wife Rebecca Hansford were literally as well as metaphorically ploughing their own furrow when they bought the farm her father used to own and planted their vines back in the early noughties. “It shows it was all worth it,” he smiled.
And the wines what won it for him? Two trophy winners – the best sparkling wine for his Classic Cuvée sparkler, and the most outstanding oaked wine trophy, for his Bacchus Fumé 2010 – their prize is the modest size wooden ornament you can see in the image – plus a pair of Golds for two other sparkling wines.
“It’s a cracking good wine,” said deputy chair of judges, Anthony Foster MW, of the Classic Cuvée. It’s juicy and gorgeous. And on judging day it was by far the emptiest bottle on the table.”
Go your own way
Their Bacchus Fumé 2010 takes a different approach to what many feel is the UK’s signature grape. Inspired by Bordeaux whites, he has partnered 90% Bacchus – the Sauvignon Blanc element – with 10% Chardonnay – “in the UK it acts like Semillon” he explains. The young wine spent seven months in American oak, resulting in an exceptionally balanced, yet sprightly white with some lively texture.
Next, the ultimate vinous accolade, the Wine of the Year. The last few years, fizz has taken home the winnings, but not this year. A “real showdown”, resulted in Chapel Down’s Bacchus Reserve 2010 emerging victorious, illustrating the judges’ view that this was the year Bacchus really showed its potential. “I was quite surprised,” said a modest Andrew Parley, the Kiwi winemaker at Chapel Down, of his win. Why? “Because of the number of other good wines in the running.”
But then Andrew’s wine had picked up not just one, but two trophies, including the one for the most outstanding single varietal wine.
With clear as a bell aromatics allied with tangy tart tropical fruits and a long finish, I asked Andrew what was it that he thought made his wine stand out so much? “It was a big year, in terms of harvest, so we were able to choose the best grapes,” said Andrew, pointing out that the three vineyards from which the grapes were drawn had all been planted in the late 1980s – relatively old for the UK. Also the yields were lower, probably three tonnes/acre rather than the norm that year for this varietal, four tonnes/acre. Add to that the complexity from a portion undergoing fermentation with wild yeasts.
Telly presenter and columnist Olly Smith, won the inaugural Communicator of the Year award for “his support and sheer enthusiasm”, a feature much in evidence earlier as he leapt around the room high-fiving the winemakers present. He urged the English wine industry to “embrace regional diversity and “not to emulate other styles”.
Sweets for my sweet
Other vinous highlights from this year’s trophies include Denbies Noble Harvest 2011. “It is a naughty wine,” said Anthony of the exquisitely intense sweetie. “I loved it.” And he obviously wasn’t alone, with two out of six judges awarding it the perfect 20. The good news is that the estate has planted more Ortega, so in the future there’ll be a little more to go around.
Popular former Winemaker of the Year Sam Lindo, didn’t go away empty handed, picking up trophies for both his Camel Valley Vineyard Bacchus 2011 and his Pinot Noir Rosé Brut, a flight that chair of judges Susan McCraith MW said was “catching up on the whites”. Speaking of rosé, Duncan Schwab’s Sharpham Vineyard Whole Berry Rosé 2011, an eloquent fruity number, took home not just the still rosé trophy, but the one for the best large production 2011 wine.
Back in the south-east, Biddenden took home the best red wine trophy for its Pinot Noir 2011, and East Anglia’s New Hall cemented its position as a top Bacchus producer with its 2011 trophy winner.
A total of 259 wines were entered, with judging taking place over two days in mid-June by a panel of six MWs.
For a full list of results, see here
Furleigh Estate wines are available from the estate, Sparkling English Wine & a number of other shops and restaurants.
Chapel Down wines more widely available, although the Bacchus Reserve is a limited production number. Already the estate has moved onto the 2011, available from the winery and online.