It’s always a pleasure to taste a brand new English wine that is not only mouth-wateringly delicious but also local. Albury Organic Vineyard is a Biodynamic vineyard located just over 10 miles from my home in Surrey. As part of #GreatBritishRoséWeek, I headed back to the vineyard this weekend to have a preview of the upcoming Albury Silent Pool Rosé 2020. This wine has cult status in Surrey, so it was a real privilege to have a chance to catch up with owner, Nick Wenman, on a particularly sunny day in the Surrey Hills. The 2020 Rosé will be released on 8th May, and is once again expected to sell out in a matter of weeks. My interview and tasting with Nick follow below, together with a more in-depth tasting of the wine.
Albury Organic Silent Pool Rosé 2020
Grapes: Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier
Region: Surrey
The first thing you notice about the Silent Pool 2020 is its colour. This vintage is noticeable pinker than previous years, all the while retaining its elegance. It’s a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Pinot Meunier, and the wine’s more concentrated colour and flavour profile come from the 2020 vintage being a ripe but lower-yield vintage for Albury.
The super fresh and focussed nose has a citrus fusion of grapefruit, lemon and orange skin, and the classic summer berry notes of raspberry and cherry. There’s also a light herbaceous suggestion and a hint of cherry blossom.
I tasted this just a week after bottling, and it’s already open and hugely expressive. The burst of zesty pink grapefruit and tangy cranberry is what Silent Pool Rosé is all about. But the ripe fruit of 2020 manifests in a fuller cherry and strawberry weight. There’s a great length to it, too, with a zesty citrus encore and perhaps even a mineral suggestion.
This is exactly what you need to be drinking in the sunshine as we start to get out and about and socialise more.
