WINE REVIEW
The evolution of Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty Chardonnay over the last few years has been remarkable, and this is surely their best still wine release to date.
The wine’s pale yellow colour suggests its subtlety and elegance, but then its fragrant nose will really take you by surprise. Fresh orchard fruit and white peach aromas, complimented by subtle oaky spice, vanilla and melon.
Wow, what a palate! Superb balance and wonderful poise thanks to a racy zesty cutting acidity. The mid taste is a diverse clean fruit expression of red apple and peach, which glorious tropical fruit hints. A slightly prickly pear character with delicate spiced notes leading to hints of nut and mineral on the finish.
This tastes exactly like a premium still English wine should – decadently textured but suitably restrained, underpinned by an edgy acidity to remind you that it’s a cool climate Chardonnay.
This wine could sit confidently alongside premium Chardonnay from other more established regions. I would describe it as somewhere in between the striking purity of a Grand Cru Chablis, with hints of the complexity and richness of an oaky Burgundy. As a fan of both of those styles, it’s a huge testament to what Chapel Down is doing at the Kit’s Coty vineyard (and in the winery) that such comparisons can be made.