WINE REVIEW
I’ve been quite a fan of white Pinot Noir or still Blanc de Noirs wines for most of my English Wine journey. One of my early discoveries was a Litmus White Pinot from 2011 which impressed me with its texture and complexity. Litmus is, of course, based out of Denbies Winery in Dorking, and this, Denbies’ latest still wine release, feels intrinsically linked to that early English Wine find of mine.
The wine was fermented in a mixture of five, three, two and one year old French barriques, was left on lees and spent a total of 12 months in oak. Curiously, the wine was bottled in early 2022 and then left for the best part of four years to mature. So it’s at a stage of development that you rarely find in English white wine.
The nose is quite a heady mix of peach, red apple and lemon peel, with suggestions of cranberry, floral and roasted almond.
On the palate there’s a brilliant counterbalance of ripe apple, nectarine and peach flavours with prominent acidity, tangy redcurrant and cranberry hints. There’s also a lovely nutty complexity and soft creaminess, together with the seasoning of French oak that gives a nod to the fine white wines of Burgundy.
