Burgundy... Jura... Kent? 🌍

Hey, Fionn back on a Thursday.

After a few weeks of to-ing and fro-ing from Europe it’s back to business as usual. As ever, there is plenty of wine to cram into not enough words.

Straight to it with a bit of Dandelion Pet-Nat. This could well be my favourite fizz of all time. Champagne included. I know I sound mad. How could a Pet-Nat beat Champagne I hear you ask? Well there are only 3 bottles left of our tiny allocation so you’ll have to be quick to find out. Ever changing from first sip to the last, this bottle is pure pleasure. A bit of the Hautes Cotes is still knocking about too… We thankfully managed to grab a few more of these. I think the painstaking work that goes into the labels reflects the quality you’ll find in the glass. Paper from an old school mill in the Auvergne is pressed with flowers and herbs that grow amongst the vines. Morgane cuts and stamps them herself. Her handwriting and drawings make up the imagery. If this is the effort that goes into the labels, imagine the work going into the wines...

From one elite wine region to the next, it's time to take a trip up to the Jura. It’s been quite some time since we’ve had the delicious wines from Buronfosse on the shelves. In my eyes, they are the most slept-on producer in the region. Based in the Sud Revermont, they are quite literally neighbours with a certain Ganevat yet the wines cost half the price. I was meant to mention their delicious whites, but you thirsty lot have snapped them up already. Thankfully, their reds are just as delicious, if not better.

I drank the Poulsard yesterday, my favourite grape if ya didn’t know. I can confirm that you simply can’t get a better example of the grape for the price. Effortless, easy-drinking, ethereal. Their Trousseau also falls into the same lithe style. Subtly sweet fruit, a hint of earthy spice all without any of that mulchy thing. Completing the trio of Jura reds is a wildly aromatic Pinot with plenty of crushed red fruit. Pinot at this price, from this region, is hard to beat.

With two elite wine regions already mentioned, where are we going next? Might come as a surprise but we’re off to Kent. Yes, you read it right. Just an hour on the train from London and you too can find some exceptional vines.

Whilst the English wine trend is showing no sign of slowing down, it’s rare to actually find producers doing things the right way. To me that's farming regeneratively whilst making no nasty additions in the cellar. Lots of the stuff getting the big press comes from fruit which has been sprayed to within an inch of its life and manipulated so much it’s unrecognisably English. Partly because growing good grapes on this sorry little island is pretty damn hard, partly ‘cos people want to cash in on the trend.

Thankfully, Ham Street are leading the charge for a new exciting natural wine scene that is slowly, but finally emerging here in the UK. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in their vines and I haven’t seen better grapes here in England.
I’m pumped that we now have a few of their delicious wines available for you all.

Firstly, their Field Blend is a hodge-podge mix of everything they grow. Enjoyment in spades, this reminds me of an adult Fanta Fruit Twist. Idk, if they make that anymore but this is a joyous fruit bomb of a wine. Feels like an English Summer. Move over Pimms.

Also, we stocked up on two single barrel releases. These are super limited, I’m talking less than 300 bottles of each cuvee. Rare as. Their Bacchus is by far the best expression of the grape I’ve tasted. Often, it feels like our stab at the NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Overtly aromatic, thin, too much. Just like Sauvignon Blanc though, when treated correctly, in the right hands it can produce wines of sheer class. This is exactly that, restrained and refined. A bit of time on skins adds texture and tempers the fruit. Bit of time in ex-burg barrels adding further smokey, spicy complexity. Delicious.

Their Chardonnay too is exceptional, feels like a stroll in the English countryside. Crisp fruit, a little bit of herbal hedgerow aromatics and plenty of that zesty acid you expect from our rather cool climate. Mouthwatering stuff. These are without a shadow of a doubt the very best wines you can get from England. All made without any additions.

Enough rambling for the week, I’ve actually got a shift at Dan’s tonight. Come say hello!

Fionn

XOXO