Lyme Bay Winery Chardonnay

A still English Chardonnay made by a Devon winery using grapes grown in Essex's Crouch Valley — the corner of England now widely regarded as the country's finest site for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A 750ml bottle of dry white wine, vinified at Lyme Bay Winery in the Axe Valley, just outside Axminster in East Devon. The winery has been quietly making fruit wines, ciders and meads in this corner of the country for over thirty years. In 2015 it released its first English wine. It has since become the most awarded English still wine producer in the country.

The grapes come from a network of growers Lyme Bay have built long-term contracts with, anchored in the Crouch Valley. The Crouch sits on free-draining gravels under a sky that's both warm and bright by English standards, with rainfall lower than almost anywhere else in the UK. It's where English Chardonnay has come into its own. Lyme Bay's winemaker, Sarah Massey, trained in Burgundy and California before coming home; the influence shows.

Pale gold in the glass. On the nose: white peach, green apple, a touch of citrus blossom. On the palate: pear, lemon, a clean mineral line, with restrained oak adding weight without heaviness. The finish is taut, focused, distinctly English in its acidity.

Bottled at 13% ABV. Suitable for vegans.

For shellfish and white fish, roast chicken, soft cheeses, or simply on its own well-chilled on a summer evening.

75cl. Please drink responsibly.