The story of our 2020 vintage was one of focus – I really wanted to build on the success of 2019 and hone-in on what I love about making wines in the UK. Pinot Noir Précoce was the first to arrive in the cellar in mid-September it is the perfect place to start understanding the 2020 vintage.
This year we had a very special project associated with our Pinot Noir Précoce! In the USA in 2020 we are producing a Californian Pinot Noir with our good friend and winemaker Sashi Moorman. With Sashi’s guidance, our English Pinot Noir lived a life as close to that of our friends across the sea –which promises some super exciting tastings in the coming year as we can really explore and play-off the differences in climate, soil, and wine character.
Our Précoce grapes were grown on a little site in West Marden, a particularly pretty vineyard and one I just love to visit with my dog Ned while visiting the very hospitable owners Noel and Danielle. It sits at the bottom of a beautifully manicured English forest and garden, think wildflower gardens, beautiful squared-off hedges, and plenty of free-roaming pheasants and partridges.
This year the Précoce tended to have very small bunches with 10 to 12 per vine. These mini bunches were just starting to look like little golf balls, which indicates a little dehydration which really helps to concentrate flavours & natural sugars.
The grapes were hand-harvested and gently transported to our cellar in Fulham in 15kg crates. Once on-site the grapes were unloaded and transported into the cellar with our colourful forklift.
After the majority of the grapes were destemmed the Précoce started its journey in our Fulham cellar in a concrete tank. Fermentation was slow to kick-off which was great as this allows time for colour and aroma extraction. The tank then received a short pump over every morning and night and half way through fermentation the wine received a delestage which adds oxygen for the yeast to complete a happy fermentation.
Once fermentation was complete the Précoce wine was then racked and the skins pressed and then transferred into 4th use Burgundian barrels. My sense with this grape is allow a warmer rapid fermentation, which allows fermentation to take off. This minimises the extraction of tannins from the seeds which can add grippy tannins and bitterness. Malolactic fermentation is still ongoing, but this is currently very close to being completed.
The Précoce tastes very pure this year, bright red fruit, fresh plum, cranberries, rhubarb – with hints of spices and tannins sneaking in at the end. This year, with a nudge from Sashi, I included 8% whole bunch grapes into the concrete tank so there is a hint of this tannin character in the wine.
So watch this space…..we are aiming to get this wine out for Summer 2021! The perfect picnic red!
