Vagabond Urban Winery, Chardonnay, England 2018

This 2018 vintage is mainly from a single vineyard near Guildford in Surrey, fermented and then aged for nine months on lees in old French oak barrels. Lots of texture and weight with an oatmeal creaminess and stone fruit flavours. 4,000 bottles made. The 2019 vintage (12.5% abv) released in September 2020, is from a single vineyard in Essex – a riper, warmer site on chalk. It has lovely ripe pear, heady apricot and spiced oak flavours and a cut above the 2018, scoring 89 points. 'I really wish Essex would go for its PDO,' says winemaker Gavin Monery. 'The Crouch River area really has the most potential for still wine in the UK.'