Vagabond Urban Winery, Ortega, England 2018

Intriguing, with a touch of oxidative funk and texture from one-month of lees ageing, flinty mineral notes and subtle citrus and quince flavours, mainly from from the seven-year-old, clay-based Yew Tree Vineyard in Oxfordshire. Just 2,000 bottles made. The 2019, released in September 2020, has six months lees ageing in tank, and is much more oily and Viognier-like on the palate, still with a flinty edge but more ripe peach and apricot on the creamy palate. Like the Chardonnay, a better wine in 2019, scoring 90. 'I often prefer Ortega to Bacchus,' says Gavin Monery. 'It's understated and there's more to think about.'