One of the things I like most about drinking English and Welsh wines is the opportunity to try new grape varieties and enjoy wines with new, interesting profiles. Here are two very appealing wines from Three Choirs Vineyards in Gloucestershire, one of England’s oldest vineyards, established in 1973, which are well worth trying.
Three Choirs May Hill 2017
This is a light-coloured, medium-sweet wine, made from a blend of Reichensteiner, Müller-Thurgau, Solaris and Orion grape varieties. Older readers may remember Müller-Thurgau from the days, not so long ago, when Liebfraumlich and Piesporter German wines were the done thing. But fear not, this is a world apart from those days.
With pronounced aromas of grapefruit and blossom on the nose, and peach, nectarine, and ripe citrus flavours, with honey overtones, on the palate, this is a full-bodied wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. It’s a refreshing appealing wine, and if you are partial to a Riesling, you will probably enjoy this.
Three Choirs Ravens Hill 2018
Deep ruby in colour, this is a blend of Regent, Rondo and Triomphe grapes. It is a delightful wine, with pronounced aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum on the nose, and cherry, damson, vanilla and toast on the palate. It’s a wine with medium acidity and medium tannin; a smooth, medium-bodied wine that’s a perfect match for Sunday lunch!
Both wines are available from Grape Britannia.