County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month February 2024
8th February 2024
Author EditorPosted on Categories Lifestyle
Kinsbrook Chardonnay 22
Kinsbrook Vineyard
The Wine of the Month for February is from local vineyard Kinsbrook, based near West Chiltington in West Sussex, not far from the South Downs National Park.
Joe Beckett and his partner, Rebecca, favour minimal-interventionist, regenerative practices both in the vineyard and their winemaking processes. Kinsbrook is continuing to promote sustainability through Kinsbrook Farmhouse, its vibrant ground floor farm shop with local and international produce, butchery and delicatessen with a relaxed café and restaurant on the first floor.
Joe is one of the UK’s youngest vineyard owners working the area from his family’s farm. The vineyard makes a wide range of still wines which include Bacchus, Chardonnay 22, Kin 22, Pinot Noir Rose, and a red from Rondo grapes called Chough au Vin. They also produce two sparkling White and Rose wines which are also sold at fine restaurants in London.
At the end of summer 2023, Joe and Rebecca launched their first ever single-variety Chardonnay blend from the challenging 2022 season which has been a great success.
Winemaker’s notes
Fermented in a stainless steel tank, unoaked. Dry, clean and balanced with a soft, round finish owing to malolactic fermentation during the winemaking process. Lively citrus on the nose and tropical pineapple on the palate. A special wine.
Michael’s tasting notes
The 2022 season had two good periods of warm weather during the summer which really developed the character of this wine. On the nose for this wine, we have stone fruit, apricot and honeysuckle together with citrus. On the palate is a nice amount of fruit, followed by citrus backbone with a nice body and mouthfeel from leaving the pressed juice more contact with the skins. The wine has undergone malolactic fermentation, which means the grape juice ferments at a higher temperature giving more of a rich or buttery feel. The wine has nice minerality is rounded with tropical notes coming through and a lingering finish.
Kinsbrook wines are available from the vineyard direct or local vintners, such as the Hawkin Brothers and other quality wine merchants, for around £25 a bottle.
Michael Yeoman, Founder of Brighton and Hove Wine Club
Michael Yeoman specialises in working with small batch wine producers in and around Sussex and the South Downs. He founded Brighton and Hove Wine Club and also creates a range of small batch Sussex Brandies, Grape spirits and Vodka through Spirit of the Downs based at Bolney.