The wines are made by Matt Gregory
Please see the WHERE page for stockists
English wines are grown by Matt Gregory at Walton Brook Vineyard on the Leicestershire Wolds. It is a 3 hectare (7.5 acre) vineyard, South facing and 100metres above sea level: one of the highest points on the Leicestershire Wolds. Comprising of 200 million year old Jurassic fine grained limestone mud made up from carbonates of coral and shell, overlain with 2-million-year-old glacial deposits featuring limestone, flint, ironstone and quartz.
Planted in 2009/2010 with 2,000 each of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Bacchus and with a mixed 2,500 vines of Solaris, Seyval Blanc, Regent and Madeleine Angevine. Set in the middle of a 500 acre conventional arable farm the aim is to farm the vineyard organically, but certification will not be sought due to its location.
Notes on the currently available English 2023 vintage
2023 was Matt’s 4th year growing grapes at Walton Brook and it was was cool and wet. The plants loved it though and were extremely vigorous all year, which combined with the damp provided ideal conditions for disease. Canopy management and disease control was running battle all Summer, but one that was won ultimately. 10 days of glorious weather in early September pushed the grapes over the brow of the hill to ripeness and the result was a larger than usual crop of very good fruit.
Fizzy White 2023
English dry lightly sparkling white wine
11% alcohol. 100% Bacchus. 1100 bottles
No added sulphites, vegan friendly
80% whole bunch carbonic maceration, 20% de-stemmed and macerated with the grape skins for 6 weeks. The wine was bottled without being fined or filtered and no additions were made (no added sulphur)
Fizzy Pink 2023
English dry lightly sparkling pink wine
11% alcohol. 50/50 Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris. 1100 bottles
Vegan friendly.
Piont Noir and Pinot Gris and Bacchus were carbonically macerated separately for 10 days. They were then pressed and the Pinots underwent alcoholic fermentation together. The wine was bottled without being fined or filtered but a very small addition of sulphur before bottling.
Orange 2023
Amber/orange wine
11% alcohol. 100% Solaris. 750 bottles
Vegan friendly.
Solaris is always the first of Matt’s grapes to be ripe, as much as 10 days earlier than any others. These grapes were de-stemmed and macerated with the grape skins for 9 weeks before being pressed. The wine was rested in stainless steel for 8 months on fine lees before bottling. Unfined, unfiltered with a small 10ppm sulphur addition post malolactic fermentation.
White 2023
Still white wine
10% alcohol. 100% Bacchus. 570 bottles
Vegan friendly.
80% of the grapes were de-stemmed and macerated with the skin for 6 weeks, the other 20% were left whole bunch and carbonically macerated for 10 days before being pressed. The 2 elements were blended together, and a small addition of sulphur was made before bottling. Unfined and unfiltered.
White Field 2023
Still white wine
9% alcohol. 76% Seyval, 19% Bacchus, 5% Solaris. 550 bottles
Vegan friendly.
Each parcel of grapes was fermented separately due to the range of picking dates and were all de-stemmed and fermented with the skins depending on the grape type: Seyval 2 weeks, Bacchus 6 weeks, Solaris 9 weeks. Unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulphur before bottling.
Label art
Italy – Vanessa Stone vanessastoneartist.com
England – Jojo Cooper jojocooper.co.uk
Technical sheets for the wines are here, please get in contact for access