The radio, early this morning (yes early - bah !) told me that this year was the best ever season for British wine. Great things are expected of the '10 vintages. I can personally recommend the Bacchus from Chapel Down.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

I was drinking East Sussex borders Bacchus from Tenterden just over the county boundary in Kent this time last week. The soil is far more chalky Sussex Downs than mid Kent clay

NOT Chapel Hill - Is there a pun in there ? That 1've missed ? Chapel Down, Owen Elias in the winemaker there.

Bacchus 2009. For opinions sought and for the 2009 vintage, it was the best English Bacchus I've tried since the heatwave 2003, ('03 too cooked and bodied for some though).

I totally agree with Richard Bamfield MW, who along with Mel has quite a lot of respect for Bacchus when conditions are right...... That the long 2009 Autumn in England south of Watford ripenned the grapes very well, so that a quality wine with interest and dimension, and some legs, could be made.

As for 2010, the Autumn has been dull, particularly a drizzle ridden and cloudy August and a cooler September with too much rain. So whilst the season got off to a brilliant flowering start in 2010, the climate at the end of the Summer was more suitable for orchards than vineyards.

No doubt there may be a bumper volume crop of Bacchus this year, but will the fruit have developed enough to make something fine ? Sadly, I'd be very surprised if the resulting wine from the crop this year was any more in terms of quality than the acidic '07 or the meek and mild '08.
You have to follow the climate patterns in the Loire and the resulting wines made there in the corresponding vintage, to understand what could happen across the channel in a more maritime climate, but on similar geological soils and terraine.

Lets hope growers made a good fist of the lousy Autumn this year

The TV does mouth a lot of bullshit sometimes - therefore, try the 2010 1st. In the meantime, snap up the 2009 if you are a loyal subject and like a wine with a very fresh palate, coupled with a little tropical stone fruit notes for the 2009.Sorry to bore the pants off experienced folks, but for those with less vintage experience, SB, Bacchus and * cloned Grüner Silvaner (* Ist clones for UK growers before Bacchus I think) have to receive an Autumn blush from long hours of sunshine and very little rain during harvest to deliver these extra mango and desert rouge blushed gooseberry notes.

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Duncan

See this and this

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Cheers Ba, we both confirm Mel's TN

Yet, refering to your opening lines for this Homespun Topic

Chapel Hill ??

2010 UK vintage ????

Were these two media points on Radio (not TV), total Bullpoopie or typo's ?


looking at Mel's original TN, Lamberhurst and Tenterden are next door villages.

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Duncan

Radio yes. Don't know the prog and no specific grape or producer was mentioned. It was nerth hours in the morning, and I was trying to find R3 on my little tranny under the sheets when I came across it. Sort of Woman's Unearthly Hour I guess....

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.