English wine has really come on leaps and bounds in the last five years, go longer a gimmick but serious players on the world scene.  Blackbook Winery is one of those at the forefront of this, particularly with their extraordinarily brilliant Pinot Noir.

This 2018 ‘NightJar’ Pinot Noir is reminiscent of old-world Pinot Noir, showing elements of sour and black cherries, blackcurrant with delicate hints of violet. It marries ripe fruit with sweet spice and black pepper while refined tannins lend structure through to a long, savoury finish.

The grapes for this wine are sourced from a single vineyard ‘Clayhill’ vineyard, which is situated on the coastal peninsula of the Crouch Valley in Essex, between the Crouch and Blackwater Rivers. Planted in 2006, the vineyard is south facing to optimise the sunlight. The mesoclimate is sunny and warm, ideal for the production of quality fruit. The soil is made up of clay, which offers good water retention properties, nourishing the vines throughout the summer growth period. The gapes are hand-picked into small crates to retain the quality of the fruit.

2018 is being hailed across the UK as the ‘harvest of the century’ following record-breaking summer, with warm temperatures throughout the growing period. The ideal weather conditions carried through into the autumn, creating a long slow ripening period, allowing the fruit to reach good phenolic maturity with good balance. The vines produced high yields of excellent quality fruit.