Our top picks of English wines to discover during English Wine Week

Laura Evans, our Master of Wine, has chosen her four favourites that she encourages you to try during English Wine Week. On the subject of English wines, Laura has this to say:

“There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in the English wine scene, with the quality and selection of wines available now better than ever, to the point where they are able to hold their own alongside the rest of the world. Highly skilled and trained viticulturalists and winemakers have brought expertise in the vineyard and the winery on a scale not seen before, and experimentation with different grapes and winemaking methods is yielding some wonderful results, helped by a number of good summers.”

Here are Laura's choices and her personal notes on each from the range in The Cellar Door.

Heppington Rose Kent 2021 | £17

England makes some very good roses, a little fruitier than Provence but with a lovely freshness. This one is no exception: made from 100% pinot noir, it has a pretty pale pink hue with notes of redcurrants, cranberries and strawberries and a delightfully crisp acidity. Oh, and the label is very pretty as well.

Ortega Westwell Kent 2022 | £20

Ortega is a grape ideally suited to our changeable English climate. From the newest member of the Wine Garden of England, this refreshing summer wine has aromas of honeysuckle and grapefruit, with peach and citrus on the palate, great with or without food.

Gamay Noir Biddenden Kent 2022 | £26

It is so exciting to see this wine back as it is only available in exceptional years where we have an Indian summer to ripen the grapes fully, which is probably why Biddenden is one of the only English vineyards to grow Gamay. A wine to make you smile, it explodes with juicy berry fruit, Beaujolais style but with a very refreshing English acidity. Far too easy to drink.

The Gatehouse Pinot Noir Balfour Wine Estate Kent 2020 | £59

Unashamedly expensive and very hard to get hold of, this must be one of the finest reds available from an English vineyard. Indeed it received the trophy for best still red at the WineGB awards. Made from a small parcel of specially selected vines producing high quality pinot fruit and aged in new oak, it has concentration, depth and finesse.

During English Wine Week (17-25 June), we're offering a 15% discount on 6 or more bottles of still wine from The Cellar Door. Why not come along before Sunday and meet one of our Ambassadors who can advise you on English wine and help you make your selection. We're also offering tastings of the new 2019 Squerryes Vintage Brut that's been released during English Wine Week. Who knows, your new favourite wine could well be from a local vineyard.