Fine on the nose, uplifting, and exciting, putting you in mind of a pure Meursault. Not the rich kind, but the more lithe kind, which I love. The palate has a fabulous juicy feel but it's so tightly coiled, with notes of lemon. In time, as the aromas and flavours unfurl in time, you'll get the hints of butter, beurre noisette, and toast, and very fine delicate oak. Still, every sip is a pleasure and a thrill, and the flavour is so long. I could easily derive pleasure from it without food, too. This is amazing wine. It's superb value and can go against very smart white Burgundy in blind tastings, as we saw with vintage 2021. Only 900 bottles made.

#Tasting#

The 2021 was one of my favourite discoveries of all time. I've so enjoyed using it as my party trick at tastings in the past year by putting it in a blind tasting next to a famous Meursault. It has stunned people. Every time the majority, usually unanimous, have preferred Althorne, and is most people's minds they're thinking it must be the Meursault. And I've made sure it's a Meursault that costs not less than £80, and some have been £250 to £500 a bottle (client budget allowing, I hasten to add), to make the point!

I've often added a third wine, which is another amazing English Chardonnay, Danbury Ridge, which is pretty close to Althorne - Althorne is near Burnham on Crouch - and Danbury is just inland from Maldon on the Blackwater Estuary. And in that case the favourites have always been the English. It's extraordinary. Interestingly the Danbury Ridge contains some of the grapes from Althorne. They manage the vineyard for Bob Hollingsbee and keep some of the fruit. The Danbury gets a bit more new oak and includes some other grapes, and it's a bit richer, with fuller aromas. I love both wines very much. The Althorne is more taut. It's a bit more restrained on the aromas and flavours.

The 2022 is quieter than the 2021 at a similar point in its evolution. The juice in the mouth is compact and coiled - focused and linear. But it's all in there. I was sipping the wine last night, and it's got a long finish. It's another brilliant wine. It probably has quite a few years ahead of it. Remarkably, the vines were only planted in 2019.

Althorne Estate has only 2 acres planted to Chardonnay, and another 2 to Pinot Noir. It will always be very small. So this is always going to be special and sought after, and now is the time to get on board.

Since last year, seeing the quality of wines like Althorne Estate and Danbury Ridge, Burgundians and Californians have invested in land around the Crouch Valley and the Blackwater Estuary, near Maldon. - Robin

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