Bacchus 2022, from £ 17, brenleywine. com |
Rosé Brut, £ 37, woodchurchwine. co. uk |
Organised by the national body for the English and Welsh wine industry, the WineGB Awards rightfully praised over 80 wonderful Kentish wines for their balanced brilliance at the 2025 awards. Among the highlights were gold medals for Chapel Down’ s Kit’ s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016 and Kit’ s Coty Bacchus 2022, and Gusbourne’ s Blanc de Noirs 2020. Celebrations were also in order for Cobham House Vineyard, which was rewarded with a remarkable gold trophy for‘ Best Still Rosé’ for their very first vintage released this year, crafted with 100 % gamay and fermented in used ruby port barrels. |
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Classic Brut NV, £ 34, woodchurchwine. co. uk
Riesling 2024, £ 17, biddendenvineyards. com
Kit’ s Coty Bacchus 2022, from £ 36, chapeldown. com
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White Pinot Noir 2024, £ 17, biddendenvineyards. com
Kit’ s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016, £ 125, chapeldown. com
Blanc de Noirs 2020, £ 65, gusbourne. com
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At the International Wine Challenge 2025( IWC), Chapel Down’ s Kit’ s Coty Blanc de Blancs 2019 and Kit’ s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016 both struck gold at the prestigious awards, which are globally recognised for their rigorous, impartial and influential judging process. Additionally, this year’ s Decanter World Wine Awards saw the likes of Simpsons, Squerryes, Warehorne, Mereworth and Balfour Winery all proudly standing side by side upon the esteemed medals list for their supreme serves.
AMONG THE VINES
Brimming with fresh energy and expertise, there is so much to celebrate- and even more to look forward to- from the Garden of England’ s wealth of wineries. As sprawling vines grow by the day and inventive methods continue to put the county on the world wine map, Kentish wine just keeps getting better.
“ Buckwell Vineyard is an incredibly exciting addition to our estate. With its location on the world-renowned Kent Downs’ excellent chalk soils and unique microclimate, we believe it has all the hallmarks of a truly world-class vineyard.”
Josh Donaghay-Spire, head winemaker & operations director at Chapel Down
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Just in time for 2025’ s English Wine Week( 21- 29 June), Chapel Down marked the occasion by unveiling Buckwell Vineyard- a pivotal new 119-acre site on the Kent Downs. Planted last year, the vineyard is already causing a stir on the grapevine for its potential to be one of the finest vineyards in the country, with its first harvest expected in autumn 2027. This thrilling new addition also means that Chapel Down now has an outstanding 1,018 acres under vine, equating to approximately one tenth of the UK’ s total vineyard acreage.
Another glistening jewel in Kent’ s viticultural crown is Chilham’ s Domaine Evremond, a sparkling wine estate founded by longstanding friends Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger( of the esteemed Champagne house) and Patrick McGrath MW( of UK wine specialists Hatch Mansfield). Marked as the first Champagne house to have invested in the English wine scene, Domaine Evremond’ s story is rooted in authenticity, history and ambition- and is certainly one for Kent’ s history books. With 61 hectares of vineyard and the UK’ s first ever subterranean winery, Domaine Evremond released the first edition of its Classic Cuvée in April( a blend of 55 % pinot noir, 35 % chardonnay and 10 % pinot meunier) so acclaimed it was served by none other than King Charles III himself at a recent state banquet, and will reveal the muchanticipated second edition in early 2026.
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www. insidekent. co. uk • 83 |