New releases from Flint Vineyard, East Anglia
I’ve written about impressive East Anglian winery Flint Vineyard before here and here. They are doing some interesting things. I recently tried their new releases and my verdicts are here. I really liked them, and the Charmat Rosé is a really lovely example of what can be done with non-traditional-method fizz here. Further down there are notes on the 2021 releases.
Flint Vineyard Charmat Rosé 2022 England
12.5% alcohol. This is a vivid pink colour, with lovely aromatics of cherries, herbs and raspberry. In the mouth, it’s fresh and fruit-driven with lively cherry and plum fruit with some vivid citrus. There’s a bit of structure, too, as well as keen acidity. So vivid, pure and juicy, this is deeply impressive. 91/100
Flint Vineyard Bacchus 2022 England
11% alcohol. This is beautifully aromatic with some elderflower and green herb notes around a core of citrus. Benchmark Bacchus. It’s lean, chiselled and mineral with great precision on the palate, combining lemony fruit with keen acidity and a touch of passionfruit. 90/100
Flint Vineyard Bacchus Fumé 2022 England
11% alcohol. From their own vineyards and also from a partner vineyard in Hedenham, this uses later press fractions. Half wild ferment, and half inoculated (including non-Saccharomyces yeasts), in old oak. This is lively and zesty with a Riesling-like focus on lime and lemon, with good acidity. The oak adds no flavour, but pushes the wine away from its more exotic fruit focus (typical of Bacchus) into a more citrus-led structured spectrum. This is really lovely. 91/100
Flint Vineyard Pinot Noir Précoce 2022 England
12% alcohol. This comes from Flint’s own vineyard and also from Martin’s Lane in Essex. 50% semi-carbonic and 50% destemmed and crushed fruit. Aged in old oak. Pale cherry red in colour, this has lovely aromas of sweet wild strawberries and red cherries, with some vanilla and herb notes. There’s a slight tarry note in the mix on the palate, which shows sweet, sleek, elegant red cherry and plum fruit. This is finely spiced, and so supple and drinkable. Lovely finesse: a beautiful lighter-style red. 92/100
Older notes:
Flint Vineyard Charmat Rosé 2021 England
12% alcohol. A vivid pink in colour, this is fresh, joyful and fun with tart cherries and raspberry fruit, with just a hint of sappy greenness and nice acidity. It offers immediate pleasure, but there’s a touch of seriousness and true vinosity, too. Lovely stuff. 90/100
Flint Vineyard Silex Blanc 2021 England
11.5% alcohol. 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Blanc aged in oak with partial malolactic and a little skin contact. This is a stylish oak matured white with some nuts (hazelnut and almond), a touch of vanilla and a fresh, direct citrus fruit core with good acidity and some subtle herbal hints. It’s compact with a touch of pleasant sourness on the finish. Overall, this is a food-friendly white with a savoury dimension and keen acidity, and it could develop in interesting ways. 88/100
Flint Vineyard Bacchus 2021 England
11% alcohol. A really good example of this interesting grape, offering elderflower, lime and crisp herbal notes. It’s textured and rounded (a portion was barrel fermented and matured), but there’s also a keen acidity and bright fruit. The balance here is just right, and it has real charm and depth. 91/100
Flint Vineyard Pinot Noir Precoce 2021 England
11.5% alcohol. 40% whole bunch and 60% destemmed and crushed berries. Aged for six months in old French oak. This is pale-coloured and really elegant, with rounded sweet cherry and plum fruit as well as some wild strawberry. It’s really soft and textural with a nice sweet fruit core and a juicy finish. So digestible. I really like that they’ve not tried to make this wine anything that it can’t be. So well judged. 90/100
These are available directly from their website.
