A wine from England? Yes, I’ve had a few Sparkling wines form Great Britain, but this 2015 Chapel Down Bacchus Tenterden, England with 12% alcohol, costing under 12 Pounds Sterling ($14) scored a pleasant 15+ points on the Dionysian scale.
The Bacchus grape comes fro a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner, then crossed again with Muller-Thurgau creating a substitute for Sauvignon Blanc . It had little grapefruit like most Sauvignon Blancs, but loads of gooseberry.
Dionysian Don Graham provided the wine for review during lunch, and it aided the turkey BLT’s nicely. Our scores concur. Hints of melon and pineapple show through the gooseberry and white flower aromas. It had an ideal pH of 3.20 proving it a food wine.
The winemaker at Chapel Down is Josh Donaghay-Spire, and with world warming, expect to see more quality wines from England. I’ve only had Bacchus wine a few times, and this sample was one of the best to date. Seek out more unique wines. In Vino Veritas.
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