CROUCH VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2022
CROUCH VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2022
To quote Bob Dylan, it's been a slow train comin' but we have finally arrived... in Essex. More specifically, Mason's Point Vineyard in the Crouch Valley – one of the country’s warmest and driest terroirs, and arguably the best region in which to make still wines in England.
Planted on London blue clay (also known as “smectite,” which can be found in Pomerol on the Right Bank of Bordeaux), Mason's Point was recommended to us by the talented viticulturist Duncan McNeill, a Yorkshireman who learnt his trade in New Zealand before pioneering high quality grape-growing in the Crouch Valley.
The exceptional 2022 vintage saw record-breaking temperatures, which resulted in quite literally the ripest Pinot Noir we’ve seen in two decades of winemaking in England. Fermented at our winery in Sussex, it spent 14 months in new oak barrels, 10 months in tank, and a further 12 months on cork before release.
The result of our first foray into red winemaking – we're extremely proud to say – is probably quite unlike any other English red wine you will have tasted: a deeply saturated, purple-black colour, this is a Pinot Noir of structure and power and, at the same time, elegance and nuance.
Fragrant and juicy, its damson and plum character is layered with an array of spicy, smoky notes and veiled by fine-grained, velvety tannins. While already drinking beautifully, it will certainly age well over the next decade and then some.
Only 500 bottles are available – strictly limited to 2 bottles per customer.
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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GRAPES
100% Pinot Noir
13% ABV
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VINEYARD
Mason's Point, Crouch Valley, Essex
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WINEMAKING
Destemmed, 14 days on skins, followed by 14 months in small new barriques and 10 months in stainless steel. Bottled in October 2024.
FOOD PAIRING
This deeply sensual, yet vibrant Pinot Noir has a real affinity with heartier poultry dishes – duck, chicken, pheasant, turkey – especially when accompanied by the bounty of an autumn larder: mushrooms, truffles, beetroot, and pumpkin will elevate this to the top tier.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
“An amazing wine. This will be sensational: it’s the best English Pinot I’ve tried.” Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak
"Vigorous crimson – deeper colour than many a red burgundy! Sweet fruit with freshness at the end and a little oak spice. Should settle down to being a damned good drink! Pure, ripe fruit with a real core and drive." Jancis Robinson MW
"Sugrue's humdinger of a 2022 Crouch Valley Pinot Noir is the most Burgundian of the lot with extraordinary soft silky tannins and tangy, delicious dark-hearted spicy fruit." Jane MacQuitty, The Times
“The wine shows just why Essex has generated so much interest among the Burgundians: intensely aromatic and spicy, it has incredible energy, with fleshy, red plum fruit and hints of fennel.” Amy Wislocki, Decanter
“Danbury Ridge watch out.” Henry Jeffreys, Drinking Culture
"I absolutely loved it; a glorious combination of wild and ferruginous as well as smoky and plummy, with perfect weight and just the right amount of edginess." Susie Barrie MW
"Possibly the best yet from Essex." Rose Murray Brown MW
"Superbly ripe. Immediately, it is all about glossy, deep black cherry running into bittersweet damson plum. Smooth, juicy and has plush ripeness, then something cool and mineral kicks in, with svelte tannins and pert, pretty acidity extending the finish." 93 Points. Tom Cannavan, Wine Pages
"The concentration is quite startling for a nominally 'cool climate' wine. Raspberry liqueur, black cherry, a tiny touch of sage at first but then an overlay of developed and spicy notes – dried fig, agen prune, clove, touch of undergrowth. I scribbled down a jokey 'Brunello di Dengie!' just on aromatics – it's going to appeal to fans of heady, autumnal reds." Tom Hewson
"Exceptional fruit, headline-grabbing intensity, a new star is born. Could this be Britain's best new Pinot?" Olly Smith