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NEVER MIND THE GAMAY 2025

NEVER MIND THE GAMAY 2025

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY via SUGRUESOUTHDOWNS.COM

Over a decade ago, legendary hop-turned-grape grower Chris Nichols and I planted a field in Kent with Pinot Meunier. The fruit from this vineyard has always been sensational, but in 2025 – a once-in-a-generation, 'unicorn' vintage for England – it was so outrageously ripe that I knew it could only be destined for life as a still red wine.

While it fermented as whole bunches, we garnished it with Gamay (a variety rarely seen in the UK) from Alpaca Block, our vineyard planted by Robin Hutson at The PIG-in the South Downs in 2020, before ageing it all in French and American oak barrels, large and small. It was so aromatic and so immediately delicious that we bottled it after just four months.

Twenty years ago, I'd never have believed we could make wines like this in England: lip smacking and generously fruity, I'm reminded of those juicy, medium-bodied Loire Valley and Cru Beaujolais reds served with a light chill that slip down all too easily as the dog days of summer roll into autumn.

Never Mind The Gamay. Here's The Pinot Meunier.

Anarchy in the South Downs.

£29.00
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TECHNICAL DETAILS

  • GRAPES

    97% Pinot Meunier

    3% Gamay

    12.5% ABV

  • VINEYARDS

    Sandhurst Vineyard, Kent

    Alpaca Block Vineyard, West Sussex

  • WINEMAKING

    Whole-bunch fermented and aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels, small and large. Bottled in February 2026. 3,000 bottles produced.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

"Intense yet vibrant and inviting red fruits but with more savoury-herbal notes, almost peppery, than immediate fruit sweetness. A hint of raspberry cough linctus but not in the least confected. Super-fine and sufficient tannins, fabulous red fruit and excellent freshness. Can’t remember the last time I tasted such a good still Pinot Meunier from anywhere, let alone from England. Succulent yet dry, finely textured and long. Absolutely delicious and remarkable for an English Pinot Meunier." 17 Points, Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com

"[A] deliciously smashable, light-bodied, crunchy cuvée. Lightly chilled, it was absolutely the canine’s cojones with a barbecued chicken and roast carrots with salsa macha on a hot summer’s evening." Natasha Hughes MW

"Really nice aromatics here. Floral, crunchy, alive, a little bit herby, and there's a tiny framing of spicy oak. But otherwise such nice florals! Juicy, focused, there's some seriousness, it's not just a simple glou-glou quaffer. Most of all it's utterly delicious and it's great to see this sort of wine being made in the UK." 92 Points, Jamie Goode, WineAnorak

"My pick of the best English wines to buy now." Rose Murray Brown MW, The Scotsman

"Exuberantly fruity with buckets of mulberries and raspberries, sour cherryskin lick, tinged with fennel and herbs, juicy and tangy and rather Loire-cab-franc-like." Susy Atkins, The Telegraph

"In the mouth the exuberance of the fruit bursts through: juicy cherry flesh and drier, earthy reducrrant, but modest tannins, a coffeeish oak background and lip-smacking acidity give it immense, easy drinkability. If you are a Cru Beaujolais fan who fancies something quirky, different and delicious, get on board." 92 Points, Tom Cannavan, wine-pages.com

"A light, fruity, boisterous red that's ideal for summer drinking. (Or as a gift for the punk rocker in your life.)" Susie Barrie MW

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