The only way isn’t Essex ... because Lyme Bay Winery is working with fruit from partner growers all over the south of England. Yet there’s something extra special about Essex’s Crouch Valley, a consistent source of healthy and ripe grapes, which makes its fruit a crucial element of Lyme Bay’s acclaimed range of still wines, a selection of which were recently tasted by Wine Merchant readers. Find out more by contacting Lyme Bay Winery on 01297 551355 or visit lymebaywinery.co.uk
E
ssex played a significant cameo in a Zoom
Swansea, said it displayed “great crispness, a
tasting of wines from Devon’s Lyme Bay
freshness, with lovely flavour range from citrus to
Winery.
Having been founded as a cider producer in
1993, the company has gone on to become the UK’s
largest producer of fruit wine and mead, but it’s also building a reputation for its still wines – which is where Essex comes in.
Lyme Bay sources grapes on long-term contracts
from some of the leading growers across southern England to make its wines – and Essex’s Crouch
Valley is one of the best, with its high sunshine
pineapple”.
2020 was a fantastic year for Bacchus, in many ways one of the best ever. The grapes came in clean but extremely expressive
hours, low rainfall, south facing vineyards and
Next up was Lyme Bay’s 2020 Bacchus single
varietal, made from Essex and Herefordshire grapes. Lambert added: “When it’s overripe, Bacchus
gives brilliant tropical flavours, while under-ripe it
gives you brilliant citrus flavours; in between it’s a bit boring.
“2020 was fantastic year for Bacchus, in many
ways one of the best ever, in that the grapes came in clean but extremely expressive.”
The wine was formerly named Sandbar but was
proximity to the river from which it takes its name
relabelled as simply Bacchus in a recent range
helping to mitigate against frost. These attributes
revamp.
make it great for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and
Head of sales Paul Sullivan said: “We’ve seen
Pinot Noir in particular.
a 30% uplift in sales as a result. There’s a high
“We’re very targeted in our approach,” said
degree of consumer understanding of Bacchus now
managing director and winemaker James Lambert.
that didn’t exist some years ago. It’s a really nice
“We’re a bit like the man from Del Monte, pinpointing
opportunity.”
areas where certain grape varieties show excellent
Natasha Pearson, of Mr & Mrs Fine Wine in
ripeness and fruit expression.”
Southwell, noticed “an almost sherbet-like finish,
The tasting led off with Shoreline, Lyme Bay’s
which is lovely”.
Lyme Bay’s Bacchus Block is, said Lambert, “a
flagship blended white, in which Bacchus always forms the majority, with a supporting cast that
step up in intensity, structure and length”.
includes Reichensteiner, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc
He added: “It’s a winemaker’s wine; it walks a
and Pinot Noir, depending on the vintage.
tightrope between being hugely expressive and
Grapes from Herefordshire, Kent and Devon
slightly reductive.
joined the Essex lot in the 2020 vintage tasted.
“We wait to see where the best fruit comes from.
“We’ll always look for crisp acidity but it’s never
With these particular growers it was the first
formulaic because different parcels of grapes with
Bacchus that came into us in 2020 and it leapt out
different degrees of ripeness are coming in each
straight away.
year,” added Lambert.
“It’s more on the tropical spectrum than on the
Dafydd Morris, of Cheers Wine Merchants in
citrus; more pineapple, more gooseberry, and
THE WINE MERCHANT march 2022 64
