March 20, 2025
Today we are back at Danbury Ridge Winery in Essex with Richard Bampfield MW and winemaker Liam Idzikowski tasting their latest release from their Octagon Block, Chardonnay 2022. Danbury Ridge Pinot Noir 2023
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Danbury Ridge was founded by two generations of the Bunker family: Michael and Heather Bunker and, their daughters Janine and Sophie. While walking with friends on the estate it was suggested that some of the agricultural land owned by the Bunker family may prove an ideal location for growing vines. The fields had long been scorned by local farmers for being lean and arid - a good training ground for racehorses over wet winters, but far from ideal for summer cereal crops. A detailed feasibility study was undertaken, and the conclusions formed the outline of a plan that the family expanded upon over the following years. The first vines were planted in 2014 with a focus on identifying Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones which could best exploit the unique mesoclimate. After just a few seasons the vines were producing grapes of a quality and ripeness previously unseen in the UK; surely England's finest Pinot Noir producer.
Vinification: After handpicking and sorting, the fruit was gently destemmed without crushing to maintain whole berries. The grapes were then gravity-fed into open-top oak and concrete fermenters for 3 to 5 days cold soak. Temperatures were allowed to increase naturally, and the cap received just one to two punch downs per day. Some vats also received extended skin maceration. The wine was transferred to French oak barrels for MLF, bâttonage and 12 months ageing, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The Vineyards: Grapes were carefully selected from across the estate. Glaciofluvial deposits of sandy gravel dominate the easterly Polo Field while loamy, carbonate rich clay of the estate’s Sleipnir Block dominates to the west. Select parcels were sourced from the Blackwater estuary and the river Crouch, which have significant influence over the favourable climate for winegrowing enjoyed in the region.
Weather: The 2023 growing season was bookended by warm weather in June and September, though there were multiple plot twists in between. On paper, the vintage appeared straightforward, but the vines had other ideas — oversized bunches demanded meticulous crop thinning, with each cluster assessed individually to retain only small, well-exposed fruit. The final challenge came with an unusually high incidence of Asian fruit flies, though Chardonnay and certain Pinot clones were largely spared. Careful netting and triage ensured only clean fruit was harvested. The wines now in bottle reflect September’s generosity: Chardonnay is ripe and expressive, while the Estate Pinot, softened by extended barrel ageing, may be our finest yet.
Technical Information:
Region: Crouch Valley, Essex
Sub Region: Danbury
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
pH: 3.54
TA: 5.6g/L
ABV: 13%
Production: 60 Barrels
Drink: Now to 10 Years +
Tasting Note: The 2023 Pinot Noir opens with bright, lifted red fruits - cranberry, wild strawberry, and a hint of pomegrante, layered with delicate floral notes and subtle spice. The palate is medium-bodied and graceful, with softer, more polished tannins than the 2022 vintage that lend a silky texture from start to finish. The fruit feels pure and finely etched. The finish is long and refined, carrying a lingering note of rose petal and fresh forest floor.
Vinification: After handpicking and sorting, the fruit was gently destemmed without crushing to maintain whole berries. The grapes were then gravity-fed into open-top oak and concrete fermenters for 3 to 5 days cold soak. Temperatures were allowed to increase naturally, and the cap received just one to two punch downs per day. Some vats also received extended skin maceration. The wine was transferred to French oak barrels for MLF, bâttonage and 12 months ageing, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The Vineyards: Grapes were carefully selected from across the estate. Glaciofluvial deposits of sandy gravel dominate the easterly Polo Field while loamy, carbonate rich clay of the estate’s Sleipnir Block dominates to the west. Select parcels were sourced from the Blackwater estuary and the river Crouch, which have significant influence over the favourable climate for winegrowing enjoyed in the region.
Weather: The 2023 growing season was bookended by warm weather in June and September, though there were multiple plot twists in between. On paper, the vintage appeared straightforward, but the vines had other ideas — oversized bunches demanded meticulous crop thinning, with each cluster assessed individually to retain only small, well-exposed fruit. The final challenge came with an unusually high incidence of Asian fruit flies, though Chardonnay and certain Pinot clones were largely spared. Careful netting and triage ensured only clean fruit was harvested. The wines now in bottle reflect September’s generosity: Chardonnay is ripe and expressive, while the Estate Pinot, softened by extended barrel ageing, may be our finest yet.
Technical Information:
Region: Crouch Valley, Essex
Sub Region: Danbury
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
pH: 3.54
TA: 5.6g/L
ABV: 13%
Production: 60 Barrels
Drink: Now to 10 Years +
Tasting Note: The 2023 Pinot Noir opens with bright, lifted red fruits - cranberry, wild strawberry, and a hint of pomegrante, layered with delicate floral notes and subtle spice. The palate is medium-bodied and graceful, with softer, more polished tannins than the 2022 vintage that lend a silky texture from start to finish. The fruit feels pure and finely etched. The finish is long and refined, carrying a lingering note of rose petal and fresh forest floor.
