These notes attempt to give some guidance to when best to drink our wines. The wines tasted were from our own library collection kept in an underground cellar. The conditions are good, but not ideal with ambient temperature going up to 18°C in the middle of the summer and down to 12°C in winter. This probably mirrors the average collector, but those with differing conditions should adjust accordingly.

Please note we started to get considerably better quality and longer corks since the 1996 vintage.  Many of the 1992 to 1995 vintages unfortunately vary a lot depending on the condition of the corks.

Please note that these notes should supersede the predictions of the fact sheets, which are prepared shortly after bottling. We will attempt to update these tasting notes every 2 years. We would welcome any feedback.

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Tasting date: October 2015

1995        Gold colour. Past its best, but lovely sherry like oxidative flavours. Sweet Straw nose.

1996        Deep gold colour. Lovely dried peach damp straw nose. Quite a bit fresher than 1995. A bit past its best.

1998        Gold colour. Waxy honey, butty dreid peach, damp straw. Very complex. More oxidative on palate but a lot of flavours still in tact. Dry nutty finish. A it past its best.

1999        (Chenin Challenge Winner) Nutty, waxy honey with dusty dry apricot skins. Developed and quite oxidative but with a lot of flavours showing through. Very complex. Past its best but still a joy to drink.

2000        Gold colour. Beautiful nose. Quite fine with creamed honey, straw, peach & lemon notes. Nice palate, quite subtle and dry but less oxidative than older vintages. Palate in sync with nose. Will make a lovely aperitif or pair with subtle flavours.

2001        Gold, slightly deeper colour. Lovely creamy typical honey, straw & peach nose. Delicious palate. At its best but should still keep.

2002        Yellow/gold colour. Nutty, damp straw nose to the fore. Lovely rich, but dry palate. Still showing very well.

2003        Yellow/gold colour. Quite restraint and lightly oxidative. This vintage took a long time to develop and has been tasting great over the last 7 or 8 years.  However this bottle showing signs of fragility. Still delicious with nutty straw dominating the dried apricot and lemon rind.

2004        Sweet straw nose with more fruit showing than ’03. Full, rich palate. Still going strong. Barrel maturation character more evident. Holding fruit nicely. At best. *Poor, soft cork.

2005        Light gold colour. Complex and creamy with waxy honey and semi-dried peach notes. Botrytis and alcohol showing a bit. Quite a big, rich palate.Nice mature character with lots of fruit. A little sugar well integrated. Not showing much age. Currently in an inbetween stage so I recommend keeping.

2006        Yellow gold colour. Typical waxy honey, straw & apricot notes. Similar to 2005 but a little less rich and finer as the alcohol is not showing. Lovely rich but restrained palate. A little alcohol on finish but more complete than 2005. A little sugar well integrated. Currently in an inbetween stage so I recommend keeping.

2007        Light gold colour. A bit more developed on the nose. Sweet straw & honey wax notes. Very attractive and much more expressive than ’05 & ’06. Palate also shows more development and really drinking well now. Showing lots of flavour and complexity.

2008        Gold colour. Lemon meringue, lovely complex nose. Quite developed bit a bit fresher than 2007. Complete, complex palate with a long dry finish.

2009        Yellow / light gold colour. Much more closed, restrained finer nose than the last few vintages. Could compare to 2001/2003 as it’s a bit more Sauvignon Blanc like with a herbal, leafy character. Light honey with underlying straw, nuts and wax notes. Palate also a bit more restrained and showing the alcohol a bit. A bit sappy on the finish. Keep.

2010        Yellow / light gold colour. Lovely peach, straw & light honey nose. Rich but restrained on both nose & palate. Nice concentration with out being too heavy. This vintage will last a very long time despite drinking well now.

2011        Yellow colour. A little more reductive, herbal nuances on the nose. Nice palate although the fruit is a bit hidden by the reductive character. Keep.

2012        Yellow colour. Lovely light, creamed honey nose with some blossoms and floral aspects with a little peach pip. Nice fine palate showing attractive fruit and a nice dusty texture.

2013        Yellow colour. Lovely nose of peach pip, honey & dry straw. Dry dusty palate that lacks slightly in fruit and the sweetish straw and honey character of most vintages.

2014        Light yellow colour. Lovely floral honey similar to 2012. Fine and delicate but with nice complexity. A little less fruit on the palate than expected but drinking very well. Quite long and complex.

4V       (2008-2011) Light gold colour. Still quite fresh on the nose. Hasn’t developed much in the bottle. Lovely fine sweet honey. Very complex with a long nutty finish.