If anyone asks me where I grew up, I generally answer: “Perilously close to Essex”. Sleepovers in Chigwell, avoiding nightclubs in Epping, house parties in Theydon Bois (if you were wondering, it’s pronounced boys). Needless to say, at the time, my wine drinking wasn’t sophisticated, but who cares? I really did think Lambrini was pretty chic.
But Essex is much maligned. It is, in fact, one of the country’s most beautiful counties. It may not have rugged cliffs or craggy hills, but in its rural corners you’ll find the landscape that inspired Constable, and on its easterly edges a soft, yielding coastline whose estuaries give way to the North Sea. And it’s in this landscape that something remarkable is happening in English wine.
The counties south of London have often claimed the headlines on wine: Kent and the Sussexes, I’m talking about you – and for good reason. But their northeastern neighbour is quietly gaining ground. In looking at the map in The Vineyards of England and Wales, published in 1981, there were a total of 15 vineyards mapped in Essex; there are now more than 55, with the highest density centred around the Crouch Valley, located to the southeast of Chelmsford.
This area is garnering quite a lot of attention for being a perfect site for creating still wines, especially pinot noir and chardonnay. It’s a holy trinity of factors that make this area so special: its proximity to the River Crouch gives it protection from extreme frosts and cold winds; the moisture and nutrient-retaining rich, heavy clay soils; and last, but definitely not least, its wonderfully dry and sunny microclimate. This is one of the sunniest and warmest spots in the UK.
The wider wine world is taking notice. It was a huge step when Jackson Family Wines (JFW), best known for its Kendall-Jackson label, announced in 2023 that it would be investing in and planting 27 hectares of vines in the Crouch Valley. JFW is a huge global wine player. Still entirely family owned, it is deeply passionate about sourcing the best sites for production, and has operations spanning the globe, including the US, Australia, France, Italy, Chile and South Africa.
Just this week, it was announced that one of Burgundy’s finest producers, Domaine Duroché, is creating a joint venture with Danbury Ridge vineyard. This relationship developed after winemaker Pierre Duroché tasted the 2021 pinot noir and was deeply impressed. But he’s not the first Burgundian to note the potential of this area. Bernard Moreau et Fils, an outstanding producer of some of the world’s finest chardonnays, now under the helm of fourth-generation Alex and Benoit Moreau, is working with Missing Gate Vineyard to produce a new chardonnay.
While the wines are not cheap, you have to remember that land is at an absolute premium, and the intensity of the work that goes into making these wines is next level. They are completely worth their price tag, and offer great value for money for the wine in your glass. Whisper it, they offer better value than Burgundy at the same price, especially for the chardonnays.
With such thrilling and dynamic wines being produced, it’s time to finally banish the old tropes of this wonderful county – these winemakers don’t see Essex as a joke. Furthermore, this Essex girl is proudly ordering a glass of chardonnay. Just make sure it’s from Essex, please.
Long-Player, Chardonnay, Crouch Valley, Gutter & Stars, Crouch Valley, UK, 2022
Available from Gutter & Stars, £33, 12 per cent ABV
Made by one of the most exciting winemakers in the UK, Chris Wilkins, who can be found in his urban winery in Cambridge, this Essex chardonnay is upfront and unashamed in its initial tropical kick, and I love it! On the palate, the pineapple and passionfruit flavours are supported by bracing lemon citrus acidity, wafts of smoke and wooded vanilla spice. It’s both generous and decadent, and I’m utterly seduced.
Marbury Chardonnay, Crouch Valley, UK, 2023
Limited availability through St Swithins, £38, 12.5 per cent ABV
This is Jackson Family Wine’s first release from carefully sourced grapes neighbouring their vineyards. This has a delicate nose of lime blossom and lemon curd, which is supported by restrained flavours of white peach, swirls of vanilla cream and a beautiful saline edge.
House on the Hill Chardonnay, Great Wheatley Vineyard, UK, 2023
Register interest to purchase on release (expected in the coming weeks), 12 per cent ABV
OK, so I appreciate that it’s unconventional to recommend a yet-to-be-released wine, but I had the opportunity to taste Great Wheatley’s chardonnay and was so impressed – it’s too good not to share. It has an expressive nose of golden apples, tangy citrus and sweet vanilla, which is supported by a generous palate of toasted hazelnuts and salted caramel. There’s mouth-watering acidity supporting this supple and generous wine – a stunning example of Essex’s capability.
Danbury Ridge Pinot Noir, Essex, UK, 2022
Available from The Wine Society, £39, 13.5 per cent ABV
A wine to contradict any ideas about English reds being thin and watery. This is full of rich, ripe blackberries and concentrated black cherries, alongside a sweet cinnamon and smoky edge. It was a warm vintage in the UK, and you can certainly feel the Costa del Crouch sunshine in your glass.
The Dark End of the Street, Pinot Noir, Gutter & Stars, Crouch Valley, UK, 2023
Available from Gutter & Stars, £33, 11 per cent ABV
A restrained nose that is poised with amarena sour cherry and redcurrant, on the palate this reveals a more enigmatic profile of autumn leaves and black pepper spice alongside the concentrated sweeter red fruits.
