Dunesforde, a boutique, family-run vineyard nestled in the Vale of York, launched its 2019 vintage Bacchus and Solaris during English Wine Week.
Their debut Solaris 2018 sold out in three months and the Bacchus has just a few cases remaining after eight months on sale. The four-acre vineyard produces in the region of 1700 bottles of still white wines. As such these limited-edition vintages have become highly sought after.
Award winning chef Frances Atkins of The Yorke Arms in Ramsgill visited the vineyard for a tasting session to be shared online on Saturday 27 June.
The Yorke Arms stocked the 2018 Solaris exclusively following Chef Director Frances Atkins’s initial tasting which was featured on BBC’s The One Show last October.
On tasting the 2019 wines, Atkins said: “The debut Dunesforde wines were outstanding and that gave me a high level of expectation. I can say with confidence that the 2019 harvest more than matches last year’s vintage. The wines have been refined and have great purity. I also love the lower 11% alcohol level, which makes the wines light and incredibly versatile. Great summer drinking and excellent with food.”
The vineyard will be opening its gates from Monday 6 July to Saturday
11 July for tasting appointments for groups of up to five people.
Referring to the tasting notes, the early ripening Solaris is refreshingly crisp and dry with aromas of lemongrass and tropical fruits, accompanied by citrus flavours. It is great for drinking chilled, on its own or with seafood. The Bacchus is a blend of the finest grapes from Dunesforde and those from an international award-winning Bedfordshire vineyard. It is fresh and light with a delicate citrus aroma and a refreshing minerality on the palate, the perfect aperitif wine.
Established by the Townsend family in 2016, Dunesforde pursues their passion for a product that combines community, the environment, quality and craftsmanship. The family’s aim is to create outstanding cool climate wines of the highest quality with a distinct character in a location that challenges convention.
The four-acre vineyard in Upper Dunsforth, North Yorkshire is growing four grape varieties known for their suitability to wine production in the north – Solaris, Bacchus, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Précoce. Five traditional method sparkling wines launching later in the year complete the Dunesforde wine collection.
Vineyard owner Ian Townsend said: “The demand for last year’s wines was such that we have been taking pre-orders for the 2019 wines since Christmas. With only 642 bottles of Solaris and 1097 bottles of Bacchus produced this year, we find ourselves in the unusual position of limiting the number of cases of Solaris available for sale.”
In the autumn, Dunesforde will release five sparkling wines, which are available to pre-order through mixed cases now. Like the still wines, these will have a limited supply and full details can be found on the Dunesforde website.
