Waddesdon Manor, a very nice estate and it has wine!
If you love heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland then the National Trust is probably for you. They are one of the largest landowners in the United Kingdom, the Trust owns almost 250,000 hectares (620,000 acres; 2,500 km2; 970 sq mi) of land and 780 miles (1,260 km) of coast. Including 500 historic houses, castles, archaeological and industrial monuments, gardens, parks, and nature reserves.
We are lucky enough to be members (yearly charge)which includes entry to all the above, for a discounted price. Waddesdon is local to us and one of my favourites, probably something to do with the fabulous wine shop it has on its grounds, as nice as the grounds and Estate are, leave me in the shop and I’m like they say ‘a pig in S***T’.
See here for information on the shop Waddesdon Wine
You can’t help but come away with at least a couple of bottles from the excellent selection including the prestigious Rothschild collection of which there are plenty. Last Christmas I treated our family to the Rupert and Rothschild Baroness Nadine Chardonnay, and to be honest, we still talk about it now, it was that good.
https://waddesdonwine.co.uk/products/rupert-rothschild-baroness-nadine
This time I was a little more conservative and went for the Waddesdon Rothschild Collection Chardonnay for more than half the price of the Nadine. Well, it wasn’t me, my daughter visited this time and picked the bottle, snapping up a couple for herself.
Waddesdon Rothschild Collection Chardonnay 2021
From the Languedoc in France, this Chardonnay was very pleasant indeed, and under £10. Didn’t really know what to expect as it was one of their entry-level wines but in the end, I was more than happy with the purchase.
As you can see the colour in the glass is fairly dark, with some hefty aromas of citrus fruits, lemon, and apples, with some white peach and jasmine.
Taste-wise it has some intensity and richness, there’s a slight buttery flavour, vanilla and a subtle hint of oak. Perhaps a little bitterness on the finish slightly but only ever so slightly detracting from what is a very nice wine for the price.
So if you're a National Trust member, get yourself down to Waddesdon Manor and visit the shop, oh yeah, the estate is not too bad either!
