Wonderful Welsh Wines
Su’mae!
On a recent flying visit to Wales staying for a couple of nights in Abergavenny and meeting up with friends, we all decided to take in a Vineyard visit. White Castle was the destination and despite the grey and damp weather, (surely not in Wales, I hear you cry!) the visit was thoroughly enjoyable culminating in a tasting of, in my view, some of the best wines I’ve tasted in a while.
The impressive White Castle, a family-run vineyard located in the rolling countryside of Monmouthshire, was established in 2008 by Robb and Nicola Merchant, who have worked tirelessly to produce award-winning Welsh wines. They bought the ex-council tenanted farm in 1995, converting the milking parlour into a bungalow, and planting their first vines in 2008.
In 2009 they planted 4000 vines, including Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo, Seyval Blanc & Phoenix, May 2010 saw a further planting of 800 vines this time the variety Siegerrebe.
May 2019 marked their 10-year Anniversary and have planted a further 2000 vines these varieties are Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.
The wines are made using traditional methods and some are aged in oak barrels to enhance their flavour and complexity.
The Wines
After a very knowledgeable and informative tour in which Robb & Nicola’s passion for what they do was obvious and very infectious, we retired to the tasting room to sample four wines, a white, rose, and two reds.
First up was the Gwin Gwyn made with the Pheonix grape, and judging by the sighs and smiles around the room, we knew this was going to be a special tasting. Very aromatic on the nose, there was some citrus but mainly elderflower, with perhaps a hint of pineapple, on first sip this tasted fresh and vibrant, there was some acidity but not overly ( as in some UK wines I’ve tasted) this was all perfectly balanced, a great start.
Second, came a Rosé, a very pale blush with a delicate salmon-like colour. Again lovely and fresh, with lots of summery berry fruits, subtle strawberry & cream, and a touch of cherry, elegance springs to mind.
Thirdly, the first of the reds a Pinot Noir and what a red it was, I’ve not tasted a Pinot in the UK as good as this. A dark immersive earthy nose with lots of creamy vanilla, ripe red fruits (plums) dominating, a touch of oak adding to the tasting experience, along with a hint of spice and chocolate. As good as Pinot Noir gets!
Last but not least was a Rondo (Harry) red, sticking our noses in the glass people were commenting how enticing this was, with lots of sweet dark fruits (plums & blackcurrants), tastewise there was a freshness again (without the piercing acidity) there was some spice and the oak makes a re-appearance, but all subtly done.
As a bonus, Robb gave us a sample of their fortified wine 1581 made with the Regent grape and again there were gasps of approval. This was rich and heady, warming brambly fruits with a hint of oak.
Even when we thought the tasting was over, there was a bonus surprise as we were treated to a sample of the Siegerrebe white, which was extremely floral and honeyed, with lots of peach and apricots, a really refreshing bright wine.
What really struck me was how balanced these wines were, so many UK wines are overly acidic (The ones I’ve tasted) not here! although they obviously had some acidity they were an absolute joy to drink, a testament to Robb and Nicola and their winemaking skills.
Needless to say, we all went back to our hotel with smiles on our faces and armed with a case of wine each.
Anybody out there sceptical about Welsh wines, get yourself over to White Castle Vineyard, you won’t be disappointed.
**I only wished my bank balance stretched a bit further as I would have loved to have bought more.
