Mary Bridges, our Head Winemaker, talks to us about the new vintage of Guinevere – our still Chardonnay from Boot Hill and Commanders vineyards in Kent. Known affectionately at the winery as "Gwin", this wine is a true expression of English still Chardonnay, with carefully judged oak, signature fruit purity and elegance.
How would you describe the style you aim for with Guinevere?
We always want Guinevere to be true to itself – there’s a recognisable character to it that comes from the fruit and the place. We aim for fruit expression first and foremost, with oak playing a supporting role. Over time in bottle, the oak becomes beautifully integrated. Guinevere is an English Chardonnay, so it’s naturally more restrained than some of the bigger, bolder styles you might find in Burgundy or the New World. It’s not about power or chasing alcohol – it’s about balance, elegance and site expression.
Guinevere is often described as Burgundian or Chablis-esque in style. Is this fair do you think?
To an extent, yes – especially if you're thinking of lighter Burgundian styles from cooler years, or the kind of precision you get in good Chablis. But I think Guinevere is also very much its own thing. I’m wary of setting expectations around those big, powerful Chardonnays from places the New World. We’re not trying to emulate that. We’re trying to make something that reflects our site, our fruit and the English conditions.
Tell us a bit about the 2023 growing season – what kind of challenges or characteristics did it bring?
The 2023 season was a slightly unusual year. It wasn’t especially hot or cold: it was overcast, and we had warm nights. This made ripening slow, and meant the sugar and acid levels shifted in a slightly different way to previous years. So we had to be really precise with picking dates to get that balance just right. The fruit came in delicate and delicious – we wanted to preserve that delicacy in the winemaking.
What did that mean for how you handled the oak?
We dialled it back. Usually, we’re at around 20% new oak for Guinevere, but in 2023 we went for about 16%. That decision came from the delicacy of the fruit – we didn’t want to overwhelm it. We also used more puncheons than usual, which add a lovely broad texture without imposing too much flavour. It gives this nice, almost pithy quality – textural but subtle.
Where did the fruit come from, and what makes those vineyard parcels special?
It’s all from Kent, specifically Boot Hill and Commanders, using our usual clones – 95 and 548. Those parcels are farmed specifically for still wine: cropped a little lower, managed for extra ripeness. We don’t just decide at harvest that it’ll be Guinevere – it’s a deliberate, from-the-vineyard decision.
And how was it made?
We whole-bunch press the fruit quite protectively, blanketing with plenty of CO₂ to avoid oxidation. Then we don’t fully settle the juice – we want some grape solids to remain because they help feed the yeast and contribute to texture during fermentation. It’s fermented in barrel, then goes through a gentle, slow malolactic fermentation. We took it out of oak a little earlier this year and moved it to tank with its lees to continue building texture and complexity without adding more oak influence.
Were there any standout barrels from 2023?
We actually held two barrels back – both new oak from Commanders. They were just a little too oaky to go into the main blend, but they’re great wines in their own right. We’re ageing them longer than usual, just to see what happens. We don’t normally get the luxury of ageing still wines for 18 months in oak, so it’s an experiment that might lead to something interesting.
When was Guinevere 2023 bottled, and why is that timing important?
We bottled it in early February 2024. It’s good to give a wine like this a little time in bottle before release. Bottling is a bit of a shock to the wine – you're pulling it through a filter, handling it, moving it. It needs a chance to rest and settle. Even a couple of months makes a difference. It helps everything integrate.
What can customers expect from Guinevere 2023 this summer?
Currently, Guinevere 2023 is very much in the English orchard fruit spectrum – think crisp pear, crunchy apple, and a lovely lemon note. There’s this character I always describe as charred lemon – like a fresh lemon that’s been kissed by the oak. It’s more delicate than some warmer vintages, less about tropical fruit and more about refinement.
And what about cellar age? Is Guinevere made for immediate pleasure or the long haul?
Both. I love Guinevere with a bit of age. The oak pulls back, the fruit evolves, and the minerality really comes forward. We tried a 2016 recently and it was absolutely stunning – textural, complex, layered. If you’ve got the patience to cellar a few bottles, you’ll be rewarded.
The new vintage of Chardonnay Guinevere will be released to members in early June. It will be available on general release from 9 June.
