Rather frugal with our competition entries this year. After last year, best ever, no point in old ground, we thought.

So to the Decanter World Wine Awards went just our two current  mainstays, Leonora’s 2011 and Elizabeth’s 2012. It’s one of the biggest global wine competitions:15,000 entries from all over the world, 10,000 awards from commended to international trophy. Judged this year at Tobacco Dock in London with luminary of the English wine scene, Stephen Skelton at the helm of the UK section. For still, dry, English whites there were 4 silvers, 10 bronzes (2 of them ours) and 1 commended.

The UK Vineyards Association Wine of the Year is later-entry, May rather than Feb, so a chance to send the newly-bottled vintage out into the world. Tiny competition in the scheme of things, but more entries than the English sections of the internationals. It includes most English vineyards that are serious enough to put their wines through the national quality wine scheme, a requirement for entry. It is judged by an all-Masters-of-Wine panel. This year it was at Balliol College Oxford, with 205 entries and 194 awards. We ventured just our two newly-bottled 2013s.

And yippee! All our entries got medals! The two bronzes in the DWWA and a Silver and bronze in the UKVA.  We’d secretly hoped to sneak an international silver for the Leonora’s 11 like its two predecessors. It’s mellowed, opened out and developed its Riesling-y character since last year when it also got a bronze. But delighted for Elizabeth’s 2012. It was a difficult year and no concessions in the blind-tasted judging for that. It IS drinking well at the moment - a touch of honey coming through from the late-picked Kernling in the mix. the competition was stiff and two medals from a small vineyard like us is good going. Elizabeth’s result and citation here>> and Leonora’s here>>

And pleased too with the UKVA silver for Jane’s 13.  Still green, fresh and frisky - definitely a wine to be chilled for a summer garden and nice for it to have a silver sticker on its label before its chance at the internationals. The Leonora’s 2013 isn’t released yet - needs more time to show it’s quality - so a bronze was a fair result and we’re quietly confident about how it will develop in the bottle.

UKVA competition report for SW England vineyards here >>, full results here>>.  Decanter report for SW here>>, full results here>>.

In the vineyard, first flowers on both varieties 21st Jun, a week earlier than usual. This year, no herbicide. The grasses and wild flowers came up to flower as usual, including, eek, under the vines. So no messing, we are now well into the annual mayhem of cutting everything back before the vines suffocate and get mildew.

Satisfying to see the shape of the vine rows emerge again. I love the dreamy,insect-buzzing, wildlife-rich waving meadow. Iain, a hayfever sufferer, is always keen to get mowing. I try to hang out till July but it’s been an early season so through the last few hot and sunny  days it’s been mowing and strimming, mowing and strimming. We use rechargeable cordless Bosch strimmers, making full use of our free daytime solar electric, making for episodic sorts of days. Sunburn and blisters...

The weather broke yesterday, it’s torrential as I write sadly for the flowers. But hey, we needed rain and the forecast’s not bad for next week. A fair hope that the masses of flower-buds will set into a fine potential crop in good time to ripen. Another milestone for the 2014 vintage.

Oh and we’ve decided to book an exhibitor’s table at the Oxford Wine Festival on 23rd and 24th August, see our Events page>> for details. Our first foray into posh international tastings. So we bought an exhibition-style ice bucket. Tried it out on the kitchen worktop to check how long the ice lasts (all day if you fill it), how quickly the bottles cool (quarter hour) and how well the labels survive (all day). All good! Come and see us in Oxford!