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About Oatley wines

We normally produce two dry white wines a year year from our two grape varieties on what are now old vines. Each vintage is different but the varietal characteristics give us our two wines, Leonora's and Jane's.

“Leonora’s” wines are generally dry and elegant, and typically continue to Improve over five years or longer, developing complex honey overtones. They are made from Kernling grapes, a first cross from Riesling that ripens to pink.

“Jane’s” wines, from golden Madeleine Angevine grapes are light and crisp with a flower-scented nose and citrus notes, sometimes with a hint of elderflower. Delightful for a party, in a summer garden or just for a refreshing glass at home. Best drunk young and fresh, within 2-3 years.

All our wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Vintage Notes for current releases

2009 was an excellent vintage with a big fruit set from a hot early summer. Late July was torrential (x3 av. rainfall) and challenging. We worked hard on the canopy to get air and what sun was available on to the fruit. Then a sunny, warm September concentrated the juice and baked the skins beautifully, intensifying the aromatic flavours. Our two 2009 wines have given us our best-ever results in international and UK competitions with a clutch of medals and a trophy.

2010 was technically easier and even better. A warm, dry early summer, just enough rain in August to swell the grapes and a sunny September. Overall growing season warmth was the highest since 2006.  Both grape varieties were harvested in perfect conditions. Jane’s 2010 (as usual 100% Madeleine Angevine), promises to be at least as good as its trophy-winning predecessor. The newly-released 2010 Leonora’s (100% Kernling) had a slow fermentation over the cold winter and, though dry, has a touch (5g/l) of residual sugar balancing its fresh acidity. A limited-edition barrel matured Madeleine Angevine will follow when it’s ready.

We still have a little interesting older wine from another warm year, 2005.

Winemaking

Winemaker is Steve Brooksbank, at Bagborough, near Shepton Mallet.  We take our hand-harvested grapes to Steve for de-stemming, crushing and pressing, decide jointly on the winemaking. We aim for as  little intervention as possible, allowing the wines to express the vintage, the variety and the terroir. We get our wines back the following spring in plain bottles that we capsule and label by hand.  Our labels from 2010 onwards are FSC certified “Tintoretto” paper. We use lighter weight, (400g) bottles to keep our wines’ carbon footprint down, and seal them with corks, because we’re romantic and like the pop they make.

Quality Status

Our wines from 2009 on meet the English Quality Wine PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) standard and older vintages English Regional Wine standard, meaning they have been submitted for and passed the official national  scheme of independent analyses and panel tastings.

English Quality Wine PDO is the highest quality standard for English wines. A list of English Quality Wines PDO approved in 2011 is on the UK Vineyards Association website here>>

Current releases and price list >>

Awards >>

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