COLOUR
White
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2023
GRAPE
Bacchus, Ortega, Faber, Siegerrebe, Huxelrebe
PRODUCER
Davenport Vineyards
REGION
England
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Davenport Vineyards, founded by winemaker Will Davenport in Kent, England, is a pioneering estate in the UK's organic wine movement. Having planted his first vines in 1991, Davenport made the bold decision to convert the entire estate to certified organic viticulture in 2000, a highly risky move at the time. Today, the estate is celebrated for its minimal-intervention approach, working with some of the oldest organic vines in the country. The Horsmonden Dry is Davenport's flagship white wine, first produced in 1993, and has earned a legendary reputation among critics as a benchmark for English still winemaking.
ALCOHOL
11.0%
AVG. PRICE
€25
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
8-10°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Master of Wine Jancis Robinson famously called Davenport's Horsmonden Dry 'the holy grail of English still white wine.'
Fact 02
Davenport Vineyards converted to certified organic farming in 2000, making them one of the UK's oldest organic wine pioneers.
Fact 03
Winemaker Will Davenport won the national WineGB Pruning Competition, highlighting his hands-on dedication to viticulture.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for Horsmonden Dry is defined by minimal intervention and natural methods. Grapes are strictly hand-picked from the estate's organically farmed vineyards in Kent. Fermentation is carried out using only wild, indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins, with no added sugar (unchaptalised). To build texture and complexity, approximately 10% of the blend is fermented and matured in large traditional Alsatian oak foudres, while the remaining 90% is aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve fresh fruit characteristics. The wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal sulfur additions, resulting in a natural sediment.
