Litmus Red Pinot Noir 2018 Kent England 75cl

Litmus Wines is the personal project of the winemaking team at Denbies Wine Estate near Dorking in Surrey, one of England’s largest single vineyards. Founded in 2008 by winemaker John Worontschak and colleagues, Litmus works in small batches with a deliberately hands-off, minimal-intervention approach, treating home-grown fruit with the same care given to fine wine anywhere in the world.

This Red Pinot Noir is made entirely from Pinot Noir grown in Kent, where free-draining soils and a cool maritime climate suit the variety well. Pinot Noir is famously one of the hardest grapes to ripen in England, so getting it to this standard takes patience in both the vineyard and the cellar. The result is a distinctly English reading of Burgundy’s signature red grape.

The 2018 growing season was a long, warm and sunny one across southern England, widely regarded as one of the finest vintages in years. It gave unusually ripe fruit and a little more colour and depth than English reds often manage, flattering Pinot Noir in particular.

Expect a light-bodied, pale red with bright cherry and redcurrant fruit, a gentle earthy and savoury undertone, and fine, delicate tannins. At 13% it stays fresh and food-friendly rather than heavy, with the kind of lifted aromatics that mark good cool-climate Pinot.

Serve it lightly chilled alongside roast chicken, duck, charcuterie or mushroom dishes. It is a characterful example of just how far English still red wine has travelled, and an easy recommendation for anyone curious to taste home-grown Pinot Noir at its more serious end.