Be sure to clear your calendar and sign up for the Deluxe Gift Experience at the Chapel Down Winery next time you pass through London and want a brief escape into the countryside. Expect a first-class food and wine experience, along with warmhearted hospitality and stellar vineyard views.
Upon arrival, we enjoyed the afternoon sun shining into the lounge area within The Swan Wine Kitchen, a one-star Michelin restaurant, at the Chapel Down Winery. We enjoyed a glass of Chapel Down fizz, the Classic NV Brut made of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Meunier. After a brief toast and flirtatious conversation, we were seated in the restaurant for delectable three-course lunch, all paired with quaffable wines.
THE SWAN WINE KITCHEN MENU
White Onion, Curious Cider, & Truffle Soup, Potato Crisp, Onion Bread
Confit Pork Belly, Carrot Puree, Roasted Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding, Crème Fraiche, Brandy Ice Cream, Butterscotch Sauce
2018 Chapel Down Bacchus
2018 English Rose Rosé (Pinot Noir, Rondo, Regent, Meunier)
2013 Tenuta Tondaia Sass’Alsole, Montecucco Rosso, Tuscany (Sangiovese)
The pork belly melted in our mouths, and the sticky toffee pudding was overflowing with divine gooey goodness. Simply stated, our lunch was perfect, even for our well-travelled palates.
Following our lunch, we ventured into the vineyards and shook hands with Bacchus vines that are increasingly grown in England. Although this variety was first created in Germany in 1933, Bacchus wines from England are more recently winning medals and awards. And to satisfy those who are curious, Bacchus is a white Vitis vinifera variety that is a cross of Silvaner X Riesling with Müller-Thurgau.
After our brief tour of the winery, we enjoyed tasting several Chapel Down wines. Wines in this line-up included:
- 2018 Bacchus
- 2017 Kit’s Coty Bacchus
- 2015 Chardonnay
- 2016 Kit’s Coty Chardonnay
- 2018 English Rose Rosé made of Pinot Noir, Rondo, Regent, and Meunier
- NV Rosé Brut Sparkling Wine made of Pinot Noir
- NV Classic Brut Sparkling Wine made of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Meunier
- 2015 Three Graces Sparkling Wine made of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier
New to the Bacchus grape variety, I must say I enjoyed tasting it for the first time. Generally speaking, Bacchus wines tend to be crisp with zippy acidity and can show grapey, elderflower, gooseberry, lemon, and grassy aromas and flavors. If included on a blind wine tasting exam, one might identify it as a Sauvignon Blanc similar to those produced in New Zealand.
The 2017 Kit’s Coty Bacchus was my favorite, opening with white peach, lemon and lime zest, pineapple rind, blades of grass, white blossom, and chalk. Secondary notes included a hint of vanilla. This wine was dry, with medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) aroma and flavor intensity, and medium (+) body. The finish was medium (+). To make this wine, whole clusters were handpicked and subsequently pressed. Wild fermentation was carried out in third and fourth use French oak barrels, and finished wines were aged nine months before release.
Kit’s Coty is a single 95-acre vineyard on the North Downs of Kent and is considered to be the best-of-the-best. It faces south capturing maximum sunlight, and its free-draining chalk soils provide the mineral backbone to resulting wines.
For sparkling wines, the 2015 Three Graces was my top pick. Made of 60% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, and 8% Meunier, base wines were made from free-run and first-press juice only. Fermentation was conducted in stainless steel tank followed by full malolactic fermentation. Produced using the Traditional Method like for Champagne, wines underwent a second fermentation and subsequently aged on the lees for three years before disgorgement. The eight grams per liter dosage added just a touch of sweetness to this fizz, along with increased richness and body.
The 2015 Three Graces opened with baked apple, field strawberry, Meyer lemon, and honeysuckle. Secondary notes included brioche and crème fraiche. This fizz was dry, with medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) aroma and flavor intensity, and medium (+) body. The finish was medium (+). Simply fresh and fabulous—a pleasant and welcome surprise.
And guess what? Our day didn’t end here, as Chapel Down also offers booze and beer, with a special twist. Our spirits tasting line-up included the following unique temptations:
- Chapel Down Bacchus Gin: made from distilled Bacchus grapes from the 2016 harvest, infused with botanicals
- Chapel Down Pinot Noir Gin: made from distilled Pinot Noir grapes and English wheat spirit
- Lamberhurst Fine & Rare English Grape Brandy: made from 100% Seyval Blanc from the 1991 harvest that was distilled in 1992 and subsequently matured in French oak barrels for 23 years
And our beer tasting was an experience in itself, offering uncommon tastiness. All crafted by Chapel Down winemakers, our beer line-up included:
- Curiouser & Curiouser – Chapter 3, The Arts: brewed with Champagne yeast, this lager offered Yuzu and pink grapefruit citrus notes along with a whiff of pineapple.
- Curious Brut IPA: made with Nelson Sauvin and Idaho 7 hops, this IPA was invigorating and dry, offering a slight effervescence on the palate. Inspired by English sparkling wine, this beer showed notes of honeydew melon, juicy white grapefruit, and pine on the nose and palate.
- Curious Porter: made with Brambling Cross and Challenger hops, this full-bodied, London-style Porter showed notes of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, hazelnuts, almonds, and vanilla.
- Curious Bacchus Brut IPA: made using Nelson Sauvin and Idaho 7 hops fermented with Bacchus grape juice from the 2019 harvest, this dry and effervescent IPA offered zesty citrus notes along with honeydew melon, white blossom, and grass.
While all of these beers were distinctive and quaffable, the Curious Porter was most definitely my style, offering a bitter-savory richness that danced on my nose and palate.
And that’s a wrap (finally)! Our visit to the Chapel Down winery was worth the trip, enabling our souls to recharge with vineyard views, cheerful hosts, and tasty wines, spirits, and brews. Needless to say, several bottles and cans jumped into our luggage without reservation.
