Corofin Wrekin Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

Organic. Planted in 2002, the Wrekin Vineyard is a small, organically certified (BioGro) and biodynamically farmed site at the top of the Brancott Valley, almost in its own locality. It’s a great new site for Corofin, providing both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of “exceptional individuality and quality”, according to Mike Paterson. Owned by Jan and Andrew Johns and farmed by Jeremy Highland, Wrekin sits in the lee of the Southern Valley scarps on clay-rich soils laid over greywacke mother rock. Orientated northeast and planted at 4000 vines per hectare (to moderate vigour), it’s also one of the highest vineyards in the valley, producing fruit that is often the last to be harvested.

No matter the season, yields are always low at the Wrekin site, and though crops were healthier in 2022 than the preceding year (25hl/ha), levels did not exceed those stipulated for Grand Cru Burgundy (35hl/ha). The fruit was picked by hand on 23rd March and gently pressed as bunches to tank. Only the soft pressings were used, and fermentation occurred in two seasoned 500-litre puncheons and one 280-litre stainless-steel barrel. After a leisurely fermentation (seven weeks), the wine underwent full malolactic conversion and 12 months’ maturation. The wine rested for a further eight months in tank before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.