Grape varieties:
Madeleine Angevine (100%)
Quality status:
English Wine PDO - Protected Designation of Origin (Certificate ref: STPDO 21172)
Release Date: 1 Sep 2020
Awards:
Bronze Medal: WineGB Awards 2020. Pre-release.
Bronze Medal (88 pts) Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 " Judges' comment: "Grassy nose with fruity flavours on the zesty palate. Mineral notes at the back."
Grape source:
Oatley Vineyard, Cannington, Somerset. Vineyard parcels: Madeleine upper block, Madeleine lower block. Planted by hand 1987 by the Awty family and tended by them ever since. Trained on 90 cm-high originally spur-pruned cordons, converted to double guyot 2015.
Viticulture
Grown on sustainable principles, no herbicides or insecticides. Some fungicides, well below permitted levels, applied as preventives early in the year, using integrated pest management to keep them to the minimum. Only our own farmyard manure, hay mulch and chipped hedge-trimmings as fertiliser, highly biodiverse environment, hand tended and picked, with minimal soil compaction.
Growing Season
The budburst timing was normal in the last week of April. No late spring frosts, and flowering was also at normal time at the end of June, September was dry and sunny to ripen the Madeleine grapes well, the weather breaking on the Madeleine harvest day of 22 Sept.
