Bacchus – Camel Valley – 2011

As a Scot, I carry no torch for English wines – to be honest, I tend to assume they are being oversold on patriotic grounds. But I found this a beautifully well-defined, floral, aromatic, grassy wine. It is described as being similar to Sancerre or a cool-climate Sauvignon, which I’m not sure quite captures it, but it is immensely attractive. It is very pale and light-bodied, and the value is in the aromatic freshness, so drink it young. 

It’s varietally named; Bacchus is a grape variety originally produced in Germany in the 1930s by crossing a Silvaner-Riesling cross with Müller-Thurgau. It can be powerfully flavoured, but as it has quite low acid levels it is unsuited to making varietal wines in its native Germany, where it will be blended (usually with Müller-Thurgau) to add flavour. It works better as a varietal wine in colder English growing conditions, where yields will be lower and more acid will be retained.

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