KC1 has lifted aromas of fresh lemon peel and flint. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, silky mouthfeel and elegant structure. Well-defined notes of crushed oyster shells, lemon and subtle oak lead to a long, mineral finish.
2022 in the North Downs of Kent, had a warm, dry summer with low rainfall which led to steady ripening with smaller bunches and berries, which produced Chardonnay grapes with intense flavours and good balance.
The wines were aged for 11 months in a barrel before blending and bottling. Blending was determined by a careful barrel selection, with barrels exuding particularly flinty and citrus-led aromas selected for the final blend of ‘KC1’.
13% abv/75cl
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Ian –
Exceptional, I think.
I like having a ‘context’ when tasting and buying wines, either personally or profesionally, so I served KC1 and KC2 alongside a 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir from J P Droin – IMO possibly the best Chablis producer outside the ‘big two’ of Raveneau and Dauvissat.
KC2 is obviously ‘cut from a different cloth’ so I will post a separate review, but KC1, I felt was very analagous with (great) Chablis. Indeed, I preferred KC1 to the (very good) Grand Cru Chablis – it had more tension, more nervosité and more sheer ‘detail’ than the Droin wine. I always think ‘sea-shell’ is a rather over-used, fanciful tasting note for Chablis – but in this wine there is a very individual aromatic profile that a combines mineral / smoke / gravelly aspect with ultra bright citrus fruits. Briliant.
Not huge-bodied (the Droin was broader and heftier) but a wonderfully precise, wonderfully detailed, wonderfully aromatic wine emerges over the course of an evening. I obviously have no idea what this will taste like ten years hence, but it ‘feels’ structured to age well.
Is Kit’s Coty the first ‘de-facto’ English Grand Cru ? – and might Whitewolfe become our Raveneau in the years ahead ?