Tillingham
East Sussex, England
“Tillingham:... the winery leading the charge for natural wine in the UK”
Dr Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak
Dry grown in clay over sandstone & certified biodynamic by Demeter, the vineyards of Tillingham were established in 2018/2019 by progressive winemaker Ben Walgate, who has his sights set firmly on sustainable winegrowing in what is new territory amongst English wine production.
We visited the estate in August 2023 on the final leg of my European wine buying trip, located 75km South East from my hometown in Hertfordshire. It’s quite surreal to imagine lo-fi winemaking & conscious farming in what is a heavily disease prone & industrialised monocultural landscape, not to mention the ripening & subsequent growth of still wine production thanks (and no thanks) to the evolving effects of climate change! Soil health & soil structure is of paramount importance & the mantra at Tillingham; the main inspiration of my visit. A regenerative polycultural farming system to encourage biodiversity that minimises pests, diseases & weeds - void of the use of synthetic/systemic sprays across the farm including reduced copper inputs.
And the property is bloody beautiful to boot! Brimming with life, the benefits beneath the soil are complemented by varied flora, fauna & the rolling serene woodland surroundings. The restaurant & boutique farm stay overlook an old Oast House, boasting 10 sizeable Georgian Qvevri which appear as though they were meant to be there, like archaeological relics unearthed from a bygone moment in England’s short lived viticultural past.
2020 Tillingham ‘Endgrain’
43% Muller Thurgau, 41% Ortega, 8% Bacchus & 8% Pinot Gris. Muller Thurgau & Ortega were soaked for 5 days on skins before being pressed & fermented in stainless steel. Bacchus soaked for 4 days on skins then pressed & fermented in barrel. Pinot Gris fermented in concrete tank as whole clusters (semi-carbonic maceration) & pressed after two weeks in stainless steel. All components are kept separate until bottling. Wine bottled by gravity with a small sulphur addition.
Rose gold with an ethereal shimmer. A highly aromatic nose with magnolia and elderflower notes. Good grip from the maceration and bright acidity which underpins a lasting finish.
2020 Tillingham ‘Pinot Gris’
100% Pinot Gris. Two separated batches, 40% of the whole blend was whole cluster fermented in concrete & topped with Pinot Gris juice & then pressed after two weeks to stainless steel. The remaining 60% was crushed, destemmed & soaked for 6 days on skins & then fermented in large format oak (1200l). The two components were then blended in a concrete tank after three months & aged for a further four months. Racked to stainless steel & bottled by gravity with a small sulphur addition.
Lucid amber in colour. A nose of rosewater, orange and bergamot is enveloped by a gentle tea-like tannic structure. Cassia bark and grippy pomegranate intertwine on a persistent finish.
2020 Tillingham ‘Rosé’
40% Pinot Noir 60% Pinot Blanc. Whole cluster Pinot Noir fermented in concrete and topped up with whole bunch pressed Pinot Blanc juice. Inspired by French winemaker Daniel Sage, a marriage of carbonic and noncarbonic fermentation. Pressed after five days of maceration. Aged in concrete for six months, racked and bottled by gravity with a small sulphur addition.
A pale red colour with an orange hue. Fresh figs give way to dried orange peel and a herbaceous lift. Structurally linear with a long & pleasant finish.