‘Spacer’ Pinot Blanc 2023

The wine

Our first ever Pinot Blanc is made from grapes grown at JoJo’s Vineyard in the Chiltern Hills near Henley-on-Thames. It’s electric and lithe with sumptuous sweet fruit and pronounced notes of fresh pear and stone fruit.

Winemaking

Single-site Pinot Blanc from was picked by hand and whole-bunch pressed. The juice was settled in stainless steel before fermentation in a combination of old French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks using non-Saccharomyces and Burgundian yeasts.

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar. Fermentation took 51 days in total, before the wine was racked off its gross less and aged in a neutral oak barrel (228 Litre, ex-Burgundy) on the fine lees for six and a half months with no battonage.

The wine was bottled on 21st June 2024. Just 280 bottles were produced.

Spacer is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

A snappy and fresh wine with abundant fresh pear notes, a hint of lanolin and wonderful vibrancy in the mouth. Long and refreshing, this will age nicely in bottle developing some richness along the way.

‘Honey Bear’ White Blend 2023

The wine

A first for us, a blend of the four white grapes we work with. Bacchus brings freshness and zip, Pinot Blanc delivers a tropical note, Ortega adds weight and texture, and a smidge of smoky Chardonnay completes the picture.

Winemaking

Four single-site, single-parcel wines were vinified separately then blended and matured in stainless steel. All were hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in neutral oak.

Bacchus from Bromley Brook Vineyard in Essex makes up 54% of the blend, followed by Ortega from Yew Tree Vineyard in Oxfordshire then Pinot Blanc (19%) from JoJos Vineyard in Henley-on-Thames, all from the 2023 vintage.

A dash of Chardonnay (5%) from Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex completes the blend. The Chardonnay was from the 2022 vintage, so was aged in oak barrel for 12 months before addition.

The wine was bottled on 27th March 2024. Just 280 bottles were produced.

Honey Bear is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

A fresh and vibrant wine with tropical and citrus notes, a delicate mouthfeel and soft, sappy finish.

‘Love Steals Us From Loneliness’ Bacchus 2023

The wine

This Essex Bacchus is fresh and focused with aromatic notes of fresh green pea, lemon pith and white peach. Racy but rounded it’s the perfect spring/summer serve.

Winemaking

Single-site Bacchus was picked by hand and gently whole-bunch pressed to help preserve the variety’s delicate aromatics. The juice was settled in stainless steel before fermentation in old American oak barrels using non-Saccharomyces and ‘neutral’ Champagne yeasts.

Fermentation took 25 days, then the wine was racked off its gross less and aged in a neutral oak barrel (228 Litre, ex-Burgundy) on the fine lees for almost five months with no battonage.

The wine was bottled on 19th March 2024. Just 280 bottles were produced.

Love Steals Us From Loneliness is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a fresh and punchy Bacchus with bold stone fruit and citrus characters, and a lick of tropical sunshine. Expect peach tea, cut grass and delicate floral characters in this immediate and well-rounded wine.

‘Olympian’ Ortega 2023

The wine

This sumptuous, floral white wine is made from Ortega grapes grown at Yew Tree Vineyard in Oxfordshire. Peachy and fresh, it's one of our most-popular wines.

Winemaking

Single-site Ortega from was picked by hand and whole-bunch pressed. The juice was settled in stainless steel before fermentation in old French oak barrels using non-Saccharomyces and Burgundian yeasts.

Fermentation took 22 days, then the wine was racked off its gross less and aged in a neutral oak barrel (228 Litre, ex-Burgundy) on the fine lees for five months with no battonage.

The wine was bottled on 13th March 2024. Just 280 bottles were produced.

Olympian is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

This is a beautifully weighted white wine with delicious tropical notes and a soft, but focused acidity. Savoury and tangy with a waxy finish and abundant peach and tinned pineapple characters, it’s great with food.

‘A Handful of Dust’ Pinot Noir 2022

The wine

This Essex Pinot Noir is delicate and floral with notes of red cherry, black pepper and earth. The grapes come from Great Wheatley Vineyard in the Crouch Valley Peninsula, from the newly-planted vineyard’s first crop.

Winemaking

Single-site Pinot Noir was hand-picked on a bright October morning. The bunches were destemmed and cold-settled for 48 hours before fermentation in open-topped bins. Daily punch-downs ensured good extraction from the delicate skins and added a dash of cherry red colour.

Fermentation took 14 days, and after completion the wine was racked into 228-litre French oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation which helped to soften the acidity. The wine was matured for 15 months in oak before bottling, adding earthy undertones and roundness. 

A Handful of Dust is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Delicate cherry and redcurrant fruit are at the fore, but there’s spice here and a rich earthiness. Bright acidity holds the wine together offering a tingle on the finish which sends you back to the glass for more. This wine will age beautifully over the next five years or more.

‘Star 69’ Chardonnay 2022

The wine

This Essex Chardonnay from the outstanding 2022 vintage is waxy and lithe with bold tropical fruit, a lime-accented acidity and hints of sweet spice. The grapes come from Missing Gate Vineyard in the Crouch Valley.

Winemaking

Picked by hand in early-October this small block of Chardonnay (clone FR155) was whole-bunch pressed then cold-settled in tank for 48 hours before being racked into French oak barrels (ex-Burgundy, third and fourth fill).

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar. Fermentation took 48 days.

The barrels were topped and the wine matured on its gross lees with no battonage until January 2024 when it was blended and bottled. In total the Chardonnay spent 15 months in oak, adding roundness, richness and structure to the bold tropical fruit and electric acidity. 

Star 69 is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

Look out for lively tropical fruit (limes, lychees and more), focussed acidity, and a rich, generous mouthfeel. This wine will age gracefully over the next five years or more.

‘All My Friends’ Chardonnay 2022

The wine

This Essex Chardonnay is ripe and long with lush tropical fruit, delicate aromatics and a smidge of vanilla. The grapes come from Great Wheatley Vineyard in the Crouch Valley Peninsula, from the newly-planted vineyard’s first crop.

Winemaking

Single-site Chardonnay was hand-picked on a bright October morning. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed then racked into fourth-fill ex-Burgundy oak barrels. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar. Fermentation took 42 days.

The barrels were topped and the wine matured on its gross lees with no battonage until September 2023 when it was blended and bottled. In total the Chardonnay spent 11.5 months in oak, adding texture and structure to the ripe fruit, while maintaining a racy acidity.

Bottled on 26th September 2023, the wine has spent six weeks in bottle prior to release.

All My Friends is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a supple and ripe Chardonnay. Classic in style, it beautifully reflects the hot and dry 2022 vintage with an abundance of fruit at the fore, appealing texture and mouthfeel, and a delicious lick of lime-scented acidity on the finish.

‘The Automatic Earth’ Pinot Noir 2022

The wine

This juicy and fresh Pinot Noir comes from grapes grown at Brenley Farm in Kent. Bold in the glass and on the palate there’s ripe strawberry fruit, pomegranate acidity and a savoury, sappy tingle.

Winemaking

Single-site Pinot Noir from Faversham in Kent was hand-picked in chilly late Autumn sunshine. The grapes were 100% destemmed and fermented in the cool Chesterton Mill cellar in a large open-topped bin using a combination of ‘wild’ and cultured yeasts.

The must was punched-down daily to extract colour, tannin and flavour. When fermentation was almost complete the wine was transferred to barrel (old French oak) and underwent malolactic fermentation and maturation (eight months) in barrel and stainless steel.

Bottled on 18th July 2023, the wine has spent two months in bottle prior to release.

The Automatic Earth is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a bright and punchy Pinot Noir. It’s bold red colour offers a clue to the juicy raspberry, sour cherry and pomegranate fruit within.

With a red fruit tang on the nose there’s real depth of character with strawberry, black pepper and red liquorice notes all contributing to the expressive mouthfeel. Concentrated on the finish with a sappy acidity, it’s the perfect autumn/winter red.

‘Lost In You’ Bacchus 2022

The wine

This Essex Bacchus is packed with attitude and punch. It’s edgy and electric with white peach, gooseberry and lanolin characters, and a racy but rounded grapefruit acidity.

Winemaking

Picked by hand on a scorching September day this single-site Bacchus was whole-bunch pressed in a reductive cycle and settled in stainless steel before fermentation in old American oak barrels using a ‘neutral’ Champagne yeast.

Fermentation took 28 days, then the wine was racked off its gross less and aged in neutral barrels (227 Litre, ex-Burgundy) on the fine lees for eight months with no battonage.

The wine was bottled on 27th June 2023.

Lost In You is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a fresh and textured Bacchus which benefits from maturation time in barrel, rounding off the ‘English acidity’ and pronouncing the stone fruit and citrus characters.

Expect white peach, gooseberry and delicate floral characters coming together with lanolin and lime to create an edgy, but well-rounded wine.

‘Rage Against the Dying of the Light’
Rosé 2022

The wine

Made from a blend of Bacchus and Pinot Noir grapes, this unique English wine is bright in colour and flavour. The perfect spring/summer serve.

Winemaking

An experimental wine in every sense, this rosé was made up bringing together two live fermentations; Bacchus grown at Yew Tree Vineyard in Oxfordshire and Pinot Noir from Brenley Farm in Kent.

The Bacchus was picked by hand in late September and whole-bunch pressed in the absence of oxygen to help retain its classic varietal aromas and freshness. It was fermented in neutral American oak. After 21 days of fermentation and when almost dry 10% fermenting Pinot Noir juice was added.

The Pinot Noir (clone F105) was also hand-harvested. It was destemmed and began fermentation on its skins in open-topped bins with daily punch-downs prior to being added to the Bacchus.

The wine completed fermentation in barrel, where it matured for almost five months before bottling. This time in barrel helped develop a little texture and bite in the wine, while retaining the bright red fruit and citrus-licked acidity.

Bottled on 22nd March 2023, the wine has spent six weeks in bottle prior to release.

Rage Against the Dying of the Light is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a perky, refreshing rosé that’s shot through with notes of red berries and aromatic pink grapefruit. A lime-flecked acidity adds spark.

‘Fight The Power’
Ortega 2022

The wine

Made from 100% Ortega grapes grown at Yew Tree Vineyard in the Oxfordshire countryside, this is a savoury, tangy white wine with floral notes and a waxy finish.

Winemaking

The single-site Ortega was the first fruit of the long and bountiful 2022 growing season. It was hand-picked and pressed using a Champagne press cycle to gently release the bright, beautifully-scented juice.

The juice was settled under a blanket of CO2 before being transferred to 227-litre American oak barrels (ex-Burgundy, fourth/fifth use) and fermented in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar using a combination of ‘wild’ and cultured yeasts.

Fermentation took 30 days then the barrels were topped ahead of 18 weeks ageing on the lees, with occasional stirring to move the lees through the wine - adding body and texture, and tempering some of the naturally high acidity.

The wine was bottled on 16th March 2023.

Fight The Power is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a savoury and detailed white wine with bright floral notes of honeysuckle and a clean peach tea finish. Serve not quite as cold as you would normally enjoy a white wine.

‘Daylight Upon Magic’ Longplayer
Chardonnay 2020

The wine

A rich and structured Chardonnay with subtle oak influence and a magical grip. The grapes come from Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex's sun-kissed Crouch Valley.

Winemaking

Picked by hand in mid-October, this was the last fruit of the season and benefitted from extended hang-time in the cool but dry autumn.

The grapes were whole-bunch pressed after four hours of cold maceration in the press then immediately racked into an ex-Burgundy, fourth use French oak barrel.

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar. Fermentation took 34 days with occasional lees stirring during fermentation.

The barrel was topped and the wine matured on its gross lees with no battonage until September 2022 when it was bottled directly from barrel.

In total the Chardonnay spent 23 months in oak, adding texture and structure to the ripe, almost tropical fruit.

Daylight Upon Magic is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach it may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to expect

This is a rich and waxy wine with an abundance of tropical fruit characters and a pleasing bite of acidity on the finish. Well-rounded and attractive it’s perfect for the beach, the barbecue or the bowls club. Will also cellar nicely for several years.

‘Strange News From Another Star’
Bacchus 2021

The Wine

Made from Bacchus grapes grown at Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex’s Crouch Valley this aromatic and textured wine brings plenty to the party. 800 bottles produced. Named ‘Bacchus of the Year’ in Tim Atkin MW’s ‘England 2022 Special Report', written by Tom Hewson.

Winemaking

Picked by hand on 16th October from a single vineyard site in the heart of the Crouch Valley the Bacchus fruit was clean and just on the right side of ripeness given the tricky growing season.

The grapes were whole-bunch pressed and the juice was racked into 227-litre American oak barrels (ex-Burgundy, fourth/fifth use) and fermented in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar using a combination of ‘wild’ and neutral cultured yeasts.

Fermentation took 14 days, the wine was racked off its gross less then aged in barrel on the fine lees for six months with occasional stirring to move the lees through the wine - adding body and texture.

The wine was bottled on 2nd May 2022.

Strange News From Another Star is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

Shot through with bite and style this is a punchy and bright wine ideal for the summer. Notes of fleshy grapefruit and gooseberry are joined by racy green apple acidity to create an edgy, bright wine that trembles on an acid/fruit tightrope.

‘Shadowplay’
Pinot Noir 2021

The wine

A perfumed, delicate English Pinot Noir that's light in body but utterly distinctive. The grapes were grown at Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex's Crouch Valley, from young vines planted in 2018.

Winemaking

Picked by hand on a chilly day in early November 2021 the bunches were destemmed and cold-settled for 48 hours before fermentation in open topped bins. Daily punch-downs ensured good extraction from the delicate skins and added a splash of ruby red colour.

Fermentation took 25 days, and after completion the free-run wine was racked into a 227-litre American oak barrel where it matured for eight months before bottling. It was topped up using press juice, which added a spicy note and a bite of tannin.

Bottled on 21st July 2022, the wine has spent 12 weeks in bottle prior to release.

Shadowplay is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment.

What to expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a delicate and pretty Pinot Noir with texture, perfume and just a smidge of spice. Expect red cherry fruit and black pepper notes, an expressive juicy mouthfeel and a concentrated finish. A perfect, precise autumnal Pinot.

‘Rip It Up’
Orange Bacchus 2021

The Wine

Made from Bacchus grapes grown at Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex’s Crouch Valley this orange wine - a white wine made with skin contact - is a first for Gutter & Stars.

Winemaking

Picked by hand on 16th October from a single vineyard site, the Bacchus grapes were hand-sorted and 200kg was set aside for a skin-contact fermentation. The rest was pressed to produce the Strange News From Another Star Bacchus.

The grapes were hand-destemmed and the berries fermented in a 250L egg in the cool windmill basement. Fermentation took 18 days and the wine was settled on skins for a further 10 days before basket-pressing. 

The wine was matured in a stainless steel tank for six months before racking and bottling, with no battonage. 

It was bottled on 13th June 2022.

Rip It Up is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

This is an arresting wine with sappy, pithy notes and grilled nectarine and peach tea characters. It’s clean and pure with citrus bitterness, a mineral edge and a savoury finish. Only 150 bottles made.

‘The Good Mixer’
Blonde on Blonde Blend 2021

The Wine

Made from Ortega and Bacchus grapes grown at Yew Tree Vineyard in the Oxfordshire countryside this white blend is bright and waxy with a delicious lick of acidity. 450 bottles produced.

Winemaking

Picked by hand on a bright but chilly morning in mid-October, this was the first fruit of the long 2021 growing season to arrive. Coming from a single vineyard site the two varieties were pressed together then settled in a stainless steel tank under a blanket of CO2.

The juice was racked into 227-litre American oak barrels (ex-Burgundy, fourth/fifth use) and fermented in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar using a combination of ‘wild’ and cultured yeasts.

Fermentation took 23 days then the barrels were topped ahead of five months ageing on lees, with occasional stirring to move the lees through the wine - adding body, texture and bite.

The wine was bottled on 4th April 2022.

The Good Mixer is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a rich and waxy white wine with an abundance of tropical fruit characters and a pleasing bite of acidity on the finish. Well-rounded and attractive it’s the perfect spring/summer serve.

‘Daylight Upon Magic’
Chardonnay 2020

The Wine

A ripe, bright and structured Chardonnay with subtle oak influence and a magical grip. The grapes come from Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex's sun-kissed Crouch Valley, from young vines planted in 2018.

Winemaking

Picked by hand in mid-October, this was the last fruit of the season and benefitted from extended hang-time in the cool but dry autumn.

One tonne of grapes was whole-bunch pressed after four hours cold maceration in the press then immediately racked into ex-Burgundy, fourth use 227-litre oak barrels (French and American oak).

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in barrel in the cool Gutter&Stars cellar. Fermentation took 34 days with occasional lees stirring.

The barrels were topped and the wine matured on its gross lees with no battonage until autumn 2021 when it was blended and bottled. In total the Chardonnay spent 11.5 months in oak, adding texture and structure to the ripe, almost tropical fruit.

Daylight Upon Magic is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a bright and lush Chardonnay with appealing texture and mouthfeel, and a delicious lick of acidity on the finish. Expect tropical and stone fruit characters alongside a tingle of spice. A rich, ripe and complete wine.

‘Hope is a Good Swimmer’
Pinot Noir 2020

The Wine

A juicy, grippy Pinot Noir that's easy to fall in love with. The grapes come from Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex's sun-kissed Crouch Valley, from young vines planted in 2018.

Winemaking

Picked by hand bright and early on a damp - but hopeful - October morning, half a tonne of ripe Essex Pinot Noir was hand-destemmed (95%,5% whole bunch) in the Gutter&Stars cellar and cold soaked for 48 hours at 13°C.

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place simultaneously in open-topped bins and a plastic egg. Daily punchdowns ensured good extraction of colour and character, and a workout for the winemaker.

Fermentation took 20 days. After 15 days the wine was racked into 227-litre American oak barrels to complete fermentation. It was matured for eight-and-a-half months in oak and stainless steel prior to blending and bottling in summer 2021.

Hope is a Good Swimmer is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a fruit-forward and balanced wine which benefits from maturation time in a combination of oak and stainless steel in the cool windmill cellar. Expect red cherry and raspberry characters coming together with cola and black pepper to create a juicy, fresh and well-rounded summer wine.

‘I Wanna Be Adored’
Bacchus 2020

The Wine

A punchy, refreshing Bacchus which is as arresting as a John Squire guitar solo. The grapes come from Missing Gate Vineyard in Essex’s sun-kissed Crouch Valley and are from young vines planted in 2018.

Winemaking

Picked by hand bright and early on a crisp September morning, half a tonne of ripe Essex Bacchus was pressed then held at 8°C in a stainless steel tank under a blanket of CO2 for three days to settle. The juice was racked into two 227-litre American oak barrels (ex-Burgundy, fourth use).

The Bacchus was fermented in barrel in the cool windmill basement. Fermentation took 15 days then the wine was racked off the gross lees and it matured for five months in oak and stainless steel prior to blending and bottling on 17th March 2021.

I Wanna Be Adored is bottled unfined and unfiltered making it vegan friendly. Due to this hands-off approach the wine may throw a delicate, harmless sediment in the bottle.

What to Expect

Winemaker Chris Wilson has produced a bright, textured wine which benefits from maturation time in a combination of oak and stainless steel. This process gives it a shape and mouthfeel which stands out. Expect white peach, gooseberry and delicate floral characters coming together with lanolin and lime to create an edgy, but well-rounded wine.