2023 Chardonnay, Marbury

• Style: Bright, mineral-driven English Chardonnay
• Taste: Citrus, orchard fruit, brioche, hazelnut with zesty mineral finish
• Food: Shellfish, white fish, creamy cheeses, roasted chicken
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night, aperitivo
• Serve: Chilled, 12.5% ABV

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

A wine that rewards the risk England's winemakers have taken on Chardonnay. The 2023 sits bright and purposeful in the glass — alive with mineral snap and citrus lift characteristic of cooler climates. The nose carries ripe citrus and apple blossom through brioche and toasted hazelnut, never one-dimensional. On the palate, concentrated orchard flavours and orange zest unfold with refinement, closing on a zesty, mineral length. That balance between richness and acidity (5.5g/L) is the signature of a well-made cool-climate expression.

The Winery — Marbury

Marbury is a newcomer to Essex's Crouch Valley, planted on London Clay soils where grapes flourished a thousand years ago. Winemaker Charlie Holland, who spent a decade at Gusbourne honing his craft, brings a restrained philosophy to the cellar—one centred on preserving the wine's sense of place. The fruit is pressed whole-bunch and fermented directly in barrel (85% seasoned oak, 15% new) with natural yeast, then aged on lees for ten months without settling or added sulphur at the outset. This hands-off approach, combined with judicious oak use, lends weight and complexity while framing the purity of fruit at the heart of Marbury's style.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Pair this with buttered seafood, creamy cheeses, or roasted chicken—anywhere you'd normally reach for white Burgundy, only without the premium price. The mineral precision and orchard fruit make it equally at home with shellfish, white fish, salads, vegetable-focused dishes, and oily fish. Serve chilled as an aperitivo, at Sunday lunch, or on a date night when you want a wine that tastes like its place. This is one of the finest expressions of Chardonnay found in England today, sitting alongside a growing selection of serious still wines from the region. Explore more of what Essex is delivering, and discover why England's finest white wine country is now impossible to ignore.