England stands up with the best

Compiled by Joe Hyam

White Pinot Noir sounds like a contradiction in terms. Many people forget that white wine made from the grape is used in Champagne, because it is essentially a red wine grape both in the New World and in Burgundy.

So when hearing about Chiddingstone Vineyards' Pinot a couple of years ago, one could have been forgiven for assuming that it was a Burgundy-style red.

This was this wine which the Queen offered to President Mitterand at a British Embassy banquet in Paris. The press was so intent on reporting the presumption of an English wine in so French a context, that they omitted to note that the wine was white.

The wine in question was the Pinot Grand Vin 1992. It is produced, alongside several others, on an 80-acre farm near Sevenoaks in Kent.

It is an outstanding wine regardless of its origins. There is a sumptuous nose and plenty of fruit on the palate but it is, in the best sense, subtle and restrained. It is lively yet balanced, dry, almost austere, but with a luscious centre. In blind tastings it has been taken for a Chablis.

It is also the perfect wine to demonstrate to visitors from other countries, as well sceptical Brits, that English wine can be outstanding and even with its relatively high price, compare to wine produced in warmer climates.

You can buy it direct from the producers, Chiddingstone Vineyards (01892 870277). The one-case price including VAT is £65.04.