(it is a rosé, honest, despite the bottle shot making it look like a full-bodied Shiraz)

We discovered this beautiful English rosé at the ‘Real Wine Fair’, a biennial gathering of organic and biodynamic wine producers in London’s docklands. We stood out like a sore thumb among the notably young and hip attendees, having not received the dress code memo stipulating a beanie hat, nose ring and canvas courier’s satchel. It’s a delicate, fragile rosé, as if made from pastel-pink crepe paper, but it’s actually made from Pinot Meunier by Ben Walgate, who used to be the winemaker at Tillingham. Think of the most delicate, fragile flavours (rosehip, rose petal, strawberry meringue, apricot fuzz) on a pillow of creamy softness. 13.3% alc. Drink now-2029. Biodynamic farming. Organic.

Press reviews:

Jancis Robinson: “Orange/ pink colour. Bitter cherry and orange peel on the nose. Rose hip on the palate, delicate but good ripeness here and a touch of apricot bitterness. Lovely distinctive pink. Drink now-2028.” 17 points

Jamie Goode: “Pinot Meunier from Tillingham. Saignee: load press with whole bunches, give it a spin and leave it for 22 hours. Matured in neutral German fuder. Full pink with a hint of orange. Jellyish note on the nose with sappy red cherry fruit. Lovely fruit on the palate: a hint of ginger with nice glacé cherry notes and a fine hint of green. Lovely brightness here: such precision and focus.” 93 points

Decanter: “Pouring with a deep watermelon/coral hue, this initially shows a little flinty wisp on the nose, which opens out to notes of pomegranate and raspberry leaf. It's so texturally complex, tactile like embroidered silk. Lean and zippy, it has notes of greengage and plum skin, high acidity and a chalky grip on the finish. The Pinot Meunier fruit here comes from the biodynamically farmed vines at Tillingham in East Sussex. Drink now-2026.” 93 points