Wyfold vineyard and its fine English Sparkling Wine

First, to address the two Wyfold sparkling wines for release this December:

Wyfold Brut 2019

Following on from the exceptional 2018 vintage, which gave high yields as well as good ripeness, Barbara was delighted to be blessed with yet another good year.

“The buds burst reasonably early which resulted in a little frost damage but not a huge amount. The summer weather was the usual mix, but the influx of spotted wing drosophila was very unusual and we did have to spray against it, with the co-operation of the local bee keepers.”

“Also unusual was the late summer rain – it basically rained from mid-September until the following February, making all ground work very difficult if not impossible. All harvest lunches at the winery that year were eaten inside – also very unusual. But at the end of the day, we held on for the ripeness we needed and the yields were very acceptable.”

The Brut in 2019 is a classic blend of 55% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier, each carefully fermented separately before blending and putting into bottle for the secondary bottle fermentation. That was in June 2020, where it stayed resting on lees for five years, until it was disgorged in July 2025.

Barbara gave us her latest tasting note:

“Bright light gold, and already showing nice development on the aroma, with plenty of toasty yeast character, marzipan and lemon cake. The palate is beautifully fresh and light, displaying plenty of Chardonnay elegance and a seamless purity. Acid is discreet and well balanced which helps give the wine a rich, expressive character. There’s no doubt it will improve with age but there’s already so much going on it can be enjoyed now.”

Wyfold Rosé 2020

Barbara reported, “2020 was, of course, ‘lockdown’ year and we had a lot of adapting to do. I was glad to be able to issue myself an ‘agricultural workers’ certificate to be out and about attending to the vineyard. I realised early on that the rows were two metres apart – a perfect distance to bring people into the vineyard to do the hand work necessary and still be within the government rules.

So we ran a very eclectic team of local people who enjoyed the marvellous early summer sunshine and being outdoors. It was such a pleasure to hear people chatting and continuing their conversations as they worked down their ‘own’ rows, stuck to the rules but still had sunshine, exercise and company. The weather was definitely on our side and we had a lovely crop of ripe grapes – just. Our last ‘pick’ was 3rd October which was also the day Storm Alex swept across the country and the Met office recorded the highest average rainfall since records began. Whew!!”

The Rosé this year is a blend of 47% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir and 22% Meunier, gently fermented, blended and aged in bottle on its lees for just under 4 years. It was disgorged in March 2025 and has rested in bottle since then.

Barbara’s tasting note reads:

“Our Rosé 2020 is a subtle vintage … it sidles up gently, then lingers beautifully on the palate for minutes. That’s rare. Opening with warm aromas – think pâtisserie and jam – it develops on the palate with fresh-picked red fruits: mostly strawberry and raspberry. A sprinkle of nutmeg and allspice adds a subtle kick, before mellowing into a long, peachy-apricot finish that just keeps going. Elegant, layered, and quietly confident.’

Wyfold fizz and food:

“The great thing about Wyfold is that it’s a ‘drink anywhere with anything’ wine,” declared Barbara. “There’s no doubt it’s great for a celebration – it’s those bubbles! – but also a great accompaniment to almost all dishes except, perhaps, heavy red meats. That’s certainly our philosophy at home.” One imagines they leave that job to Château La Clarière.

Wyfold certainly must have featured at Barbara and Tony’s own celebration this year – their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

“It kind of ‘snuck up’ on us – I swear we were never aiming at 50 years! But it happened and we took the whole immediate family away for a week in Sicily. 14 of us, ranging in age from 1 to 79. And it worked. We had a marvellous time!

The glorious 2025 vintage

“2025 will be etched in my memory as the year all the grapes ripened at once! Usually, it’s the Pinot Noir and Meunier, followed in its own good time, by Chardonnay. Not this year though.”

“Wyfold grapes all go to Henry and Kaye Laithwaite’s Harrow & Hope winery in Marlow. For their own Harrow & Hope sparklers, they make wine principally for three vineyards, each in a different county, on different soils and different topography. This allows for different ripening times which aids harvest planning. Basically it’s all the same team – in the vineyard, in the reception yard where the grapes are crushed, and in the winery – so planning is vital.”

“This year, however, not only were the vineyards neck and neck in ripening, but the grape varieties too. That created extra pressure without doubt – but also extra satisfaction because the team are so dedicated there was not one single hiccup!”

“The weather during 2025 was pretty much perfect for grape growing too – vastly reducing the disease pressure and the stress on the farmer – me! In addition we’ve been very successful with our summer cover crop of Phacelia which will add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. And our vineyard borders have been an absolute picture – bloomimg with wild flowers all summer long. Many a note of pleasure dropped in to me by those that walk past. So it was a real ‘ feel good/look good’ year!”

Finally and importantly … a word on sustainability from Barbara.

“We’re very aware that we should be leaving the land in a better state than when we started so we’ve been making considerable effort for years in adding good manures, foliar feeds, cover crops for organic materials and keeping the tractor off as much as possible. After harvest this year we dug down at various points in the vineyard to take soil samples. We could tell it was good – rich with organic material, dark brown and crumbly. We’re on the right track.”