The Great British Vineyards Guide

 

Our Solaris vines are planted on the steepest part of Hencote Vineyard’s south-facing slope.

 

The 2018 vintage was characterised by one of the warmest summers experienced in Shropshire in the last 20 years, which has benefitted the full aromatic ripeness enjoyed by the wine.

 

Solaris is an early-ripening variety and is always the first vines harvested with the help of local volunteers and friends of Hencote. The first half of the 2018 vintage was picked in early September to allow the higher acidity to provide precision and focus of flavour. The second half was left to hang until the end of September, to create body and weight from the fuller fruit aromas.

 

There is an all-round freshness to the wine and passion fruit, grapefruit, kiwifruit flavours abound all the while underpinned by scintillating mountain stream purity.