julia harding mw reviews 2019 Orange bacchus & 2014 element 20 on jancis robinson.com

2019 Orange Bacchus

Litmus Orange Bacchus is produced from Kentish grapes, hand-picked and 100% destemmed. 93% Bacchus and 7% Ortega. The unpressed grape must is pumped into a stainless-steel vessel where both alcoholic fermentation and malolactic conversion ensues. 10% of the wine was fermented in old oak for back-blending. The dry wine remained on skins for 16 weeks without SO2 until draining. Pressings were discarded, and minimal SO2 additions were made prior to bottling under DIAM cork.
Very pale for an ‘orange’ wine. Very definite aromas of Bacchus - similar to Sauvignon Blanc with notes of box - but here also some clementine and grapefruit. Some tannic firmness and depth, especially for a wine of just 12.5%. Gently chewy, grapey and almost floral but also with that box-tree/herbal side to it as well as a more nutty quality. Certainly complex and yet beautifully fresh. Their press release mentions fennel and I can see that now. Long and satisfying and even though it is aromatic, should still be a good food wine. Needs some experimentation to see what it would best accompany. Daring and successful with a nutty/marzipan aftertaste. 17/20 05.06.20

2014 Element 20

Made by seasoned English winemaker and international consultant John Worontschak in collaboration with Denbies Wine Estate. 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Gris and 30% Pinot Blanc, fermented separately in one-to five-year-old French oak barriques and left on the less for a further 11 months with minimal intervention before blending and bottling. Further ageing in the bottle before release in May 2020. As their press release explains, ‘Element 20 is named after the 20th element on the periodic table, calcium, paying homage to the chalky soils on which the wine was grown. Element 20 is widely recognised as being at the cutting edge of still English wines for quality and consistency and is only produced in the best of seasons.’
Very pale gold. Complex, spicy golden aroma that seems to highlight the Pinot Gris. It is full in the mouth despite its very modest 12% alcohol and has all the freshness of a classic English wine. The oak shows in the lightly spicy and toasty flavour. This is a remarkably complex wine for the price. Seriously GV for a mature and complex English white wine. There’s a slight - and attractive - tannic grip on the finish, suggesting this would be a terrific food wine. This is delicious now but still has some years ahead of it. 17/20 05.06.20