Painter of Light Clayhill Vineyard Chardonnay

Grilled Cornish lobster, roast chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta in cream sauce, macaroni cheese, fish goujons, roast veal or shellfish broth.

Essex grapes, London urban winery. A cold, wet harvest. The grapes came from a third-generation farmer, Dale Simmons. South-facing vineyard planted in 2006 with a commission for Chapel Down who get 50% of the fruit. 10- to 12-acre (4- to 5-ha) site. Blackbook takes 6 tons of fruit from him, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay is a single burgundian clone, 277.

The wine is finally aged for 11 months prior to bottling.

Whole-bunch pressed and fermented in Burgundy barrels with the grapes’ indigenous yeast is a low intervention and characterful method of winemaking. 20% is new oak, the rest old.

Founded in 2017 by Sergio & Lynsey Verillo, the Blackbook winery occupies a unique space under a Victorian Railway arch in Battersea, London. A micro-negociant, they specialise in cool climate, still expressions of pinot noir and chardonnay, working with vineyard parcels in the surrounding countryside of Southern England. They also look to experiment and have amassed a glowing reputation and loyal following in a short period.