Drinks of the Month

Wine of the Week: Rothley Wine Warhorse Red

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on April 24 2020 at 12:25

Leicestershire isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think about English wine but I’ve been very struck by two wines I’ve tasted from Rothley Wine.

The most unexpected is a red wine called Warhorse 2017, a modest 11.5% and a blend of 70% Rondo and 30% Regent from vines which were grown at Chevelswarde Organics and vinified and bottled at Halfpenny Green.

At 11.5% it’s quite fresh and tart but with a really lovely flavour of wild hedgerow berries and just-ripe blackcurrants that is reminiscent of a Loire Cabernet Franc in a cool vintage.

When I first tasted it I thought it would be nice chilled as indeed it was, then discovered they do in fact recommend serving it at 12°C. They also suggest decanting it two hours in advance which I’m not sure it really needs.

It would be lovely with grilled lamb and, unusually for a red, griddled asparagus.

They also make a very pretty fresh elderflowery (or should that be elderfloral?) white called King Richard, a blend of solaris and siegerrebe which is lighter still at 10.5% and a perfect aperitif for these lovely sunny spring evenings.

You can buy the wines online from George Hill of Loughborough for £12.49 and £12.99 respectively and, if you live in the county, from other local stockists.

You can find Rothley on Twitter @rothleywine

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