2019 Overview
The 2019 growing season was fairly typical with one short period of drought in the summer and a good, sunny ripening period at the end of August and in early September. The harvest was extremely wet from the end of September onwards and bringing in the harvest was challenging at times with poor ground conditions. Overall fruit quality was good but the rains affected the concentration in the juice and a fairly easy season for the trees gave quite low tannin levels.
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Nempnett Thrubwell 7% ABV 75cl
Frederick; Yarlington Mill; Sweet Coppin; White Close Pippin; Somerset Redstreak
A single orchard selection from the beautiful south facing orchard at Street Farm in the village of Nempnett Thrubwell. It's an ancestral method sparkling from 2019, hand disgorged in September. There's lots of ripe Frederick in the blend making it fresh and fruity with lovely acidity. Great for an aperitif and a perfect Christmas bottle.
Ditcheat Hill 4.2% ABV 75cl
The 2019 version of this popular favourite is lighter and fresher than 2018's version, partly because the Harry Masters Jersey was having an off year, so we have replaced it with Yarlington Mill. Yarlington Mill, Browns, Sweet Coppin and Ashton Brown Jersey come together to show off this excellent orchard. The result is pure, elegant and fresh, with lots of fruit, a tickle of sharpness and plenty of residual sugar to make it very drinkable. Cold racked in the winter to retain natural sweetness.
Kingston Black 4.3% ABV 75cl
2019 was a good year for Kingston Black, and we had some great fruit available from four orchards: Nempnett Thrubwell, Wilding Orchard (our home farm orchard), Milton Coombe (Wells) and Compton Dando. We decided to blend all of it together to create a cider which really reflects the full nature of the variety, rather than the terroir: the balanced tannins, the lovely acid, the rich and complex aromas of apple pie, toffee, orchard floor and poached plums.
Fermented in stainless steel with wild yeasts and some residual sugar from the apples, this is as pure an expression of Kingston Black as you will try. Making KB is a labour of love, the apples drop over a long season and are a magnet for birds, so we have to make multiple visits to each tree over about five weeks: usually six or seven trips. Once picked they take between two and four weeks to sweat before they are ready to press. Once pressed they are a dream to ferment - slow and steady and easy to slow further with winter racking.
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