Norfolk wine.
I must admit to the possibility of being slightly biased towards this outstanding Bacchus since it was produced from estate grown grapes mere miles from where I was born.
The Bacchus grape is an early ripening white wine grape variety created in 1933 as a cross between three different grape varieties: Silvaner x Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. The development of Bacchus was aimed at producing a grape that could thrive in cooler climates while still maintaining good acidity and aromatic qualities.
Bacchus is well-suited to the UK’s cool climate, producing wines that are often compared to Sauvignon Blanc in terms of their fresh, aromatic profile. First impressions were more along the lines of Riesling, however, it quickly became apparent that Winbirri’s Bacchus was indeed Sauvignon Blanc-esque being highly aromatic with tropical fruits, passion fruit as well as citrus fruit. Light to medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and a lovely rounded mouthfeel go hand-in-hand with citrusy flavours. A bit of the Riesling parentage did remain evident too. This was a real pleasure to drink.