BONKERS CHARDONNAY MV
BONKERS CHARDONNAY MV
Bonkers Zombie Robot Alien Monsters from the Future Ate My Brain (Sur Lie).
Bonkers began as an embryo of an idea during the near-perfect 2022 vintage, which saw England's vineyards benefit from one of the warmest summers on record. While experimenting with some new American oak for a special separate project (more of which another time), we half-filled a barrel with our exceptional South Downs Chardonnay, stuck a bung in the top, and forgot about it. So far, so Sugrue.
After six months, we found that the carefully controlled oxidation process had transformed it into an extraordinarily complex white wine that combined ripe fruit flavours with a wild and nutty, yet pristine character. So we used this to top up several other barrels, which abruptly stopped fermenting as the winery cooled at the onset of winter.
We excitedly showed our creation to members of the wine trade, who loved it, and the project took on its playful moniker, Bonkers. The name sticks.
We introduced a solera system the following year, blending the precious reserve wine from 2022 with Chardonnay from the equally excellent 2023 vintage, this time using large, old French barrels. Bonkers is brought back from the brink.
The end result is a beautifully creamy, yet refreshing Chardonnay, multi-dimensional and structured with oak – perfect for food pairing and mid-term cellaring.
Despite its faintly ludicrous name, Bonkers is a serious wine – and a methodically crafted one at that. It represents our unique take on English still Chardonnay, employing a range of traditional winemaking techniques, as well as a drop of Irish humour. Bonkers by name. Zombie Robot Alien Monster Chardonnay by nature. So it goes.
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
CEPAGE: 100% Chardonnay
VINEYARD: Mount Harry & Coldharbour Vineyard, West Sussex
SOIL TYPE: Chalk and flint soil
YIELD: Average yield 6,000kg/ha, 5,000 bottles produced
VINIFICATION: 2022 in small new barriques for 18 months, 2023 in large, older barrels for 6 months
MATURATION: Bottled in October 2024.
ANALYSIS: 12.5% abv, pH 3.24
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Bonkers is a multi-dimensional, solera-aged Chardonnay: rich, creamy and savoury with
a nutty, honeyed complexity from its elevage in large and small barrels, old and new.
A touch of carefully controlled oxidation is balanced by a freshness and fine structure,
offering delicious drinking now, as well as potential for ageing.
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
"Lots of acidity and depth with a kiss of oak and massive grip on the palate. Sui generis. Not trying to be a white Burgundy, but an excellent wine that should appeal to the natural crowd. Impressive persistence and a freshness [...] that suggests it should have quite a long life. A new chapter in English winemaking? Hugely distinctive! 16.5+ points, 2024-2030." From JancisRobinson.com