Journal

    We’ve got three glorious new Pet Nats set for release this May. All wild fermented, and all with no additions, so all pet nats in the truest sense. Pet Nat has always been a special wine for us at Westwell. The very first one we made here was an Ortega from the 2017 harvest. I disgorged every bottle myself, by hand (in the end each one three times). It was a great wine, exciting and full or the tropical ripe fruit that we get from Ortega. Making it was a chaotic process, and was the reason we gave...

  Whatever’s going on with weather, or in the world, a vine’s year always follows the same pattern where every stage is vital and nothing is missed. The vineyard is never out of season, and no two vineyard visits are the same. Whenever you come and see us, you’re stepping into a cycle that’s been repeating ever since life began!     Dormancy - winter Above ground the vine looks still, but energy is stored deep in the roots and woody stems. This is when we prune - the nutrients have moved back into the roots and last year’s growth...

    I’ve always thought of Pinot Meunier as the mediator of the classic Champagne trio - the grape that sits comfortably between Chardonnay’s brightness and Pinot Noir’s depth. But the more time I spend with it, the more I can see it’s more than a supporting act. It reminds me a bit of Starwars - where Meunier is the Empire Strikes Back. Or Harry Styles: flamboyant, integral to the ensemble, yet more than capable of stepping out solo (other anthropomorphic pop star suggestions welcome). Over the years we’ve worked with Pinot Meunier in more ways than I first expected....

    After the challenges of 2024, this year has felt like a very welcome change. The growing season started with ideal conditions: plenty of sunshine and early warmth - and from there the vines seemed to settle happily into the rhythm of the year culminating in our earliest ever ripening. It was a dry season, but the vines don’t mind that - their deep root systems mean they can grow and thrive in really dry conditions. Disease, an unromantic but ever-present part of viticulture was mercifully light this year. Very little sign of our old pals, powdery and downy...