Precoce is a silky smooth, juicy and fruity red using an early ripening clone of pinot noir. It offers gentle and pure cherry and plum flavours on the nose and palate with some subtle savoury depth coming from the old oak, but it's mostly about the fruit. This is riper and has more integrated tannins than in previous vintages leaving a gorgeously smooth textured finish. It is very much like a halfway between a juicy young Gamay and a Pinot Noir.
Top food pairings:
Perfect for intimate dinners, long Sunday lunches, or an impromptu midweek treat - because good red wine shouldn’t have to wait for a special occasion.
"We love Flint wines and this juicy red is a joy to drink. This will appeal to anyone who enjoys fresh, fruit-driven Pinot Noir or Gamay and delivers an elegant structure and a little extra depth of flavour. I'd enjoy this with roast chicken or a meaty fish"
Flint Vineyard has been making wine since 2016 and in that short time has become recognised as one of England’s most exciting new wine producers. Winemaker Ben Witchell’s philosophy is based on his experience, which combines studying the science of wine and appreciating the traditional elements of the process. The focus is on ultra-premium, low volume still wines, using the best fruit from their own and partner vineyards. Pioneering methods, some courage, a little luck and patience result in some of the most highly prized wines of England.
Précoce requires very little in the winery and our winemaking with respect to this grape is hands-off. The grapes are picked as whole bunches and either de-stemmed and crushed upon receival in the winery or left intact.
Fermentation takes place mainly in concrete, the traditional way, which allows the wine to breathe, open up and soften. Use of both indigenous and cultured yeast strains to promote complexity and a warm fermentation (c. 25 C) to discourage over extraction of tannin or colour.
After fermentation, the wine is transferred to neutral oak barrels (5 to 7 years old) where it goes through malolactic fermentation. A further 6 months in barrel before being bottled with minimal filtration. A light touch process: the grapes do the work here and it shows in the character of the wine.
The wine has not been cold stabilised and might throw a small crystalline deposit. This is harmless and demonstrates its minimal handling.
No fining agents have been used so the wine is vegan friendly gluten free
Residual sugar: <0.5 g/L
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