Happy new year everyone! We here at Oxney are back and putting plans in place for the year ahead. Inevitably this leads to some reflection and revisiting 2019. And (this is hard for a Scandinavian who has lived in England such a long time to say…) 2019 was a great year and a lot of people in the UK, US and rest of Europe seemed to agree we did an amazing job. Ok, that’s over and I am not quite blushing!

Here is a list of our top ten articles, reviews and gongs last year:

May: Merete Bø, one of Norway’s top wine writers, put the Oxney wines (Classic 2015 and Estate NV Rosé) down in the top 5 new sparkling wines to arrive in Norway spring 2019. Dagens Næringsliv. 89 points.

May: Ingvild Tennfjord, writing in the Aftenposten week-end supplement (Norway’s top newspaper), included the Oxney Estate NV Rosé in a list of six rosé wines must buys.

July: Organic Masters: The Classic 2016 wins a silver medal. Commenting on the awards in The Drinks Business Patrick Schmitt said: “…it’s always pleasing to debunk a commonly held belief that challenging climates for viticulture, particularly cooler, damper areas, cannot product great results employing organics. While there may be relatively high cost implications of being organic in maritime and marginal wine regions such as England, it’s still possible to grow high quality grapes – as evidenced again this year by the lovely fizz from the organic Oxney Estate in Sussex.”

July: Wines of Great Britain results are out and Oxney is awarded 3 silvers which we are happy about! Classic 2016 sparkling, English Pinot Noir 2018 and Chardonnay 2018. Chardonnay not launched yet but we are excited about it and looking forward to sharing it with you in the Spring.

July: Matthew Jukes writing for Vineyard Magazine penned a glowing review of the Classic and The Estate NV Rosé. “Oxney ticks every single box there is and a few more than I am probably unaware of too,” he writes. “The entire portfolio of new releases this summer is amazing and these wines are made with unmistakable care and attention.”

September: The most famous person in wine in the UK, Jancis Robinson, visits the wine tasting organised by Wines of Great Britain and tastes all the still wines. The Oxney English Rosé is one of only two rosé wines she loves: “Good fruit intensity and pretty pungent. Some hint of Pinot fruit. Certainly mouth-filling. A pretty good effort. Long too.” JancisRobinson.com

September: Falstaff Magazine & Competition: The famous competition and magazine for Germany and Austria included the Classic and Estate NV Rosé and awarded the wines an impressive 90 and 89 points respectively: “Light golden yellow, silver reflexes, delicately integrated mousse, juicy, round and fruity.”

October: Fiona Becket writing in The Guardian does a column on British booze and includes the Oxney English Rosé: “2018 was such a great year for still English wine: you should take advantage of this deliciously fruity rosé to evoke memories of summer.”

November: Wine Enthusiast, the US consumer magazine, in a review by Anne Kreibiehl MW awards the Classic 90 points: “Creaminess, green apple and subtle notions of wet chalk combine into a nose of vivid freshness. That lively sense of freshness continues on the palate with a frothy mousse and gentle notes of green and yellow apple. The finish is vivid, dry and appetizing with its energetic, harmonious apple note.”

December: The Classic wins an IWC Gold with a top score of 95. The sparkling golds handed out includes two for England and three for France. Panel Chair Joe Wadsack and Co-Chair Tim Atkin MW say: “Lovely toasty autolytic nose of russet apple and pear. Broad, nutty and bright with a long, creamy finish. Built to last.”

Happy new year!
Kristin