Charlie Herring Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature 'The Bookkeeper' 2018

“I love Chardonnay, Riesling is to die for, and I fancy drinking Sauvignon Blanc with the local crab, so that’s what I planted.” Channelling an empirical, hands-on approach to everything in his care, Tim Phillips of Charlie Herring winery in Hampshire’s New Forest is achieving miraculous results with his one-of-a-kind still and sparkling wines.

Two miles from the sea, Tim’s idyllic one-acre vineyard sits inside a walled garden that’s surrounded by old apple trees planted in the mid-19th century. Eden, eat your heart out. Working alone – except for a flock of chickens, which provide both fertiliser and companionship – Tim enthusiastically tends each individual vine as if it were a favourite houseplant, before making natural wines with zero additions in a tiny, back-to-basics winery.

His project is named Charlie Herring after a fictional character Tim’s wine-collecting vicar father invented when he was a child. Made in minute quantities and released only when ready to drink, these bottles are frequently spoken of among geekier English wine lovers, but rarely seen.

‘The Bookkeeper’ is a creamy, peachy Chardonnay that’s off-set by quivering tension and delicate bubbles.