English & Welsh still wines: Panel tasting results

Susie Barrie MW, Matthew Horsley and Stephen Skelton MW tasted 64 wines, with 1 Outstanding and 29 Highly Recommended.

English & Welsh still wines: Panel tasting scores

64 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly recommended 29

Recommended 26

Commended 4

Fair 3

Poor 1

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release, dry, still wines from England and Wales, single varietals or blends in white, rosé, orange or red styles

The mere fact that Decanter held its first ever UK still wine panel tasting this summer is testament to just how seriously these wines are now being taken. Admittedly, compared to the the country’s sparkling wine offering, it’s a young category. But based on this and other very recent tastings, it’s an exciting and ambitious one.

Although the judges had high expectations that weren’t always fulfilled, the characterful nature of so many of the wines we tasted and the sheer diversity of styles was hugely encouraging. The fact that our scores were often quite different, and that there was considerable debate between us about several of the wines, was usually more to do with the innovative spirit of the winemakers and their willingness to push boundaries than anything to do with inherent quality.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the English & Welsh still wines panel tasting

{"content":"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"}

English & Welsh still wines panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Susie Barrie MW is a widely recognised wine writer, broadcaster and consultant. Her book titles include The Essential Guide to English Wine (IW&FS, 2018), and she is co-host of the award-winning Wine Blast podcast

Matthew Horsley is a wine buyer for The Wine Society, responsible for England, South Africa and Greece, and a DWWA judge for the UK. He joined the Society in 2012 after graduating university and has been part of the buying department since 2017

Stephen Skelton MW is a leading consultant to wine producers across the UK, helping to set up and maintain many vineyards. An educator and awarded author, his titles include Viticulture (£27.50, 2nd edition 2020), a core text aimed at higher-level wine students, and The Wines of Great Britain (£35 Académie du Vin Library, 2019)