Albariño
£20
Lemon, honeydew and white peach lead into fresh citrus and a light floral note. Bright and clean rather than showy, this rare English Albariño has the freshness for shellfish, grilled vegetables or the first glass of a long lunch.
2019
Hunton, Maidstone
The Baxter family came to Kent in 1943 because fresh country air was prescribed for Great Grandpa’s tuberculosis. Seventy acres became a livelihood; over four generations the farm grew to 200 acres of apples, pears, cherries, apricots and, eventually, vines. In 2019 Clive Baxter took up Balfour’s invitation to become a contract grower, planting Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier on the farm’s south-facing slopes. Albariño followed, and the first own-label harvest arrived in 2022. Four Daughters is named for Lucy, Amy, Emma and Sophie, who bring four different personalities to the bottles and an unpolished sense of fun to the visitor days. Most of the vineyard still supports a larger winemaking contract, but selected parcels go to Defined Wine in Canterbury for the family label. That first Albariño won WineGB gold and landed in the Golden 50 — an unusually assured opening chapter for a producer that still thinks of itself as a working fruit farm first.
Amsbury Farm sits on gently south-facing ground outside Hunton, with the vines rising between roughly 40 and 80 metres. The elevation helps air move and takes some sting out of spring frost, while well-drained agricultural soils ask the roots to work. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier form the main planting, with Albariño providing the adventurous twist. Around them, apples, pears, cherries and apricots keep this a genuinely mixed farm, not a wine estate staged as one.
WINEMAKER
The Baxters grow the fruit; the Defined Wine team in Canterbury turns the selected Four Daughters parcels into bottle-ready wine. The approach is clean and variety-led: protect Albariño’s citrus and orchard-fruit perfume, let Pinot Noir stay light enough for a slight chill and give Chardonnay just three months in oak so vanilla and butterscotch round the wine without smothering its green-apple freshness.
The Collection
£20
Lemon, honeydew and white peach lead into fresh citrus and a light floral note. Bright and clean rather than showy, this rare English Albariño has the freshness for shellfish, grilled vegetables or the first glass of a long lunch.
£20
Green apple and citrus meet a gentle wash of vanilla and butterscotch from three months in oak. A brisk line of acidity keeps the fuller texture moving, making this especially good with roast chicken, pork belly or scallops in garlic butter.
£21.99
Cranberry, wild strawberry and cherry make this a light-footed, cool-climate red with enough flavour for a cosy evening but enough freshness to serve slightly chilled beside the barbecue.
Tours and tastings
Tours and tastings: Seasonal ticketed visits only — no casual daily access. Check the official events page and pre-book before travelling.